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wilberforce university
Leader gets warm send-off
The Rev. Floyd Flake helped the school regain its financial footing, but an audit means more money woes for the institution.
Friday, May 02, 2008
DAYTON — Wilberforce University threw a send-off party Thursday night, May 1, for the Rev. Floyd Flake, the institution's controversial president who is leaving June 30.
About 100 Wilberforce employees, students, trustees and members of Flake's church in New York gathered in the Dayton Convention Center to shower him with applause and to praise God for his presence.
Floyd Flake, the outgoing Wilberforce University, attends a going away party. The event was at the Dayton Convention Center."His work has positioned the university to more confidently strive into the future," Wilberforce Provost Patricia Hardaway said.
"President Flake has gotten us out of financial difficulties," said Jeremey Winston, the Ray Charles distinguished chair of sacred and choral music at Wilberforce.
Flake, a Wilberforce alumnus and former trustee, took over as president in July 2002 when the university was $7 million in the hole on its $18 million operating budget and facing the loss of its accreditation.
Flake laid off employees, including the entire financial aid office, to make ends meet. At times he charged university debts on his personal credit card and covered $200,000 of the institution's bills.
But the ex-congressman from Queens, N.Y., came under fire last year when the faculty criticized him for his absence from campus. He commuted two days a week to campus from his home, where he is pastor of the Greater Allen A.M.E Cathedral, one of the largest congregations in New York City with 23,000 members.
Flake leaves the institution to deal with fixing financial aid problems uncovered by a U.S. Department of Education audit.
According to a March 28 report from the education department's office of inspector general, the university did not comply with federal regulations concerning the government's main tax-supported financial aid program because "it was not administratively capable" and owes $166,256.
Thursday night, Flake made no statements about the audit.
He did comment about his future. Flake said his next move includes becoming involved with a real estate development company he started with longtime assistant Marshall Mitchell, who followed Flake to Wilberforce and served as its executive vice president. Their company is called Flake-Mitchell Associates.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7404
or sgottschlich@DaytonDailyNews.com.
