UPDATE, 6:27 p.m. Aug. 13

Officials with Florida A&M University confirm Denise Wallace, the chief legal officer for the FAMU board of trustees, and FAMU Director of Communications Keith Miles have resigned per Interim President Timothy Beard’s directive.

UPDATE, 1:36 p.m. Aug. 13

Florida A&M University Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes announced Tuesday that she has been officially let go.

Former FAMU football coach Willie Simmons, former university president Larry Robinson and former Athletic Director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes celebrate after the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 16, 2023. | Will Brown, WFSU Public Media

She announced the news in an email:

“The purpose of this communication is to let you know that effective immediately, I am no longer employed at FAMU. Please route any questions or concerns to AVP for Athletics, Michael Smith until you receive additional direction from Interim President Timothy Beard. Best of luck to you each of you!”

ORIGINAL POST

After holding the position for only a week, Florida A&M University Interim President Timothy Beard is calling for the immediate resignations of members of FAMU’s senior leadership team.

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HBCU Gameday’s Vaughn Wilson, FAMU’s former sports information director, first broke the news Tuesday morning on HBCU Gameday.

WFSU News spoke with multiple sources and confirmed that by the end of today, Beard will terminate the university’s chief operating officer, provost, general counsel, athletic director, chief of staff, communications director and several other key cabinet positions.

“After careful consideration and in consultation with the Board of Trustees, the past University President, and from my observations, I have concluded that a change in our senior leadership team is necessary to move forward more effectively,” Beard wrote in a letter to members of FAMU’s Senior Leadership team.

Tuesday’s announcement comes a week after Beard and the FAMU Board of Trustees held a meeting to discuss the state of the school. Florida A&M is actively searching for its next university president, after former President Larry Robinson made the decision to step down last month after a $237 million donation by a fraudulent donor fell through.

The resignations also come at a time FAMU is seeing low licensure exam pass rates among students in some of the university’s professional licensure programs.

“I want to reiterate my sincere gratitude for your service and contributions to our University,” Beard wrote in his letter to team members. “Your leadership during your tenure has left a lasting impact on our institution, and I wish you continued success in your future endeavors.”