HONORS CONVOCATION TO FEATURE FAMU

HONORS CONVOCATION TO FEATURE FAMU ALUMNA DR. MAKEBA EARST
Dr. Makeba S. Earst, owner and operator of All About Smiles Dental Center, will serve as the speaker for our annual Honors Convocation
on Thursday, April 1, at 10:10 a.m. in Perry-Paige Auditorium. Dr. Earst, who has been practicing general dentistry in Tallahassee for
more than 10 years, is the only African-American female practitioner in Tallahassee who owns and operates her own dental practice.
The Tallahassee native graduated as valedictorian of her senior class from Florida A&M University Developmental Research School
(FAMU-DRS). She enrolled at FAMU where she earned a bachelor of science in chemistry. She later attended Meharry Medical
College, School of Dentistry and was conferred the Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree, which opened the door for her to pursue her
lifelong dream of becoming a dentist. Earst currently serves as vice president of the Sunshine State Dental Association of which she
is the immediate past president. She holds membership in the National Dental Association, American Dental Association, Florida
Dental Association, Leon County Dental Society and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES DEVELOPED FOR BUDGET REDUCTION PROCESS
Last month, I convened a meeting of the campus community to discuss the dire budgetary forecast for the current legislative session.
Since 2007 our budget has been cut by nearly $30 million. Based on the feedback that we have received from the Florida Legislature,
we believe that a reduction in our workforce is eminent. I have asked the campus to participate in an exercise with their departments,
colleges, schools, institutes and divisions to develop recommendations on how we can trim our budget and carry out our critical
functions. As we go through this budget cutting process, we have developed guiding principles. These principles include:
• Meeting the statutory requirement to balance the budget;
• Maintaining our 5% statutory requirement for a reserve;
• Reviewing our academic programs that are critical to the mission of the University and exhibit high productivity
in enrollment, graduation, research, service and teaching.;
• Reviewing high demand courses in accredited programs that support the University’s mission;
• Reviewing non-instructional activities in light of mission and productivity.
• Using the strategic plan to accomplish multi-year goals; and
• Developing efficiencies in the university’s administrative areas as we leverage technology and ensure greater
delivery of services to our students and other constituents.
I will review the recommendations from the campus and present recommendations for budget reductions to our Board of Trustees for
their review and approval. We are poised to continue FAMU’s legacy and we are committed to implementing our new strategic plan,
“2020 Vision With Courage.” We believe that FAMU must continue to exist and it is our responsibility to carry on the legacy of this
great institution.