TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Florida A&M University's Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer said they identified the need back in April.
Since then, she said they've been working to get more support for athletics.
FAMU's Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer Rica Calhoun said a university compliance officer's role is to implement programs on compliance and promote ethical decision making. "Their focus is education, monitoring and then enforcement of not only university regulation, law and policy but NCAA bylaws as well."
In 2019, FAMU athletics had 3 compliance officers. At the start of the 2022-2023 semester, the department is now down to just one. When ABC 27 asked President Dr. Larry Robinson about the drop in the Compliance Department, we never received a clear answer on what happened.
Issues that left at least 20 football players on the sideline in August, followed by a letter from players about concerns with academics and compliance highlight that one officer is just not enough.
An issue that President Robinson vowed to improve at the end of August by adding seven new positions. "We expect all of the positions in the compliance unit to be filled by December of this year but we also working on some people who will be coming in a little sooner."
Calhoun said she and the compliance office have been working to address the need since April. Their proposal to add seven more people to athletics compliance was approved in July. Calhoun said the hiring process started shortly after that.
A new compliance coordinator for athletics is the latest hire. That person is expected to start September 19.
Calhoun said they hope to have an offer for the senior associate athletic director for compliance by the first week in October. As for the remaining positions, they're aiming to have them filled by December.
With this compliance expansion.. "The goal is to have enhanced focus and monitoring around areas like our eligibility certification and financial aid," said Calhoun.
Support that is much needed to help handle the University's more than 330 student athletes. "We think with that expanded scope and that number of individuals to provide that support that we'll be in good stead," said Calhoun.
Calhoun said the job listings for those positions can be found on FAMU's HR page. They're also posted those jobs on a few other specific athletics publications.
