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Alumni Torn Over FAMU Changes

By Russell Nicholls
Black College Wire

Photo credit: Tara-Lynne S. Pixley/The Famuan Interim President Castell V. Bryant "knows what to do and is not afraid to do it," says one of her alumni supporters.

Every night, Nathaniel Pilate, a 1957 graduate of Florida A&M University, scans headlines about his alma mater and shudders.

He sits behind a computer screen in his home office -- where walls are adorned with plaques reading "Outstanding Leadership" -- and reads articles from the Tallahassee Democrat's online edition: "Trust at issue for FAMU budget"; "Legislators see FAMU progress, but not enough"; and "Financial security threatened."

Since Interim President Castell V. Bryant took the wheel in January, the university has been in the process of an overhaul. With many administrators involved in terminations, suspensions or resignations; a university-wide spending freeze and an employee cell-phone recall, alumni are torn between celebration and silence.

Pilate prefers silence.

As president of the Florida A&M University National Alumni Association from 1991 to 1997, Pilate has seen the top of the hill.

"It was during the good years," Pilate boasted.

"The 'College of the Year' years."

But Pilate said that due to a board of trustees that exhibits less than professional behavior and a faulty presidential selection process, FAMU has been falling ever since.

"We're on a downhill spin now and unless something happens to turn it around, we'll be in a freefall," said Pilate, who is chairman of the board of Parrish Medical Center in Titusville, Fla. "No telling where we'll end up."

However, Demetral R. Wester is celebrating Bryant's management.

Bryant "knows what to do and is not afraid to do it," said Wester, who is on the executive board of the National Alumni Association and is a member of the Jacksonville Alumni Chapter in Florida.

"Whether it be freezing [spending] or terminations or resignations or what have you, she has us going in the right direction," she said. "We're no longer throwing good money out the bag."

Wester graduated from FAMU in 1956. Her children and grandchildren graduated from FAMU, so she said she has a vested interest in what happens. Wester said Bryant's actions have propelled the university on the right course.

On the other hand, Pilate said a lack of foresight has stifled the university's growth.

"I'm concerned about the hastiness of the decisions -- the tendency to fire someone without any knowledge about who she's going to replace them with," Pilate said.

"That was the downfall of Gainous," referring to former president Fred Gainous.

However, for Pilate, all news is not bad news. He said he believes that the spending freeze, for instance, will help alleviate the deficit. But the main difference between Pilate and Wester is that Wester is still involved.

Pilate no longer holds an official position. He watches the university's progress from his residence in central Florida, checking the Tallahassee Democrat every night and reading the community paper Capitol Outlook.

Pilate said his role parallels that of any former National Alumni Association president.

"Every time you get up to speak, they say 'sit down,'" Pilate said.

"I served my time."

Pilate admits that he didn't support Bryant at first. Her methods, he said, seemed brash and her alleged "hit list" made her appear to be some tactless tyrant.

But Wester said she has faith in Bryant, believes in her methods and feels comfortable that under her leadership, FAMU will find its way back to the top.

"I am confident that she'll get us back on the right track so that we can once again smile with our chests out as we did when we were College of the Year," Wester said.

"We just got to be patient," she said.

Russell Nichols, a student at Florida A&M University, writes for the Famuan. He may be reached at [email protected].

Posted April 18, 2005