The president of Florida Memorial University, South Florida’s only HBCU, steps down
After five years leading the only historically Black college or university in South Florida, Jaffus Hardrick, the president of Florida Memorial University, stepped down from his post because of an unspecified health reason on Friday.
The private university’s Board of Trustees told students, faculty and staff in an email sent Sunday that Hardrick, 62, had handed in his notice.
The board members said they accepted his resignation effective Friday. They named a former board chairman, William C. McCormick, as the interim president of the Miami Gardens university, until they officially replace Hardrick.
“I am grateful to leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the community for the success of our great university, and it’s with a heavy heart that I must end my tenure as president due to a health reason,” Hardrick said in the correspondence.
Wanda Wright, a university spokeswoman, said she couldn’t discuss the nature of Hardrick’s health issue but said that it wasn’t a life-or-death situation.
She also said the university will form a presidential search committee to find a new permanent president, but couldn’t immediately provide a timeline or any details about the process on Monday.
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Hardrick didn’t respond to a request for comment from the Miami Herald on Monday. Before FMU, he worked for 15 years at Florida International University and for 12 years at Baylor University in Texas.
In the note, the board thanked Hardrick for his leadership and said the HBCU made “significant strides” during his tenure.
Hardrick piloted FMU during the public health crisis caused by the COVID pandemic and during an accreditation crisis — one of the toughest periods in the school’s history, which traces to 1879.
He helped FMU regain its accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools two years ago, after being on probation for a year. The accreditation is a national recognition that proves an institution is reputable and is a requisite to qualifying for government funds.
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Hardrick also revived the university’s culture. He established the university band, the ROAR Marching Band, and brought back its football program.
“We are profoundly grateful for his service and wish him the best in his future endeavors,” said Walter Weatherington, the current chairman of FMU’s Board of Trustees.
