FAMU approves contract for new president

Dr. Elmira Mangum

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- FAMU trustees approved Friday a three-year contract for new President Elmira Mangum that comes with an annual base salary of $425,000.

Trustees at Florida A&M University spent nearly three and a half hours debating how much Mangum should be paid and what other sorts of financial compensation she should receive during and after her tenure as the university's first female president.

Early last month, the board of trustees chose Mangum, a vice president at Cornell University, to replace former President James Ammons. Ammons was pushed out in 2012 amid a growing scandal over the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion and other problems.

On Friday, the board made several changes to a contract that Mangum already had agreed to. While many changes were minor, the board deleted a $1,000-a-month car allowance and slashed the amount of money she would receive if she decided to teach at FAMU after leaving the presidency.

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