From: Rufus Montgomery To: Criser III, Marshall Subject: Fwd: Touching base Date: Wednesday, July 08, 2015 8:06:12 AM
From: Barge-Miles, Linda F. Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2015 12:31 PM To: Mangum, Elmira Cc: McKnight, Avery D.; Solomon Badger; Hightower, Jacqueline D.; Miller, Jimmy; Ojetayo, Funmi Subject: Re: Touching base
Do you want me to forward this email to Trustee Montgomery?
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 11, 2015, at 12:16 PM, Mangum, Elmira
Trustee Montgomery, I accept these threats as real and I will remain focused on enhancing the quality of the educational experiences for the members of the FAMU community and its stakeholders.
Sent from my Windows Phone
From: Barge-Miles, Linda F. Sent: 1/11/2015 9:30 AM To: Mangum, Elmira; Hightower, Jacqueline D.; Miller, Jimmy Cc: McKnight, Avery D.; Rufus Montgomery Subject: Fwd: Touching base
In the earlier email I forgot to copy Jackie and Jimmy.
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Barge-Miles, Linda F."
Good Morning Dr. Mangum,
The email below is being forwarded to you at the request of Trustee Montgomery.
Linda
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Rufus Montgomery
Please forward this email.
Thx! ------
Dr. Mangum,
Once again, you failed to properly acknowledge and address the issue of your recurring problem with proper spelling, punctuation, grammar and typos in communications with the Board.
In a good faith effort to preserve the possibility of an effective working relationship with you, I've reserved comment and disclosure of your behavior on numerous occasions.
As your annual evaluation approaches, it's time for the entire Board to know to become fully informed about your unprofessional and often disrespectful interaction with multiple Board members during your tenure.
I'll admit to hanging up on you in the middle of a conversation after you rudely interrupted me three times. After your first interruption I asked you to afford me the same professional courtesy I afforded you by allowing me to complete my statements without interruption. After the second interruption, I politely asked you again to please refrain from interrupting me. I also added that the conversation would end if you did it again. After you interrupted a third time, I simply stated, "Mr. Chairman, I'm going to end this call. I won't be rudely interrupted repeatedly and I won't be talked to this way." Then I hung up.
Chairman Badger and Attorney Barge-Miles were both on the line. Both can attest to the fact that I did not raise my voice on the call. Furthermore, your accusations of yelling on the phone are patently false. You failed to include that you raised your voice several times and yelled my first name "RUFUS, RUFUS, RUFUS" several times immediately after I made it clear that you did not have the authority to set Board policy. With your voice in a loud tone, you also made reference to another meeting you were “missing” in order to have a conversation with me.
All of this resulted from your assertion that Board member travel to Tallahassee for the Governor's Inaugural Prayer Breakfast would not be covered as an official expense? You insisted that the only official invitations received were addressed to you and Chairman Badger. Even though the Board does not have a standing policy on Board member travel, you were outside your pay grade in your attempt to apply your interpretation of University policy to valid requests for reimbursement from Board members.
I appreciate your interest in public dollars used to pay for Board expenses. I share a similar interest in how you perform as a steward of public dollars. As you know, the Board is ultimately responsible for how you manage spending in your office. I look forward to disclosure and discussion of your travel expenses, all expenses for the President's Residence on campus (including construction), vehicle expenses and any spending related to your duties as chief executive officer. An informed Board should know how much it costs to maintain the office of the chief executive officer. This information is a matter of public record.
Your pattern of rude interruptions is not new. The previously referenced call was not the first time you have been disrespectful toward me on a call. During our Board meeting to approve the budget in August of last year, you interrupted me four times. At the time, I was holding the floor as a duly recognized member of the Board. Chairman Badger's words were "I'm going to turn this part of the meeting over to Chairman Montgomery for presentation and approval of the budget." While I held the floor, you repeatedly interrupted me four times when you had no right or standing to do so. In a reasonable effort to meet my responsibility as chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, I made reference to the option of silencing your microphone if the interruptions continued. I also recall that Chairman Badger had to direct you to refrain from interrupting me as I proceeded.
The restraint I showed by allowing up to four interruptions before taking action was met by public accusations from you of bullying and implied sexism. On what planet do university presidents (who want to keep their jobs) make disparaging and openly public remarks about their Board members to the local media? Followed by a shot at the governor? Was this an example of (your words in previous email) "integrity, kindness, and humility, valuable human attributes for engagement?"
Before our last Board meeting I requested copies of contracts with your senior leadership team. You refused my requests several times through staff and ultimately relented after I brought the matter to the Board’s attention. Your failure to meet the request for public information was troubling. If you respond that way to a Board committee chairman, how do you handle requests from the general public?
Check your words again. I refer to you as "Dr. Mangum or President Mangum." You often fail to employ the basic courtesy of properly addressing me as a member of the University's governing body. On several occasions you have spoken to me as if you are a superior speaking to a subordinate in the military. I’ve worn the uniform and I know from firsthand experience that your words and your tone were unacceptable.
Another example of your lack of respect for Board members was evidenced by the email you sent to the Board noting your contact with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The Board’s Special Committee on Athletics made a reasonable request of you and you responded by contacting the organization responsible for determining our institution’s accreditation status? Was your intent to get the Board investigated by SACSCOC? How would you explain that to the Board if you were successful?
Faculty and staff under the previous administration worked hard to remove FAMU from probationary status. It’s irresponsible to put FAMU at risk.
Your accusation of verbally attacking your staff in public is false. Several members of your leadership team have followed your lead in their rude and unprofessional approach towards members of the Board, staff and external stakeholders. I don’t allow this unacceptable behavior and on occasion I have immediately addressed it. I also find it unfortunate how you interpret a direct response to a member of your staff who approached me outside of university business as an attack. The irony in this is how members of your team have shared with me their experiences in being on the receiving end of your rude and unprofessional behavior.
Do you understand that your people report to you and you report to the Board?
The behavior exhibited suggests that you and some handpicked members of your staff do not have an appropriate level of respect for ALL members of the Board. Let me be clear…Board members do not report to you.
In my opinion, it's not the Board members' responsibility to get along with the university president. It's the university president's responsibility to get along with Board members.
Your assistant contacted me prior to Fall Commencement last month to set up a time to meet with you. I availed myself after the ceremony and the next morning up until noon. This action was met with an email from your assistant indicating how the times would not work. As another matter of protocol, somehow you made it through the entire ceremony without so much as a “hello” to me in my capacity as vice chairman of the Board and my role in bringing greetings on behalf of the Board.
After several months of little to no direct conversation from you, I called you on New Year's Day as a good faith effort to hit the "reset" button. During the conversation, I mentioned a suggested protocol of informing your governing body about events on campus featuring multiple elected officials who hold sway over funding for FAMU. An individual who was in my presence for the duration of the call can attest to the fact that I maintained a positive and professional tone on the call.
Ten days later I received an email from your assistant titled “Touching Base.” In the body of the email the title read “SENT OF BEHALF OF PRESIDENT ELMIRA MANGUM” and it was dated December 9, 2015. The name of the Florida Senate President was also misspelled.
These preventable errors don’t inspire confidence in your ability to get it right in correspondence with external stakeholders. In an effort to prevent further embarrassing errors in communications, I’ve pointed this out to you via email too many times to mention. Instead of simply acknowledging the errors and fixing the problem, you chose to respond via email with false assertions about me.
If you continue with this pattern of unacceptable behavior, be prepared for an open discussion about your behavior towards internal and external stakeholders during your tenure. I am prepared to lead a discussion about your negative interaction with existing and potential donors, faculty and staff, alumni, elected officials, other university presidents and FAMU Board members.
My efforts to support you and your administration might not be appreciated due to lack of knowledge about them.
With four days notice and at your request, I arranged my schedule to spend two days with you in Washington, D.C. at an Association of Governing Boards Leadership Course for New Presidents and Board Chairs. My accommodations were not in order, I did not receive a briefing book, and you declined my offer to meet in the hotel lobby bar area for a casual discussion. The suggestion for you to meet with Board members individually was originated upon note that you were the only president in attendance who had not met with his or her entire Board.
It took you 40 days to respond to a donor who contacted me with interest in making a significant contribution to FAMU. Your staff told the potential donor that you would not have time to meet with him and his wife because you would be meeting with higher-level donors. I intervened to help facilitate a meeting.
Many have observed your propensity for emotional responses. Please understand that your attacks, sustained bouts of insubordination, and rude behavior in private and public conversation could trigger a serious public discussion about your fitness to remain as chief executive officer of Florida A&M University.
On a closing note, please know that my actions are governed by my desire for FAMU to be the best it can be. Your previous email insinuates a “historical foundation” of improper behavior. The real answer is that a historical foundation of seeking truth and accountability from FAMU administrations exists. Challenges with the previous permanent administration led to a change in leadership. Challenges with the following interim administration were dealt with tactfully and through direct, personal communication between the university president and Board members. While I have more to say that I’m prepared to put in writing if the situation does not improve, I prefer a relationship in line with the latter.
It’s your choice. Please be mindful of this in your reply to this email.
Respectfully,
Rufus Montgomery Vice Chairman Florida A&M University Board of Trustees
On Sat, Jan 10, 2015 at 10:57 PM, Mangum, Elmira
Also, we are thankful to you for your excellent example in written communications. May I ask you to be that same example in verbal communications?
Hanging up the phone in the middle of a conversation, yelling over the phone, and verbally attacking staff in public places do not model excellence, although there may be a historical foundation. All are examples of unacceptable and disrespectful communication. This pattern of communication from you has existed for my entire tenure at FAMU and is certainly equally damaging to our brand and a healthy work environment. I am simply asking you to treat the university staff and me with civility when you call or otherwise engage us verbally.
I have always found integrity, kindness, and humility valuable human attributes for engagement, especially in complex organizations like FAMU.
I am looking forward to a more perfect relationship that is supportive of the staff and my administration's efforts to advance the position of FAMU in the higher education community for our students and faculty. Sincerely, Elmira Mangum, Ph.D. ------Do unto others as you would have them do unto you! ------
Please excuse unintended errors. Sent from my Windows Phone
From: Rufus Montgomery Sent: 1/10/2015 7:32 PM To: Mangum, Elmira Cc: Barge-Miles, Linda F.; Belinda Reed Shannon; Cleve Warren; Grable, Bettye; Graham, Tonnette S.; Karl White 2; Torey Alston; Kelvin Lawson; Kimberly Ann Moore; Lucas Boyce; Marjorie Turnbull; Solomon Badger; Solomon Badger; Spurgeon McWilliams; Torey Alston; Rufus Montgomery Subject: Re: Touching base
Dr. Mangum,
While I appreciate the update, please note that typos in communications from your office are unacceptable and reflect poorly on our institution of higher learning.
Our rich history of academic excellence warrants an immediate fix to this recurring problem. These issues were nonexistent in communications I received from the past two FAMU presidents and their senior leadership teams.
After multiple requests for correction as far back as the second quarter of last year, I'm disappointed by your failure to correct this problem. Also, please be mindful that these emails are subject to Florida's Public Records Laws.
Given the grammar, punctuation, spelling errors and typos in communications received from you and your senior leadership team, when will you correct the problem?
At a minimum, please ensure that the same mistakes do not occur in email and print communications with external stakeholders.
Best,
RM
Be Awesome Today!
On Jan 10, 2015, at 5:11 PM, Hightower, Jacqueline D.
December 9, 2015
Dear Trustees: Today I am pleased to present the first of what will be a weekly tool for providing you with information on pertinent actions, activities and accomplishments taking place at Florida A&M University. It is my intent to use this process as one of several measures to ensure that information is shared with each of you on a regular basis. As you are aware, the FAMU family lost one of its own this past week, Interim Athletic Director, Nelson Townsend. While we are all stunned by Mr. Townsend's passing, we are grateful for his life and for his service. We will always take comfort in the leadership and contributions he made to FAMU. A devoted Christian and family man, Nelson also had a very long career as a widely respected athletic administrator. In a short period of time, Nelson accomplished a great deal and left an indelible mark here at FAMU. Plans are currently underway for a University Memorial Service in his honor.
Highlights From FAMU This Week:
2015 FAMU Football Schedule was announced by Interim AD, Nelson Townsend. The Governor’s Inaugural Prayer Breakfast took place in Gaither Gymnasium on Tuesday and was a great success. We had productive meetings with members of theFlorida Legislature, which included Florida House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, Sen. Arthenia Joyner, Sen. Andy Gardner, and Rep. Richard Corcoran. Dr. Timothy Moore, our new Vice President for Research has begun his responsibilities at the University. He received a warm welcome reception from the Rattler family and we look forward to the effective leadership I am sure he will provide. As you know, a special called meeting has been scheduled for January 14 followed by a full board meeting on March 5 in Orlando. Call-In information for the teleconference and hotel information for the Full Board Meeting will be provided by Ms. Barge Miles. As always, please call or e-mail me if you are in need of assistance or any pertinent information. I look forward to the accomplishments we will make together as we enter the second half of the 2014-15 academic year. Quote for the Week: “Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same In this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” – Wilma Rudolph.
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RM