FAMU is removing the biggest stain on its reputation. The Board of Governors task force on FAMU all but finalized its report this morning, voting unanimously to accept its recommendations and conclusions and making it clear that FAMU has gotten control of its financial and operational problems.

The report reinforces glowing comments from state auditors and regional accreditors in December, and offers more hope that FAMU will shed its probationary status when the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools meets again in June. "The overwhelming majority of the deficiencies in FAMU's fiscal management, operations, governance internal controls and information technology are being effectively addressed," says a draft report, which will be tweaked over the weekend and distributed to key lawmakers Monday.

FAMU President James Ammons (shown above) offered brief comments at the end of the task force's conference call. "I think it's important that when the report is read, people understand the university is not where it was when the task force began," he said. To read more about the draft report, see yesterday's Gradebook post here.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter