NAA Hazing memo
TALLAHASSEE, FL (November 27, 2011) - The Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University National Alumni Association (FAMU NAA) extends our heartfelt sympathy and prayers to the family of our beloved Drum Major Robert Champion. We stand ready to support Florida A&M University's president and the appointed task force that is investigating the marching band's practices and circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Champion.
Under state law, the FAMU Board of Trustees (BOT) is ultimately responsible for implementing policies that govern the university and its leadership. No person, organization, or entity, outside the university president or the BOT, has the authority to dictate the hiring and firing process at this university. Therefore, we endorse only legitimate and administrative procedures required to bring deliberate and analytical conclusions to both the university and law enforcement investigations in progress, based on accuracy and facts.
We urge all educational institutions to use this tragedy as a teaching opportunity to prevent any action that can potentially harm and diminish the integrity of any institution or program. We call on all alumni, faculty, administrators, staff, and students to help us affect change that will yield positive results for generations to come.
For more than 12 years, Florida A&M University has been an institution of excellence for young people from all walks of life. The university has consistently been ranked number one in awarding baccalaureate degrees to African-American students in various majors. Established for more than a century, FAMU's marching band has provided educational opportunities as well as international exposure for many talented students, and created leaders. The FAMU National Alumni Association has proudly supported the university for the past 110 years since the association was organized in 1901.
As official investigations into this tragedy proceed, we stand with the family of Mr. Champion and the university, prepared to examine the full scope of its findings and to support its recommendations. We support the mission of Florida A&M University, and in that spirit we support the care, development, and welfare of our most valuable assets - our students. We support all actions taken for the betterment of Florida A&M University.
Tommy Mitchell, Sr.
FAMU NAA President