New Interim President Named at Historically Black Florida Memorial University

In a brief statement issued by the chair of the board of trustees of Florida Memorial University, it was announced that Karl S. Wright “is no longer serving as president of the university.” The statement did not disclose if Wright resigned or was dismissed.

Dr. Wright had been an administrator at the historically black university in Miami Gardens for 12 years before being named president. A native of Jamaica, Wright is an economist. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree at the University of Maryland and a Ph.D. from Mississippi State University.

When he became president two years ago, Wright said his goals were to strengthen the school’s traditional liberal arts curriculum and to make a new concerted effort to beef up offerings in science, mathematics, and engineering.

Many students at Florida Memorial University are from Caribbean nations. So Wright also stated he wanted to refocus education on global issues. He planned to open satellite campuses in the Caribbean and in Africa and have Florida Memorial students spend time on one of these campuses.

Earlier this summer, Florida Memorial University was placed on accreditation warning status by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It is not known whether this was a factor in the resignation or dismissal of President Wright.

Sandra T. Thompson was named interim president of the university. Dr. Thompson has been an administrator at Florida Memorial University for 30 years, most recently serving as provost. She is a graduate of Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina. Dr. Thompson earned a master’s degree from Fisk University and a doctoral degree from the University of Florida.

Copyright © 2009. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.