Today I received the following email from Florida A&M University:
FAMU Board of Trustees Schedules Emergency Called Meeting
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida A&M University (FAMU) Board of Trustees has scheduled an emergency called meeting for Thursday, Feb. 13 at 4 p.m. The general subject matter of the meeting is to consider the employment contract of President-select Dr. Elmira Mangum.
The public may access the meeting by dialing (877) 884-1929. The conference ID number is 23698072.
For more information, call (850) 599-3413 or visit,
A similarly worded release was issued on January 30, 2014 for a called meeting the next day. Earlier this year, FAMU announced its selection for university President:
Congrats to Dr. Elmira Mangum, #FAMU‘s 11th president and first woman. #fem2— nicole means victory (@ndcollier) January 9, 2014
Introducing #FAMU‘s 11th President, Dr. Elmira Mangum pic.twitter.com/z3r0xsiOlv
— FloridaA&MUniversity (@FAMU_1887) January 9, 2014
Contract negotiations are ongoing, yet despite her robust qualifications, the Board of Trustees has had difficulty agreeing on the details of her contract. Mangum was initially offered a base salary of $425,000. Tallahassee.com reports this is $100,000 more than James H. Ammons’ initial salary in 2007.
Her base salary would, “put her in the upper third of Florida’s 12 state university presidents, according to analysis by Florida Trend magazine. However, her total compensation will likely put her more in the middle or lower end of the pack,” says the Tampa Bay Times.
But some members of the Board wanted to cut the offer to $385,000. A divided Board did agree to some tweaks in compensation, but ultimately voted against the base salary reduction 7-5. One of the suggested changes included the removal of a $1000 per month car allowance.
Any changes in the contract are reviewed by Mangum and require the Board meet again as negotiations continue. She has placed a counter-offer for a university sponsored vehicle. The Board will continue their review on Thursday.
If the Florida Board of Governors approves her selection, Mangum’s three-year tenure begins April 1, 2014, with an option to renew.