FAMU to investigate pay delay for 242 employees

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published July 22, 2007

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TALLAHASSEE - Florida A&M University plans to investigate why 242 employees did not receive paychecks this week, the school's president said.

Florida A&M University president James Ammons said Friday he regretted any inconvenience caused by the problem, which he said was related to "the timely submission and process of employee documentation."

"We are going to investigate, and those persons who are responsible for the delays are going to be held accountable," Ammons said in a statement sent to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Florida A&M has been beset by financial troubles for several years.

Recently, a preliminary audit of the budget year ending in June 2006 found that FAMU failed to pay employees on time, give raises, properly perform annual evaluations or document employees' leave time and sabbaticals.

This week's problem affected employees like Marion Harmon, a professor in the computer information systems department.

He said he called several departments until someone told him he would get paid by Monday or Tuesday.

"Well, which one is it: Monday or Tuesday?" said Harmon, a 21-year-employee of the university. "The fact of the matter is a lot of people didn't get paid. Nothing has changed."

Harmon and other faculty members are paid biweekly. He said he received pay for the first summer session, but not the second session, despite handing in paperwork for both sessions.

Ammons' first official day on the job was July 2 after he took over for Castell Bryant.