Florida A&M University hosted a listening session Monday evening for faculty, staff and students to give input on what they’re looking for in the school’s next president.
More than 160 people attended the virtual and in-person session.
“We need your input," said Deveron Gibbons, vice chair of FAMU's Board of Trustees and chair of the presidential search committee. "The search committee will come up with a criteria based on your feedback.”
Gibbons told attendees that the search committee wanted to give the community an opportunity to ask questions and provide input about who the school should hire as the next president.
Larry Robinson resigned as president last year after he failed to vet a later-ceased $237 million donation for the school. Robinson, who will return to FAMU to teach after a yearlong sabatical, was credited with stabilizing a school mired in accreditation and enrollment issues and a hazing death.
Timothy Beard was named interim president.
Since Robinson's resignation, the Tallahassee school has set its focus on rebuilding.
"I am confident that the search committee will identify and choose a candidate who will lead FAMU into the future," said Gibbons.
FAMU student Darius Hawkins said he wants a president with leadership skills and a strong education and fundraising background.
He also said he believes that every president should treat the university as a "successful" business.
“I wonder about the connections that the president will have and the people that he will surround himself with," said Hawkins. "I hope that it’s someone that is positive, and someone that thinks forward and considers the people within in the school.”
The school is accepting applications for the position through the end of the month. After that, the search committee will conduct a series of interviews and will host finalists for campus visits.
Committee members hope to name FAMU's president by June 30.
The historically Black state university enrolls over 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
Copyright 2025 WFSU
