A telecommunications executive with close ties to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is on track to become the 13th president of Florida A&M University, despite opposition from thousands of students and alumni.
The Florida Board of Governors will vote on Marva Johnson’s appointment at itsJune 18 meeting, just one month after the FAMU board of trustees voted 8-4 to hire her as president of the state’s only public historically Black college. Student leaders say they plan to speak out at the meeting.
Students, alumni groups, and faculty members say they are largely concerned about Johnson’s alignment with DeSantis-backed policies. The governorbanned fundingfor diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Florida colleges andblocked advanced placement African American studiescurriculum in Florida high schools.
He also signed the STOP Woke Act in 2022, which banned teachings or mandatory workplace programs that suggest a person is privileged or oppressed based on their race, color, sex, or national origin. DeSantis has also faced criticism for signing laws thatled to book bansin public schools andprohibited lessons about sexual orientationand gender identity in the classroom.
“We are very saddened,” said Elijah Hooks, a FAMU student and senior adviser for the Florida Student Association. “And it’s shady that she has a lot of connections to someone like that.”
“There is no place for that hateful, divisive rhetoric, not at thecollege of love and charity,” film producer Will Packer, a FAMU alumnus, said last month in avideo posted to Instagram.
Johnson served eight years on the Florida State Board of Education, first appointed by former Gov. Rick Scott in 2014 and continuing under DeSantis, who was elected in 2018, according to her resume. She was also appointed by DeSantis to the Florida Scholars Academy Board, where she oversaw education for vulnerable students, including youth in state custody or juvenile justice.
While serving on the State Board of Education, Johnson helped implement performance-based funding measures aimed at improving student success and graduation rates at state colleges,according to a FAMU news release.
“To be considered for the opportunity to lead this storied institution is the honor of a lifetime,” Johnson said in a statement. “I will approach this role with a bold vision — focused on student success, innovation, and national prominence — while building strong bridges with the FAMU community and honoring the legacy that makes this university so special. FAMU’s culture and impact are unmatched, and I am committed to upholding and amplifying that legacy as we move forward together.”
Johnson currently serves as a group vice president at Charter Communications.
Packer said in the Instagram video he believes Johnson’s appointment is part of a broader effort by Republicans to take over HBCUs.
“HBCUs are under attack,” Packer said. “What we cannot allow is a hostile takeover by someone who has aligned with the party that has loudly and proudly espoused ideologies that attack diversity and diverse institutions, attack equitable economics and attack inclusive principles — the exact pillars that institutions like FAMU were built up.”
President Donald Trump’sbudget proposalseeks to cut $64 million in funding from Howard University, the nation’s only federally chartered historically Black university.
In March, the Trump administration took steps todismantle the Department of Educationand began demanding colleges and universities end DEI practices or risk losing federal funding.
Trump hasspecifically targeted Harvard, requiring the university to take steps to prevent antisemitism, stop considering race in admissions and hiring, and shut down DEI programs.
CNN has reached out to Johnson for comment.
Students and alumni protested Johnson’s candidacy by speaking out at trustee meetings, posting on social media, and circulating aChange.org petitionthat gathered more than 18,000 signatures.
Still, the board selected Johnson and,according to CNN affiliate WTXL, approved a five-year contract with a starting salary of $650,000.
CNN reached out to the eight board members who voted for Johnson; seven did not respond. Trustee John Crossman, who supported Johnson, declined to comment.
FAMUsaid in a news releasethat during her interview, Johnson “expressed her commitment to FAMU’s legacy as a top-tier HBCU and its rise in research, academic achievement, and social impact.”
Some students and alumni said they felt their concerns about Johnson were ignored by the board of trustees during the presidential search and interview process.
Curtis Johnson, president of the Florida A&M University National Alumni Association, said in a May 16 letter to FAMU alumni and supporters the university community had provided feedback to the board through town halls, surveys, emails, letters, and phone calls.
Johnson noted, according to feedback forms submitted to the board, 80% of students and alumni expressed “deep concern over Ms. Johnson’s selection and qualifications.”
“What we witnessed today raises profound questions about transparency, shared governance, and whether the voices of the FAMU community are truly being heard,” Johnson wrote in the letter.
“Faculty were not formally polled. Students filled the boardroom. Alumni from across the nation engaged. Yet, the outcome ignored this collective voice.”
Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor said he supports students and alumni who spoke out against Johnson’s candidacy and selection as president.
Proctor, who is also a FAMU political science instructor, said he believes the other presidential candidates were more qualified than Johnson because they had experience working in higher education.
For example,Donald Palm,who received four votes from the board, currently serves as executive director and chief operating officer at FAMU.
Johnson does not list any positions in higher education on the resume she submitted to the university.
“This is not about a low bar,” Palm said. “This is about no bar at all.”
Ashley Bigbee, vice president of the FAMU chapter of the NAACP, said it was “disheartening” students and alumni expressed opposition to Johnson, yet the board still approved her hiring.
“We don’t know Marva’s true intentions,” Bigbee said. “The fate of the university is in someone’s hands that we are not comfortable with.”
Hooks, the FAMU student and senior adviser for the Florida Student Association, said he was concerned about possible political influence in the board’s selection of Johnson,citing an X postby Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who called Johnson a “terrific selection for the university community.”
“And well done by team DeSantis and the SUS for driving this home!” Uthmeier wrote in the post. “Great result for Florida’s higher ed and next generation of leaders.”
Hooks said he is worried about the future of the campus, including the FAMU student traditions unique to Black culture.
“I feel like there are adults that have sold FAMU away for political gain or financial gain,” Hooks said. “And students don’t deserve that.”