FAMU made a number of changes last fall to ensure compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and "we are committed to making sure that our employees are paid properly and on time," FAMU spokeswoman Sharon Saunders said late Friday. Her comments came in response to Friday morning's news, first reported by The Gradebook, that the U.S. Department of Labor had found widespread violations of overtime and record-keeping rules at the school.

According to a DOL press release, more than 350 employees will receive $272,988 in back wages. A DOL spokesman told The Gradebook that the violations occurred between September 2004 and September 2006. He did not know whether other Florida universities had been investigated for similar violations.

Among other corrective actions, Saunders said FAMU conducted workshops on overtime rules; revised procedures for recording overtime on attendance and leave reports; and implemented a new payroll system "which provides for the payment of overtime during the pay period in which it occurs." For the most complete coverage of this story, see Saturday’s Tallahassee Democrat here.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter