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President

Marva B. Johnson’s

FIRST 100 DAYS

Dear FAMUly, 

The first 100 days have been invigorating as I immersed myself in the rich legacy that is rooted in this University, one of courage and grit, shaped by leaders who refused to accept less. Thank you for welcoming me in a way that only Rattlers could and for helping me lay the foundation for our work going forward. 

As promised, I have listened and used data to frame purpose in my actions, ensuring that every conversation and decision advances our mission of delivering access, excellence, and impact. 

Even before arriving on the main campus, I immersed myself in FAMU’s story, triumphs and tenacious spirit. I learned why Rattlers Bragg differently. With the help of University champions, I learned the University’s deep history and cherished traditions. I joined the community at our annual Grape Harvest Festival, practiced my Rattler Strike with the football team, and honored Founder’s Day at the Eternal Flame. Each of these moments connected me with Rattlers across generations who embody the values of service, leadership, and community that define this University and brought me closer to the spirit and camaraderie of this institution. 

I also hosted or participated in multiple roundtable discussions, listening sessions, and meetings with our leadership team, students, faculty, staff, community partners, business leaders, and University peers. In all of these engagements, I prioritized listening to every person I encountered to understand their concerns, priorities, challenges, and dreams. Their stories and passion for this University deepened my commitment to its success. Over these next 100 days, I look forward to meeting with more students across the state, alumni nationwide, and other Rattler champions. 

I entered this role at a historic moment in higher education. The playbook has shifted dramatically, and we are adapting this University to the changing landscape through strategic initiatives, collaboration and bold leadership. In this report on the first 100 days of my administration, you will find that we heard stakeholders' top concern about the financial and operational health of this institution, and we acted quickly to get it back on track. We focused on advancing our students’ success and curriculum, bolstering faculty and staff support, and deepening our community and business partnerships. I am excited to share with you what we’ve learned, what we’ve done, and what we’re going to do in each of these focus areas. Together, we have begun strengthening the pillars that sustain our success—student achievement, faculty excellence, research innovation, and financial stability. With each day forward, my gratitude for this role grows deeper. It remains a profound honor to serve as the 13th President of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

Rattlers, let’s strike forward—together—on the mission of FAMU, forever!

Immersed in FAMU

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Faculty & Staff Participated in Listening Sessions

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175 Community & Business Leaders Hosted

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Higher Education Presidents Engaged

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Alumni Events Attended

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Stakeholder Listening Sessions Held

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Student Engagement Events Hosted

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Students & Families Engaged

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Stakeholders Surveyed

My Vision for
Florida A&M University

Assuring Student Success

Assuring Student Success & Enriching the Experience

Our students are our clients, our main focus, and our top priority. While students are on our campuses, we are charged with taking care of the entire individual, ensuring they are safe, supported, and positioned for success. At this University, we instill values of service, leadership, and community that have guided our students to greatness in every field and will continue to do so. 

Moving forward, we will increase our graduation rates by building on the resources that anchor our students’ success, modernizing academic advising, expanding paid internships, and better aligning campus services to support students holistically—academically, financially, and emotionally. 

Our goal is to create a roadmap that enables FAMU to deliver more effectively on our student success mission and meet the SUS30’s goal of achieving a 70% four-year graduation rate. The fidelity with which we drive success on this outcome will reflect our success in every other metric. To reach that goal, we are reengineering how we serve students, from how they register, receive scholarships, and engage with faculty, to how they are advised and supported throughout their academic journey. Our renewed focus on efficiency and care ensures that every process reflects our commitment to student well-being and completion.
FAMU TODAY

What I Learned in the
First 100 Days

  • Students asked for additional recreational spaces on campus to cope with stress, as well as enhanced mentoring and counseling services
  • Students desire a stronger integration between the main campus and FAMU’s satellite campuses
  • Significant delays in scholarship disbursements are negatively impacting student success
FAMU TOMORROW

What We’ve Done in these
First 100 Days

  • Established an Enrollment Growth Taskforce that convenes weekly to evaluate our state, national, and international enrollment, and identifies strategies for continued growth
  • Completed the implementation of the HBCU Change initiative to fund the reboot of the FAMU Life Gets Better Scholarship to further enrich our scholarship opportunities to students
  • Met with multiple Presidents of state colleges to discuss challenges and to develop and implement improved support services for students prior to and after transferring to the University from state colleges
FAMU FOREVER

What We’re Planning
for the Future

  • Implementing strategies in partnership with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), and Ed Advancement to realign our student financial services model to better support financial aid outcomes
  • Doubling down on high school top talent recruitment, investing in our college pathway partnerships, and building additional strategies to grow student enrollment at both the undergraduate and graduate levels
  • Offering enhanced student support by opening two new spaces: the Academic Student Success Hub at Lucy Moten for all students, and the Student-Athlete Student Success Hub at M.S. Thomas, dedicated to academic support for student athletes
Elevating our Curriculum

Elevating our Curriculum through Innovation & Economic Development

FAMU is accelerating toward Carnegie R1 status through bold investment in research and innovation. It is the next chapter of FAMU’s evolution as a national powerhouse in education, research, innovation, and impact. We launched the Health Sciences Enterprise and Research Innovation Division to integrate discovery, entrepreneurship, and workforce alignment. By opening the University’s first Health Sciences Enterprise and Research Innovation Division, we will accelerate our progress toward achieving R1 status. 

We are also taking a thorough look at our curriculum to ensure it prepares our students for their careers, both now and in the future. We must train, teach, and equip our students for the opportunities they are stepping into once they leave our campuses. This effort is about more than curriculum, it is about readiness. By integrating technology, research, and experiential learning into every discipline, we are producing graduates who are not only employable but indispensable. Our students will enter the workforce prepared to lead in emerging fields that define Florida’s economic and innovation future.

Over the next phase, we will deepen partnerships with industry leaders, expand access to emerging technology across all disciplines, and align curricula with the highest-demand careers in Florida’s evolving economy.

“President Marva Johnson’s first 100 days have demonstrated visionary leadership and a deep commitment to elevating Florida A&M University. Her focus on advancing research, innovation, and economic development is positioning FAMU for national distinction. Through her strategic direction, our Health Sciences Enterprise and Research Innovation initiatives are gaining momentum—driving academic excellence, fostering collaboration, and shaping a transformative future for the University and the communities we serve.”
 
- Dr. Donald Palm, FAMU Executive Vice President for Health Science Enterprise and Research Innovation

FAMU TODAY

What I Learned in the
First 100 Days

  • A need for additional alignment between the curriculum and current and emerging workforce demands, including improvements to foundational skills and concepts taught in foundational courses such as writing, math, and STEAM
  • Concern around the limited access to technology tools and resources, and its debilitating effects on our Schools and Colleges’ ability to lead in their industries
  • Clear consensus around the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and technological integration across academic programs
FAMU TOMORROW

What We’ve Done in these
First 100 Days

  • Opened the University’s first Health Sciences Enterprise and Research Innovation Division to reset our trajectory towards R1 status, accelerate our progress, and establish clear milestones to achieve R1 and fulfill FAMU’s historic land-grant mission in the 21st century
  • Launched Centers focused on top workforce demands, including a Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering, a Center of Quantum Sciences, and a Center for Financial Excellence and Real Estate Management
  • Partnered with an industry leader to extend the four-year iPad initiative for first-time-in-college students through the Digital Rattler Initiative Expansion, bringing new technology to support student success and curriculum
FAMU FOREVER

What We’re Planning
for the Future

  • Identifying industry leaders to partner across the University on emerging areas of research, experiential learning opportunities, and funding
  • Recentering our focus on our land-grant mission and focusing on strengthening interdisciplinary opportunities for partnerships between our engineering, agricultural, and environmental sciences programs to drive greater research investment and productivity
  • Increasing our investment in the growth of the College of Law by creating additional signature legal studies programs and partnerships that leverage our unique geographic location in downtown Orlando 
Supporting and Growing Faculty and Staff

Supporting and Growing World-Class Faculty and Staff

FAMU’s faculty and staff are the architects of our success. From our researchers to our coaches to the individuals who keep our grounds beautiful and safe. These individuals are the lifeline of our institution, and it is critical that we support their well-being, both now and in their future at this University. 

Their dedication defines FAMU’s reputation. That is why we are moving deliberately to create a workplace where excellence is recognized and rewarded, leadership is cultivated, and every employee feels valued. We are developing modern compensation structures, training pipelines, and leadership pathways that ensure our people grow as our University grows.

We have already made strides in improving our compensation. However, we have a great deal of work to do to remain competitive with our peers and ensure that our faculty and staff have the necessary resources to drive world-class success. We have a multi-year plan to strengthen compensation competitiveness, clarify promotion pathways, reward excellence in research, teaching, and service, improve resources, technology, career pathways, and professional development opportunities, and structure to foster their growth and accomplishments.

“President Marva B. Johnson empowers faculty through shared vision. When we demonstrate passion and purpose, she helps turn that vision into reality. As SBI faculty pursue a $4 million student-managed investment portfolio through UNCF’s Project ACCLAIM, she has mobilized her support. She has advocated to the UNCF, engaged FAMU’s Board of Trustees, and personally participated in marketing efforts. Her willingness to help make faculty vision manifest could position FAMU among a small, elite group of universities with student-managed portfolios of this scale. This is the kind of leadership that transforms ideas into impact and positions FAMU for lasting excellence.”
 
- Dr. Inger M. Daniels-Hollar, Assistant Professor of Finance 

FAMU TODAY

What I Learned in the
First 100 Days

  • Salary and professional development opportunities are not competitive with peer institutions
  • Limited execution of the shared governance model
  • A need for fairly defined workloads and clearly differentiated career paths for faculty and staff
FAMU TOMORROW

What We’ve Done in these
First 100 Days

  • Provided a 4% bonus for University faculty and staff to make immediate improvements
  • Implemented a FAMU Developmental Research School (DRS) subcommittee within the Board of Trustees to evaluate and identify opportunities to advance DRS initiatives
  • Allocated $1.5 million in funding for faculty and staff professional development grant opportunities
FAMU FOREVER

What We’re Planning
for the Future

  • Establishing a modern and sustainable compensation model focused on accountability and institutional excellence for faculty and staff growth and enhanced compensation
  • Building a professional development model that will align our faculty along research and instructional tracts and better balance graduate student opportunities
  • Shifting University faculty and staff toward a solution-oriented approach to address accountability concerns expressed by students, faculty, staff, and external partners
Investing in Partnerships

Investing in Partnerships that Advance Stakeholder Success

In today’s higher education landscape, partnerships are more critical than ever. We must invest in our current partnerships and new ones. Successful partnerships lead to enriched experiences for our students, strengthened support for our faculty and staff, deeper impact on our communities, and a better future for all Rattlers. 

Our approach to partnership is strategic and intentional. Each relationship is designed to create measurable value, whether through internships that lead to careers, research that drives innovation, or collaborations that expand our community's footprint. Every partner we engage in moves us closer to our vision of being a model for public impact and educational excellence.

Collaboration is being sought with industry partners, business and economic leaders, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs across all areas of our curriculum, our campus communities, and the nation. These partnerships also encompass those with alumni, peer institutions, colleges, and fellow educators. There is strength in sharing experiences, challenges, and lessons learned. By deepening our network of connections across the education field and the business community, we will advance FAMU forward. 

“I have been impressed by Dr. Johnson’s energy and focus. She has personally reached out to talk about opportunities for partnership between FAMU and Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, with a vision that pushes the University to new levels. We have had a long, strong relationship with FAMU, and look forward to building upon that foundation in the years ahead with the benefit of her leadership.”
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– Mark O’Bryant, Chief Executive Officer of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, Inc.

FAMU TODAY

What I Learned in the
First 100 Days

  • A desire for additional partnerships with industry leaders and local employers that can drive internship and professional development opportunities
  • Concerns regarding the future of FAMU’s growth due to not having a dedicated leader assigned to partnership growth with external providers and organizations
  • Limited presence at surrounding colleges to attract 2+2 student transfers
FAMU TOMORROW

What We’ve Done in these
First 100 Days

  • Initiated a partnership with Xerox that will help transform key processes within our service delivery model
  • Hired a strategic visionary, Marcus H. Burgess, Ed.D., to serve as senior vice president of Enterprise Partnerships & Innovation and lead the University’s strategy to deepen our cross-sector partnerships, institutional innovation, and strategic alignment across major operational units
  • Advocated and secured a seat on the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare governing board for FAMU to have an active role in the future of the hospital amidst its merger with Florida State University, strengthening the future of our students’ health and sciences practice
FAMU FOREVER

What We’re Planning
for the Future

  • Establishing Florida’s first HBCU Leadership Summit to strengthen partnerships and collaboration across historically black colleges and universities
  • Partnering with the 13 other R2 HBCUs and the one R1 HBCU to work collaboratively and accelerate our mutual goal to reach and maintain R1 status, including building student pathways to graduate programs across our respective areas of strategic emphasis
  • Creating a campus office for the National Alumni Association to provide direct access to our students, faculty, and staff, and further strengthen our relationship with the alumni community
Positioning FAMU for the Future

Positioning FAMU for a Future of Excellence

The continued success of this institution relies on its operational and financial health. To position this University for the future, we must pursue excellence in both. This means evaluating our 10-year master plan and identifying opportunities for infrastructure growth across every campus. 

Our fiscal reform has been swift and comprehensive. We have corrected long-standing issues, implemented stronger accountability systems, and begun reimagining how we leverage our assets for sustainable growth. This disciplined approach ensures that every dollar spent reflects our priorities, student success, research excellence, and institutional resilience.

For sustainable growth, our current operations must be efficient, and our financial health must be strengthened. We are actively seeking a more diversified revenue portfolio for the University. Identifying funding sources to expand and opportunities to forge new relationships are critical components of ensuring the University’s future.
FAMU TODAY

What I Learned in the
First 100 Days

  • The state of the University’s finances and operational health is gravely concerning
  • Many stakeholders feel it is important or extremely important for the University to expand its fundraising efforts to secure the institution’s future
  • Minimal confidence in the University’s financial health and long-term sustainability
FAMU TOMORROW

What We’ve Done in these
First 100 Days

  • Made significant corrections to each of the University’s six audit findings surrounding the financial health of this institution, including resolving policies and procedures, bank account reconciliations, and partial resolution of vendor payments, administrative and professional evaluations, financial statement audits, and athletics audit readiness
  • Partnered with Mitchell Titus, a nationally recognized accounting firm, to improve and strengthen the integrity of our financial processes, address critical needs in the finance department, and position the University for long-term success
  • Approved the allocation of funds for additional campus hardening to ensure the safety of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors, including additional security cameras, police officers, and a Real-Time Crime Center
FAMU FOREVER

What We’re Planning
for the Future

  • Partnering with a professional real estate developer to formulate the next evolution of our 10-year Master Plan to recast our sights on a footprint of growth in health, faculty, and student housing; enriching the student experience on all campuses; and driving economic impact
  • Starting operations at the Center for Quantum Science and Engineering within the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, and the Center for Pharmaceutical Engineering within the College of Pharmacy building in the Spring of 2026
  • Recognizing that strong advisory networks are critical to advancing both philanthropy and academic excellence, University Advancement is activating Advisory Councils across the enterprise to create a sustainable model for external engagement linking industry partners, alumni, and academic leadership to advance scholarships, research, and workforce development

My First 100 Days as FAMU’s President

August

President Marva B. Johnson kicks off her presidency with a tour of the College of Law, a walk through FAMU’s Tallahassee campus, buying Rattler gear in the FAMU bookstore, and meetings with faculty and staff

AUGUST

Represented the University at the national level, joining the Marching 100 at the U.S. Open to celebrate the 75th anniversary of alumni and tennis legend Althea Gibson

September

Launched a Presidential Advisory Council to actively engage and collaborate with key business and community leaders

September

Reinforced and strengthened the University’s finances

September

Engaged fellow HBCU presidents and elected officials at the Congressional Black Caucus Week in D.C.

September

Presented the Marching 100 with $805,000 in additional funding to support and improve its operations

September

One of three universities representing Florida’s higher education system at a state press conference recognizing FAMU for its success in the annual News & World Report

October

Provided a 4% bonus for University faculty and staff to make immediate improvements

October

Implemented a State of the University survey engaging more than 2,000 FAMU stakeholders

October

Honored distinguished alumni Dr. Bernard W. and Shirley Pooler Kinsey with the renaming of FAMU’s Band Rehearsal Hall in recognition of their support and commitment to FAMU’s Marching 100

October

Supported the unveiling of a statue honoring former President Dr. Frederick S. Humphries, Ph.D, for his significant impact on FAMU’s growth and academic achievements

november

Visited FAMU’s Brooksville campus to discuss the future of FAMU’s Brooksville Agricultural and Environmental Research Station, including the operational plans for a Rattler Solar Farm to promote sustainability and innovation in partnership with Duke Energy

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