FAMU Builds on National Momentum With Gains in Student Success, Research, Performance and Philanthropic Support
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida A&M University continues to build momentum across key measures of institutional excellence, student success, research, operational performance and philanthropic engagement — progress recognized by the FAMU Board of Trustees with the unanimous approval of President Marva B. Johnson’s year-one performance bonus following its annual performance evaluation.
The Board’s action followed its annual evaluation of measurable progress under Johnson’s leadership and the Board-approved goals established for her first year, including gains in student success, expanded research activity, improved philanthropic support, enhanced institutional accountability, and continued advancement toward the University’s long-term strategic priorities.
“President Johnson’s first year has been demanding, but it has been a pleasure working alongside her. One thing I can say is that she stayed the course. When she believed in something, she pushed back on me, and I appreciate that,” said Chair Deveron Gibbons, J.D. “I appreciate her hard work, her smarts, her wit and her determination. Sometimes it gets tough, but she doesn’t quit. She keeps going.”
Gibbons also commended Johnson for always putting FAMU first.
“And every day that I talk to her about this university—whether it’s about facilities, academics or other priorities – I know that she comes to the conversation wanting the best for this university, its students and its constituencies. Thank you.”
Board of Trustee Chair Deveron Gibbons, J.D. (Photo by Jeff Adams/FAMU)
Johnson opened her remarks by framing the University’s progress around a commitment
she made when she accepted the presidency: that FAMU would be measured by what it
delivers for its students, faculty, alumni and broader community.
“What you will see today is not a list of aspirations. It is an operating framework — one that aligns our strategy, our accountability, and our execution, so that every division of this University owns a measurable share of our success.”
Johnson highlighted FAMU's recent rise in the U.S. News & World Report 2027 rankings, noting that the University moved 13 places, from No. 92 to No. 79 among the nation's public universities, placing FAMU among the nation's Top 80 Public Universities and making it the highest-ranked public HBCU on the list.
She emphasized that the ranking should be viewed as evidence of the University's underlying progress rather than as an endpoint.
“Rankings are not our destination. But they are evidence — independent, external evidence
— that the work of our faculty, staff, and students is being seen and valued on a
national stage,” she said.
President Marva B. Johnson, J.D. (Photo by Jeff Adams/FAMU)
Johnson also addressed the distinction between U.S. News' national public-university ranking and its separate Best HBCUs ranking. She noted that FAMU's No. 79 position places it 37 spots ahead of the next public HBCU on the national public-university list, North Carolina A&T. On the separate Best HBCUs list, FAMU tied for No. 6 overall and ranked second among public HBCUs.
The President pointed to several measures in which FAMU compares favorably with North Carolina A&T, including first-year retention, six-year graduation, Pell and non-Pell graduation rates, student-faculty ratio and percentage of full-time faculty. She also congratulated North Carolina A&T on its performance.
“Excellence among our peers does not diminish us. It sharpens us,” she said.
Student success and research remain central
Johnson told trustees that student success remains the University's highest priority, highlighting several initiatives and measures demonstrating progress.
Academic Affairs has launched AIRA — the Academic Intelligence Rattler Agent — to provide undergraduate students with timely answers and connections to campus resources. More than 1,500 undergraduates, supported by more than 100 faculty mentors, are engaged in research across the University's colleges and schools. Four new interdisciplinary innovation HUBs also are opening in areas including artificial intelligence, research and esports.
The President also reported that first-time-in-college enrollment reached 1,958 students, exceeding the goal of 1,590. Pell access increased to 61%, second-year retention stands at 88.1%, and 55% of student-athletes have cumulative GPAs above 3.0.
Research activity also continues to expand. Since July 1, FAMU faculty have submitted 65 proposals totaling more than $65.5 million and secured 28 new awards totaling approximately $17.5 million. The University currently manages 591 active sponsored awards and 144 collaborative research sub-agreements.
Johnson connected those efforts directly to FAMU's long-term research aspirations.
“Carnegie R1 is not a slogan for us. It is a sequence: more faculty capacity, more research expenditures, more doctoral graduates, and permanent academic leadership in place. We are executing that sequence deliberately.”
Advancing FAMU's land-grant mission
Johnson also highlighted the University's role as Florida's only public 1890 land-grant HBCU, emphasizing that FAMU's impact extends beyond campus.
The University recently secured more than $5.1 million in renewed federal TRIO Talent Search funding, which will allow FAMU to serve more than 2,000 middle and high school students annually across Florida's Big Bend region.
“That is our land-grant mission in action — college access, workforce readiness, and student success, delivered to the communities around us,” she touted.
Johnson said the University also is pursuing increased alumni engagement and community partnerships, transformative strategic initiatives and expanded relationships with major corporations, while continuing to leverage the Marching 100 as a national ambassador for the FAMU brand.
Performance-Based Funding Remains a Key Focus
The Board also received an update on FAMU's 2026 Performance-Based Funding outcomes from Senior Vice President of Institutional Performance and Assessment Roddrick Jones, Ph.D.
FAMU earned a normalized Performance-Based Funding score of 80 points, securing the University's full allocation of approximately $27.9 million. Jones noted that FAMU's raw score of 72 was increased to 80 through the state's approved normalization process. The 2026 score was below the University's 2025 score of 83, resulting in FAMU being placed on the Board of Governors' watchlist for the one-year decline.
“This provides the foundation for where we will concentrate our improvement efforts going forward,” said Jones.
Among FAMU's continuing strengths are affordability, graduate earnings, academic progress and access. Jones identified four-year graduation, graduate degrees in strategic emphasis areas, and graduation outcomes for transfer students and Pell recipients as areas for additional focus.
Looking toward 2027, Jones said the University is taking an enterprise-wide approach to performance management, connecting Performance-Based Funding outcomes with the President's goals and institutional priorities.
“The objective is not simply to respond to the score after the fact, but to manage the underlying drivers of performance throughout the year,” he said.
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Allyson Watson, Ph.D. (Photo by Jeff
Adams/FAMU)
Academic Affairs Advances Affordability and Program Planning
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Allyson Watson, Ph.D., highlighted the University's continuing efforts to make instructional materials more affordable. FAMU reported a 98% on-time textbook adoption rate for Fall 2025 and 96% for Spring 2026.
A notable expansion this year is the extension of the Rattler Pack textbook affordability program to the FAMU College of Law, giving law students access to required course materials at a significantly reduced and predictable cost.
“Affordability does not end at the undergraduate level. As we examine the total cost of attendance and the financial pressures facing our students, we must consider our undergraduate, graduate, and professional students,” Watson said.
She also reported on FAMU's three self-supporting programs — the Master of Public Health, Master of Science in Nursing and Master of Business Administration. Each program reported net revenue exceeding expenditures, with the programs generating approximately $432,900, $1.1 million and $184,536, respectively. Several board members encouraged the other schools and colleges to follow suit to document their revenues, generating friendly competition to increase their productivity.
Brandi Tatum-Fedrick, Ed.D., senior vice president for University Advancement, Strategic
Partnerships and Innovation. (Photo by Jeff Adams/FAMU)
Fundraising Momentum Rebounds
Senior Vice President for University Advancement, Strategic Partnerships and Innovation Brandi Tatum-Fedrick, Ed.D., reported a significant increase in philanthropic support during the 2025-26 fiscal year.
FAMU raised $17.24 million, achieving 101% of its $17 million fundraising goal. The result marked a reversal following two consecutive years of declining fundraising totals.
“Our total number of donors increased from 6,806 to 7,702 —an increase of 896 donors, or 13.2 % year over year,” said Tatum-Fedrick. “We are not simply raising more dollars; we are growing our donor base, strengthening engagement, and building the pipeline that will position us for sustained philanthropic growth in the years ahead.”
The momentum has continued into the new fiscal year. The division has raised $3.9 million during the first quarter, more than $500,000 ahead of the same point last year. The division also reported a 30% increase in relationships with iconic companies over the past year.
Tatum-Fedrick said the University's goal is to develop partnerships that go beyond financial support to create opportunities for students, support faculty and academic priorities, and advance FAMU's broader strategic objectives.
The reports presented to the Board reflect a University focused on translating momentum into measurable results — from national recognition and student success to research growth, performance-based funding, affordability and philanthropic engagement. For Johnson, the next phase is about sustaining that progress.
“Our charge now is clear: convert momentum into permanence,” she said.
Media Contact
Alonda Thomas, Ph.D.
alonda.thomas@famu.edu
