TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M University President James H. Ammons will present to the Board of Trustees new changes to the Marching 100 band with the university's anti-hazing plan
The proposed measures include:
- The creation of a FAMU Anti-Hazing Special Assistant to the president, with broad-ranging authority to address hazing issues throughout the University.
- The establishment of a FAMU Compliance Officer for the Music Department, with direct reporting to the Special Assistant for Anti-Hazing.
- The re-organization and expansion of staff in the Office of Judicial Affairs to facilitate the adjudication of hazing issues and other matters pertaining to the student code of conduct.
- The establishment of a FAMU Anti-Hazing website and Facebook page to be in place for the fall semester to enhance education efforts and reporting.
In addition, Ammons will discuss with the board a restructure of the band and department of music.
Among the measures proposed for the band include a four-year cap on the number of years a student can participate in music department bands, more rigorous academic requirements and that band practice be limited to 20 hours a week, with a ban on practices that are not supervised by music department staff.
The band has been suspended since November 2011, following the death of Robert Champion, a FAMU student and drum major.
On May 14, Ammons announced that the band would remain inactive through the 2012-13 academic year. The band's long-time director, Julian White, retired earlier this month. FAMU will begin the search for a new band director when the new structures are in place.