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{{Short description|Public university in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.}} | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2019}} | |||
{{Infobox university | {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2019}}{{Infobox university | ||
| name = Florida Gulf Coast University | | name = Florida Gulf Coast University | ||
| image = Florida Gulf Coast University seal.svg | | image = Florida Gulf Coast University seal.svg | ||
| image_upright = 0. |
| image_upright = 0.7 | ||
| image_alt = Seal of Florida Gulf Coast University | | image_alt = Seal of Florida Gulf Coast University | ||
| caption |
| caption = | ||
| other_name |
| other_name = | ||
| former_name = <!--or, former_names--> | | former_name = <!--or, former_names--> | ||
| motto = "Truth, Knowledge, Wisdom" | |||
| motto = | |||
| type = ]<br />] | | type = ] | ||
| established = {{start date|1991|05|03}}<ref name="FGCUEst">{{cite web |url=https://www.news-press.com/story/news/education/2016/08/25/fact-check-when-fgcu-established-1991-1997/89236188/ |title=Fact check: When was FGCU established? 1991 or 1997? |last1=Bland |first1=Thyrie |website=] |date=August 25, 2016 |access-date=October 13, 2018}}</ref><!-- {{start date|YYYY}} --> | | established = {{start date and age|1991|05|03}}<ref name="FGCUEst">{{cite web |url=https://www.news-press.com/story/news/education/2016/08/25/fact-check-when-fgcu-established-1991-1997/89236188/ |title=Fact check: When was FGCU established? 1991 or 1997? |last1=Bland |first1=Thyrie |website=] |date=August 25, 2016 |access-date=October 13, 2018}}</ref><!-- {{start date|YYYY}} --> | ||
| founder = | |||
| closed = <!-- {{end date|YYYY}} --> | |||
| parent = ] | |||
| founder = | |||
|accreditation = ] | |||
| academic_affiliation = {{unbulleted list | |||
| academic_affiliation = {{unbulleted list | |||
|] | |||
|] | |||
|] | |||
|] | |||
}} | }} | ||
| endowment = $ |
| endowment = $129.3 million (2022) | ||
| chairman = Blake Gable | | chairman = Blake Gable | ||
| president |
| president = ] | ||
| provost = Mark Rieger | |||
| vice-president = Susan Evans | |||
| academic_staff = 526<ref name="FastFacts">{{cite web| url=https://www.fgcu.edu/about/fastfacts.aspx |title=Fast Facts |website=Florida Gulf Coast University |access-date=August 13, 2019}}</ref> | |||
| provost = James L. Llorens | |||
| administrative_staff = 875<ref name="FastFacts"/> | |||
| academic_staff = 526 | |||
| students = 15,969<ref>{{cite web | title = College Navigator - Florida Gulf Coast University | language = en | access-date = 2024-08-12 | publisher = ] | url = https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?s=FL&id=433660}}</ref> (fall 2022) | |||
| administrative_staff = 875 | |||
| undergrad = 14,024 | |||
| students = 15,080 (2018)<ref name="FastFacts">{{cite web| url=https://www.fgcu.edu/about/fastfacts.aspx |title=Fast Facts |website=Florida Gulf Coast University |accessdate=March 29, 2019}}</ref> | |||
| postgrad = 1,056 | |||
| undergrad = 14,024 | |||
| doctoral = | |||
| postgrad = 1056 | |||
| other = | |||
| doctoral = | |||
| address = | |||
| other = | |||
| city = ] <!--Based on Fort Myers mailing address while it is within Estero--> | |||
| address = 10501 FGCU Blvd South | |||
| state = ] | |||
| city = ] <!--Yes, we know it's actually in Estero but the zip code is Fort Myers--> | |||
| country = United States | |||
| state = ] | |||
| coordinates = {{Coord|26.462499|-81.772898|format=dms|region:US-FL_type:edu|display=title}} | |||
| country = USA | |||
| campus = ]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Florida&s=all&pg=3&id=433660|title=IPEDS-Florida Gulf Coast University}}</ref> | |||
| coordinates = {{Coord|26.462499|-81.772898|format=dms|region:US-FL_type:edu|display=title}} | |||
| |
|campus_size = {{convert|800|acre|ha}}<ref name="FastFacts"/> | ||
| colors |
| colors = Cobalt blue and emerald green<ref>{{cite web |title=Branding and Design Guidelines |pages=10–11 |url=https://issuu.com/floridagulfcoastuniversity/docs/fgcu-branding-guidelines-spring2022 |department=University Marketing & Communications |year=2022 |access-date=October 11, 2023}}</ref><br>{{color box|#004785}} {{color box|#00794C}} | ||
| athletics_nickname = ] | |||
| athletics = | |||
| sporting_affiliations = {{hlist|] – ]|]}} | |||
| sports = ] | |||
| mascot = Azul the Eagle | |||
| athletics_nickname = Eagles, Dunk City<!--or, sports_nickname= --> | |||
| website = {{URL|https://www.fgcu.edu/|fgcu.edu}} | |||
| sporting_affiliations = ] – ] | |||
| logo = Florida gcu logo.png | |||
| mascot = Azul the Eagle | |||
| logo_size = 200 | |||
| website = {{URL|fgcu.edu}} <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> | |||
| footnotes = | |||
| logo = Florida Gulf Coast University logo.svg | |||
| pushpin_map = USA Florida#USA | |||
| logo_size = 250 | |||
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of FGCU | |||
| logo_alt = Logo of Florida Gulf Coast University | |||
| |
|free_label = | ||
|free = | |||
| pushpin_map = USA Florida#USA | |||
|free_label2 = Media | |||
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of FGCU | |||
|free2 = ''Eagle Media'' | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''Florida Gulf Coast University''' ('''FGCU''') is a public university in ]. It belongs to the twelve-member ] as its second youngest member. The university was established on May 3, 1991, and is accredited by the ] (SACS) to award 58 different types of ], 25 different ], 6 ] degrees, and 12 ]s.<ref name="FastFacts"/> All of the university's undergraduate engineering degrees are accredited by the ] (ABET).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fgcu.edu/about/accreditation.aspx#BackgroundonSACSCOCAccreditation |title=Accreditation |website=Florida Gulf Coast University |access-date=November 30, 2018}}</ref> | |||
'''Florida Gulf Coast University''' ('''FGCU''') is a ] in ], near ]. It is part of the ] and is its second-youngest member. The university was established on May 3, 1991, and is ] by the ] (SACS). It offers 58 ] degree programs, 25 ] degree programs, 6 ] degree programs, and 12 ]s.<ref name="FastFacts"/> | |||
The university's academics are divided into six main colleges: U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering, Lutgert College of Business, Marieb College of Health & Human Services, College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, and Honors College. The prominent schools and departments within the colleges include; Bower School of Music & the Arts, The Emergent Technologies Institute (ETI), School of Nursing, and School of Resort & Hospitality Management.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/colleges/index.aspx |title=FGCU colleges |website=Florida Gulf Coast University |access-date=March 29, 2019}}</ref> | |||
FGCU's intercollegiate athletic teams, the ], compete in the ] in ] ] sports. | FGCU's intercollegiate athletic teams, the ], compete in the ] in ] sports. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
===Establishment=== | ===Establishment=== | ||
In 1991, Charles B. Edwards, chair of the |
In 1991, Charles B. Edwards, chair of the board of regents, lobbied the Florida Legislature to pass legislation recommending that Florida's 10th state university be built in the Florida Southwest Region. Florida governor Lawton Chiles signed the bill authorizing the school in May 1991. | ||
The |
The board of regents selected a {{convert|760|acre|ha|adj=on}} site in the south Fort Myers area donated by Ben Hill Griffin III on which to build the university. On April 26, 1993, Roy E. McTarnaghan, who served as the executive vice chancellor for the ], was appointed president of the yet-unnamed "New University of Southwest Florida". McTarnaghan and a small number of employees set up temporary base in downtown Fort Myers in a space provided by the ].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://fgcuat20.com/about/history/ |title=History « Florida Gulf Coast University 20th Anniversary |website= FGCUat20.com |access-date= November 28, 2018}}</ref> The school commemorates August 25, 1997, as its commencement date, the first time classes were held on campus.<ref name= "FGCUEst"/><ref>{{cite web |title= FGCU 25th Anniversary |url=https://www.fgcu.edu/25years/ |website= fgcu.edu | publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University |access-date=June 10, 2022}}</ref> | ||
Academic Building 5 at Florida Gulf Coast University was later renamed |
Academic Building 5 at Florida Gulf Coast University was later renamed Charles B. Edwards Hall, in honor of Edwards.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www2.fgcu.edu/CRM/edwardshall.html |title=University Marketing and Communications |website= fgcu.edu| publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University |access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref> | ||
===Expansion and growth=== | ===Expansion and growth=== | ||
In July 1999, William C. Merwin became FGCU's second president. Merwin sought to create a traditional four-year university. |
In July 1999, William C. Merwin became FGCU's second president. Merwin sought to create a traditional four-year university. An active fundraiser, Merwin raised more than $250 million for the university in eight years, rapidly expanding the school.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dillon |first=Liam |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/mar/14/donations-endowments-take-hit-local-colleges-econo/ |title= Donations, endowments take a hit at local colleges as economy sours |newspaper=Naples Daily News |date= July 8, 2010 |access-date=July 15, 2010}}</ref> New buildings included Lutgert College of Business, Holmes Hall (U.A. Whitaker School of Engineering), Whitaker Hall, Cohen Center (the ]), ], and an expansion of on-campus housing. Student enrollment increased from approximately 2,000 in its first year to almost 15,000 {{as of|2017|lc=y}}. In 2007, ] became the university's third president. Bradshaw announced that he would step down after the 2016–17 academic year, and the Board of Trustees selected Michael V. Martin as his successor.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.news-press.com/story/news/education/2015/11/12/fgcu-president-wilson-bradshaw-retire-2017/75655798/ |title=FGCU President Wilson Bradshaw to retire in 2017 |last=Bland |first=Thyrie |date= November 12, 2015 |work=News-Press.com |access-date=July 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fgcu.edu/president/ |title= Office of the President | publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University | website= fgcu.edu | date= | accessdate=}}</ref> | ||
Responding to a challenge for state universities to improve their four-year graduation rate, FGCU in 2016 introduced a program, Soar in 4, that reimburses out-of-pocket tuition expenses for the freshman year of students who graduate within four years and meet certain other criteria.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.news-press.com/story/news/education/2016/10/06/fgcu-plans-force-students-graduate/91313636/ |title=FGCU plans to force students to graduate |work= News-Press.com |access-date= November 28, 2018}}</ref> | |||
===Recent history=== | |||
Responding to a challenge for state universities to improve their four-year graduation rate, FGCU in 2016 introduced a program called Soar in 4, which reimburses out-of-pocket tuition expenses for the freshman year of students who graduate within four years and meet certain other criteria.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.news-press.com/story/news/education/2016/10/06/fgcu-plans-force-students-graduate/91313636/ |title=FGCU plans to force students to graduate |work=The News-Press|access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref> | |||
Martin, a former chancellor of Louisiana State University and the Colorado State University System, succeeded Bradshaw as Florida Gulf Coast University president on July 1, 2017. The transition from Bradshaw to Martin came during the university's celebration of its 20th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fgcuat20.com | title= FGCU at 20| website= fgcuat20.com | publisher=| date= | accessdate=}}</ref> | |||
In 2017, the College of Health Professions & Social Work was renamed the Marieb College of Health & Human Services after a $10 million gift from donor Elaine Nicpon Marieb, for whom Marieb Hall was named after her original $5 million pledge.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://fgcu360.com/2018/10/31/fgcu-breaks-ground-student-community-counseling-center/ |title=FGCU breaks ground on Student and Community Counseling Center |
In 2017, the College of Health Professions & Social Work was renamed the Marieb College of Health & Human Services after a $10 million gift from donor ], for whom Marieb Hall was named after her original $5 million pledge.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://fgcu360.com/2018/10/31/fgcu-breaks-ground-student-community-counseling-center/ |title=FGCU breaks ground on Student and Community Counseling Center | website= FGCU360.com |date=October 31, 2018 |publisher= |access-date= November 28, 2018}}</ref> | ||
In June 2023, The Board of Trustees selected ] as FGCU's fifth president, making her the first woman president in the university's history.<ref>{{cite web |title=Board of Governors confirms Timur as Florida Gulf Coast's 5th president |url=https://fortmyers.floridaweekly.com/articles/board-of-governors-confirms-timur-as-florida-gulf-coasts-5th-president/ |website=Fort Myers Florida Weekly |access-date=June 29, 2023}}</ref> Timur took office on July 1, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Office of the President |url=https://www.fgcu.edu/about/leadership/officeofthepresident/ |access-date=July 24, 2023 |website=Florida Gulf Coast University |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
===Main campus=== | ===Main campus=== | ||
] | ] | ||
FGCU's {{convert| |
FGCU's {{convert|807|acre|km2|adj=on}} campus is in unincorporated Southwest Florida in ], {{cvt|21|mi|km}} from ] and south of ]. It is within ]'s fire district and has a Fort Myers postal code.<ref name="aten20130328">{{cite news |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/mar/28/know-where-world-dunk-city/ |title=In the Know: Where in the world is Dunk City? |work=Naples News |date=March 28, 2013 |access-date= March 29, 2013 |last=Aten |first=Tim}}</ref> | ||
The {{convert|150|acre|km2|adj=on}} center of the campus, known as the Academic Core, contains the buildings housing most of the school's classrooms and labs. There are three separate housing areas on the periphery of the campus: North Lake, South Village, and West Lake Village. North Lake Village overlooks Lake Como, with recreational activities including boating and water skiing, with a new boardwalk and dining facility opening along its waterfront in 2017. | |||
===Expansion=== | ===Expansion=== | ||
] | ] | ||
The Lutgert College of Business building opened in 2008,<ref>{{cite web |title=FGCU's Lutgert Hall Officially Opens for Business |url=http://www.fgcu.edu/crm/pressrelease.asp?id=20383 | |
The Lutgert College of Business building opened in 2008,<ref>{{cite web |title=FGCU's Lutgert Hall Officially Opens for Business|website= fgcu.edu | publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University |url=http://www.fgcu.edu/crm/pressrelease.asp?id=20383 |access-date=September 5, 2012 |date=October 30, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717005137/http://www.fgcu.edu/CRM/pressrelease.asp?id=20383 |archive-date= July 17, 2012}}</ref> Holmes Hall (which houses the U.A. Whitaker School of Engineering) in 2009,<ref>{{cite web |title=Holmes Hall, New Home of U.A. Whitaker School of Engineering, Hosts Official Grand Opening|website= fgcu.edu | publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University |url=http://www.fgcu.edu/crm/pressrelease.asp?id=20432 |access-date=September 5, 2012 |date=January 2009 |url-status= dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715142319/http://www.fgcu.edu/CRM/pressrelease.asp?id=20432 |archive-date= July 15, 2012}}</ref> and Herbert J. Sugden Hall (home to the School of Resort & Hospitality Management) in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title=FGCU Hosts Herbert J. Sugden Hall Grand Opening |website= fgcu.edu | publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University |url=http://www.fgcu.edu/crm/pressrelease.asp?id=20392 |access-date=September 5, 2012 |date=November 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715140545/http://www.fgcu.edu/CRM/pressrelease.asp?id=20392 |archive-date= July 15, 2012}}</ref> Academic Building 7 for the College of Arts and Sciences was completed in 2010 and named Seidler Hall in 2016 after donors Lee and Gene Seidler.<ref name="AB7 Completion">{{cite web |title= Academic Building 7 Grand Opening |url=http://www.fgcu.edu/Foundation/3977.asp |website= fgcu.edu | publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University |access-date=September 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513172309/http://www.fgcu.edu/Foundation/3977.asp |archive-date=May 13, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2012, Academic Building 8 was completed. Now Marieb Hall, it was dedicated to Elaine Nicpon Marieb in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=March 29th Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Officially Opens Marieb Hall|website= fgcu.edu | publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University |url=http://www.fgcu.edu/CRM/mariebhall.html |access-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref> The $24 million, {{convert|60,000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} building was designed for the College of Health Professions, which in 2017 was renamed the Marieb College of Health & Human Services after Marieb's second transformative gift, an additional $10 million pledge. | ||
Other construction projects include expansion of the Cohen Center (the student union building also affectionately known as |
Other construction projects include expansion of the Cohen Center (the student union building also affectionately known as Harv's Place in honor of donor Harvey Cohen), an addition to the fine arts building, a 2017 expansion of Alico Arena, an addition of one of the largest solar panel fields at a university, and the construction of academic building 9.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://eaglenews.org/news/plans-for-academic-building-9-revealed/ |title=Plans for academic building 9 revealed |date=September 15, 2016 |work=Eagle News | publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University|access-date= June 1, 2018}}</ref> FGCU also opened a new facility a few miles northeast of campus in 2016, the Emergent Technologies Institute. | ||
FGCU has created the Everglades Wetland Research Park (EWRP), housed in the Kapnick Education and Research Center on the campus of the Naples Botanical Garden in Naples, Florida, approximately 35 miles south of the main FGCU campus. The EWRP provides teaching, research, and service related to wetland, river, coastal science and ecological engineering. | FGCU has created the Everglades Wetland Research Park (EWRP), housed in the Kapnick Education and Research Center on the campus of the Naples Botanical Garden in Naples, Florida, approximately 35 miles south of the main FGCU campus. The EWRP provides teaching, research, and service related to wetland, river, coastal science and ecological engineering. | ||
In 2019, FGCU began construction for The Water School, a facility to house research labs and classrooms focused on environmental implications of water quality in Southwest Florida. Upon its completion, The Water School (also known as Academic Building 9) became FGCU's largest academic building. The Water School opened in November 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sterwald |first1=Drew |title=FGCU celebrates The Water School with open house |url=https://fortmyers.floridaweekly.com/articles/fgcu-celebrates-the-water-school-with-open-house/ |website=Fort Myers Florida Weekly |access-date=June 29, 2023}}</ref> | |||
===Satellite campuses=== | ===Satellite campuses=== | ||
There are three other satellite |
There are three other satellite campuses: Naples, the Atrium in Fort Myers, and Herald Court Centre in ], where continuing education and lifelong learning classes are held. The FGCU Board of Trustees voted in January 2010 to assume ownership of {{cvt|500|acre|km2}} in Buckingham. Located between East Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres, the land already contains over 60 buildings and housing for 300 people. Originally, the property operated as Gulf Coast Center, a residential facility for people with developmental disabilities. After the state phased out such large-scale institutions, FGCU's board of trustees accepted the land donation. It is used for off-campus team-building exercises and storage, among other things. | ||
In 2007, the university purchased the former Bonita Beach Plantation Resort in ] for use as a marine research laboratory. |
In 2007, the university purchased the former Bonita Beach Plantation Resort in ] for use as a marine research laboratory. The Norm and Nancy Vester Marine and Environmental Science Research Field Station site has 10 boat slips and is located on ]. The site includes laboratories, offices, apartments for visiting researchers and a classroom.<ref name="Vester Station">{{cite web |url=http://www.fgcu.edu/CWI/files/Vester_Field_Station_-_Pinnacle_Summer_2008.pdf | publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University |title= Water water everywhere |date=Summer 2008 |access-date= November 2, 2009 | work= Pinnacle Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601185136/http://www.fgcu.edu/CWI/files/Vester_Field_Station_-_Pinnacle_Summer_2008.pdf |archive-date=June 1, 2010}}</ref> | ||
===Environmental sustainability=== | ===Environmental sustainability=== | ||
Since its founding, {{cvt|400|acre|km2}} on the main campus have been set aside for environmental preservation. FGCU also has constructed a number of lakes on the campus that are home to large numbers of wildlife; the lakes also help promote the ecology of the area. ] is the principal goal expressed in the university charter. Seidler Hall, the new facility housing science laboratories and classrooms for the College of Arts and Sciences, achieved platinum certification, the highest level awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The university's {{convert|15|acre|m2|adj=on}} solar field supplies about 85 percent of the energy needed to operate Holmes, Lutgert and Seidler halls, reducing FGCU's reliance on Florida Power & Light Co. by 18 percent. An ice thermal storage plant sends chilled water through an underground loop that cools campus buildings, saving more than $1.64 million over five years. The newest residence halls—Everglades, Biscayne, Palmetto, Osprey, and Eagle—heat their water via rooftop solar panels.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.winknews.com/2018/04/06/fgcu-using-solar-energy-go-karts-sustainability-initiatives/ |title=FGCU using solar energy, go-karts to further sustainability initiatives |date=April 6, 2018 |work=WINK NEWS|access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref> | |||
] | |||
Since its founding, {{convert|400|acre|km2}} on the main campus have been set aside for environmental preservation. FGCU also has constructed a number of lakes on the campus that are home to large numbers of wildlife; the lakes also help promote the ecology of the area. Environmental sustainability is the principal goal expressed in the university charter. Seidler Hall, the new facility housing science laboratories and classrooms for the College of Arts and Sciences, achieved platinum certification, the highest level awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The university's {{convert|15|acre|m2|adj=on}} solar field supplies about 85 percent of the energy needed to operate Holmes, Lutgert and Seidler halls, reducing FGCU's reliance on Florida Power & Light Co. by 18 percent. An ice thermal storage plant sends chilled water through an underground loop that cools campus buildings, saving more than $1.64 million over five years. The newest residence halls — Everglades, Biscayne, Palmetto, Osprey and Eagle — heat their water via rooftop solar panels.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.winknews.com/2018/04/06/fgcu-using-solar-energy-go-karts-sustainability-initiatives/ |title=FGCU using solar energy, go-karts to further sustainability initiatives |date=April 6, 2018 |work=WINK NEWS|access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref> | |||
===Library=== | ===Library=== | ||
] | |||
The Library Complex is located on FGCU's main campus in Fort Myers. In the 2016-17 school year, the main facility accommodated 1 million visitors for the first time. The library has more than 1.5 million items in its collection, which can be accessed by students or any patron with a library card.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=http://library.fgcu.edu/admin/about.html |title=FGCU Library |website=library.fgcu.edu|access-date=November 24, 2016}}</ref> The library also subscribes to more than 400 databases to allow students and patrons access to more than 700 million full-text articles.<ref name=":0" /> The east wing of the library includes a 115-seat computer lab.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
The Library Complex is on FGCU's main campus in Fort Myers. The main facility accommodated 1 million visitors for the first time in the 2016–17 school year. The library has more than 1.5 million items in its collection, which can be accessed by students or any patron with a library card.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=http://library.fgcu.edu/admin/about.html |title=FGCU Library |website= library.fgcu.edu| publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University |access-date= November 24, 2016}}</ref> The library also subscribes to more than 400 databases to allow students and patrons access to more than 700 million full-text articles.<ref name=":0" /> Its east wing includes a 115-seat computer lab.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
In 2014, the Collection Analysis Project (CAP) began so that the FGCU library could determine what parts of the collection were being utilized by students and what could be removed in order to make way for various new projects within the library.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |url=http://library.fgcu.edu/admin/renewal.html |title=FGCU Library |website=library.fgcu.edu|access-date=November 24, 2016}}</ref> In addition to its various print and electronic collections, the library also houses various art pieces, including seven signed lithographs by ].<ref>{{ |
In 2014, the Collection Analysis Project (CAP) began so that the FGCU library could determine what parts of the collection were being utilized by students and what could be removed in order to make way for various new projects within the library.<ref name= ":1">{{Cite web |url=http://library.fgcu.edu/admin/renewal.html |title=FGCU Library |website= library.fgcu.edu |publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University | access-date= November 24, 2016}}</ref> One of the projects completed in 2023 is a renovation of the computer lab in the east wing of the first floor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=University Library News | publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University |url=https://library.fgcu.edu/blog/Level-Up-Renovation-of-the-Library-East-Computer-Lab |access-date=March 23, 2023 |website=library.fgcu.edu}}</ref> The renovation features new furniture, computers, and work areas. In addition to its various print and electronic collections, the library also houses various art pieces, including seven signed lithographs by ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://library.fgcu.edu/LBS/libraryArt.html|title=Art in the Library|website= library.fgcu.edu | publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University }}</ref> The Archives and Special Collections unit on the library's third floor has held various exhibitions since the fall of 2013. The list of past exhibits is on the library's website.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosenthal |first=Danielle |title= University Library: University Archives & Special Collections Exhibits: Current Exhibit |url=https://library.fgcu.edu/c.php?g=1113654&p=8855821 |access-date= March 23, 2023 |website= library.fgcu.edu| publisher= Florida Gulf Coast University |language=en}}</ref> Other resources in the library complex include the ArtLab Gallery, Center for Academic Achievement, Lucas Center for Faculty Development, and the Writing Center.<ref name=":0" /> In 2019, the Library Complex was formally named after FGCU's third president, Wilson G. Bradshaw.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 22, 2019| title= FGCU library named for Wilson G. Bradshaw|url=https://fgcu360.com/2019/10/22/fgcu-library-named-for-former-president-wilson-g-bradshaw/ |access-date=March 15, 2021| website= FGCU360.com|language=en-US}}</ref> | ||
* ArtLab Gallery | |||
* Center for Academic Achievement | |||
* Lucas Center for Faculty Development | |||
* Veterans Space | |||
* Writing Center | |||
==Academics== | ==Academics== | ||
{| class="wikitable floatright" | |||
{| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin-left:1em; font-size:90%; line-height:1.4em; width:280px;" | |||
! colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | | |||
|- | |- | ||
!College/school | |||
!Year founded | |||
|- | |- | ||
| College of Arts and Sciences || 1995 | | College of Arts and Sciences || 1995 | ||
Line 123: | Line 121: | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Lutgert College of Business || 2008 | | Lutgert College of Business || 2008 | ||
|- | |||
|School of Entrepreneurship | |||
|2019 | |||
|- | |||
|The Water School | |||
|2019 | |||
|} | |} | ||
Florida Gulf Coast University academics are divided into five colleges. In 2016-17, new matriculants averaged an ACT score of 23.9, an SAT score of 1592, a high school GPA of 3.78, and a college GPA of 3.06. | |||
Florida Gulf Coast University academics are divided into eight colleges. In 2017–18, new freshmen averaged an ] composite score of 23.3, a combined math and reading average ] score of 1143, and a high school grade point average of 3.9.<ref name="FastFacts"/> | |||
{{col-begin}} | |||
{{col-break}} | |||
{{Infobox US university ranking | |||
| Forbes = 553 | |||
| THE_WSJ = 601-800 | |||
}} | |||
{{col-break}} | |||
The Lutgert College of Business is an ]-accredited institution, offering undergraduate degrees in accounting, computer information systems, economics, finance, management, and marketing; and the Small Business Development Center, which offers counseling and other services to regional businesses. The college offers the following graduate degrees: accounting and taxation, computer information systems, and business administration (both traditional and executive).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fgcu.edu/cob/ |title=FGCU Lutgert College of Business |publisher=Florida Gulf Coast University |date=June 24, 2010 |access-date=July 15, 2010}}</ref> FGCU also added a real estate undergraduate degree, which began in the fall of 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.review.net/section/detail/wednesdays-cup-biz-school-launches-real-estate-major/ |title=Biz school launches real estate major || Business Observer | Tampa Bay, Bradenton, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples |last=Coast |first=Gulf |date=January 19, 2011 |publisher=Review.net |access-date=March 31, 2013}}</ref> | |||
'']'' ranks FGCU as first-tier among regional universities in the southern United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/fort-myers-fl/fgcu-32553 |title=Florida Gulf Coast University – Best College – Education – US News |publisher=Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com |date=August 16, 2010 |accessdate=August 24, 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100915171553/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/fort-myers-fl/fgcu-32553 |archivedate=September 15, 2010}}</ref> ] also cites it as one of the top business schools in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/oct/29/higher-education-briefs-lutgert-college-business-n/ |title=Higher education briefs: Lutgert College of Business named among 301 best in nation |publisher=Naples Daily News |accessdate=November 2, 2009}}</ref> | |||
FGCU's School of ] is a nationally ranked and ]-accredited institution that offers an undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary entrepreneurship studies (]), entrepreneurship ], and entrepreneurship ].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Top 50 Entrepreneurship: Ugrad {{!}} The Princeton Review|url=https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=top-50-entrepreneurship-ugrad&page=2|access-date=2020-06-04|website=www.princetonreview.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=School of Entrepreneurship|url=https://www.fgcu.edu/soe/|access-date=2020-06-04|website=www.fgcu.edu}}</ref> The School of Entrepreneurship houses the FGCU Institute for Entrepreneurship, which operates all ] programs and activities such as the FGCU Runway Program Student and Alumni ], Freshman Entrepreneurship ], and FGCU Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program.<ref>{{Cite web|title=FGCU Institute for Entrepreneurship|url=https://www.fgcu.edu/soe/ife/|access-date=2020-06-04|website=www.fgcu.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Runway Program|url=https://www.fgcu.edu/soe/ife/runway-program|access-date=2020-06-04|website=www.fgcu.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community|url=https://www.fgcu.edu/soe/living-learning-community|access-date=2020-06-04|website=www.fgcu.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program|url=https://www.fgcu.edu/soe/ife/veterans-florida|access-date=2020-06-04|website=www.fgcu.edu}}</ref> | |||
The Lutgert College of Business is an ]-accredited institution, offering undergraduate degrees in Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing and a new degree in Entrepreneurship. The latter major falls in line with the university's Institute for Entrepreneurship that mentors students and prospective business owners and coordinates a program through Veterans Florida that helps military veterans launch business plans; and the Small Business Development Center, which offers counseling and other services to regional businesses. The college offers the following graduate degrees: Accounting and Taxation, Computer Information Systems, and Business Administration (both traditional and executive).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fgcu.edu/cob/ |title=FGCU Lutgert College of Business |publisher=Florida Gulf Coast University |date=June 24, 2010 |accessdate=July 15, 2010}}</ref> FGCU also added a real estate undergraduate degree, which began in the fall of 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.review.net/section/detail/wednesdays-cup-biz-school-launches-real-estate-major/ |title=Biz school launches real estate major || Business Observer | Tampa Bay, Bradenton, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples |last=Coast |first=Gulf |date=January 19, 2011 |publisher=Review.net |accessdate=March 31, 2013}}</ref> | |||
Resort and Hospitality Management offers several majors, with students getting the opportunity to gain supervised field work experience at one of many resorts and spas in the area. Professional |
The Resort and Hospitality Management Department offers several majors, with students getting the opportunity to gain supervised field work experience at one of many resorts and spas in the area. Professional golf management is a unique program with limited access (it's the only remaining ]–certified program in Florida and one of just 19 in the country), much like the nursing, music and athletic training programs. | ||
FGCU also has a unique requirement |
FGCU also has a unique requirement for graduation—University Colloquium: A Sustainable Future. The aim of this colloquium is to educate graduates on the importance of ecology, ], and sustainability. FGCU also makes service learning a graduation requirement, and students have contributed more than 2.2 million volunteer hours in the community since the university opened in 1997. | ||
FGCU's College of Engineering also offers ], ], ] and ], the last of which began to phase out the overlapping ] in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm|title=Software Developers : |
FGCU's College of Engineering also offers ], ], ] and ], the last of which began to phase out the overlapping ] in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm|title=Software Developers : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics|website=www.bls.gov|language=en-us|access-date=November 29, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://fbpe.org/florida-gulf-coast-university/|title=FGCU U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering|work=Florida Board of Professional Engineers|access-date=November 29, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> Holmes Hall was built to facilitate the engineering programs, along with the Emergent Technologies Institute. FGCU's bachelor's programs in bioengineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering, and software engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ].<ref name="ABET">{{Cite web |url=https://www.fgcu.edu/about/accreditation.aspx |title=Accreditation |publisher=Florida Gulf Coast University |access-date=July 17, 2018}}</ref> A Master of Science in engineering (MSE) program began in 2017. | ||
In 2017, FGCU elevated its |
In 2017, FGCU elevated its honors program to an Honors College, opening in August with almost 900 students.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.news-press.com/story/news/education/2016/08/17/fgcu-plans-launch-honors-college-2017/88921680/ |title=FGCU plans to launch Honors College in 2017 |work=The News-Press|access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref> | ||
===Research=== | ===Research=== | ||
In |
In 2015–16, nearly $10 million in funds were granted for research. Research institutes include the Biotechnology Research Group; the Lucas Center for ]; Coastal Watershed Institute; Center for Environmental & Sustainability Education; FGCU Center for Leadership and Innovation; Florida Institute of Government; Center for Positive Aging; Whitaker Center for Science, Mathematics & Technology Education; Institute for Youth and Justice Studies, and the Regional Economic Research Institute.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fgcu.edu/orsp/ |title=Office of Research and Sponsored Programs |publisher=Fgcu.edu |access-date=July 15, 2010}}</ref> Since FGCU opened, the total funds awarded for research amount to $204.8 million {{as of|2016|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.wgcu.org/post/fgcu-receiving-nsf-grant-fund-ciguatera-research |title=FGCU Receiving NSF Grant to Fund Ciguatera Research |last=Glenn |first=Mike Kiniry, Julie|access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref> | ||
===Rankings=== | |||
{{Infobox US university ranking | |||
| Forbes = 519 | |||
| THE_WSJ = > 600 | |||
| USNWR_REG = 78 | |||
| Wamo_MASTERSU = 391 | |||
}} | |||
Florida Gulf Coast University was ranked #331-440 in the National Universities category in the 2022-23 '']'' annual rankings of the best colleges and universities. The institution was also named #169-227 in the Top Public Schools category.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 12, 2022 |title=U.S. News & Word Report Best Colleges rankings Florida Gulf Coast University |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/fgcu-32553 |website=U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges}}</ref> | |||
For its 2021 rankings of ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked FGCU 68th overall in Regional Universities South. In the south category, FGCU was also named the #16 Most Innovative School and #66 in Top Performers in Social Mobility.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Florida Gulf Coast University Rankings|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/fgcu-32553/overall-rankings|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=December 15, 2020|website=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref> | |||
In 2020, ] ranked FGCU as the 30th-best undergraduate entrepreneurship program overall and first in ].<ref name=":2" /> | |||
''U.S. News'' ranked FGCU as tied for 78th among all regional universities in the southern United States in 2019, and tied for 29th among public ones.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/fort-myers-fl/fgcu-32553 |title=Florida Gulf Coast University |magazine=U.S. News & World Report |access-date=August 13, 2019}}</ref> | |||
==Athletics== | ==Athletics== | ||
{{main|Florida Gulf Coast Eagles}} | {{main|Florida Gulf Coast Eagles}} | ||
FGCU's athletics teams are known as the ]. FGCU completed the four-year transition to ] for all athletics programs in 2011. The Eagles |
FGCU's athletics teams are known as the ]. FGCU completed the four-year transition to ] for all athletics programs in 2011. The Eagles compete in the Division I ] (ASUN), which they joined in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |title=After a rapid rise, how will FGCU sports grow in the next decade? |author=Seth Soffian |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/news_press/access/2117193881.html?FMT=ABS&date=Aug+22%2C+2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104170503/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/news_press/access/2117193881.html?FMT=ABS&date=Aug+22,+2010 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 4, 2012 |newspaper=] |date=August 22, 2010 |access-date=December 15, 2010}}</ref> | ||
FGCU intercollegiate athletics offers: | FGCU intercollegiate athletics offers: | ||
] | |||
* Men's and women's golf | * Men's and women's golf | ||
* Men's and women's tennis | * Men's and women's tennis | ||
Line 166: | Line 181: | ||
* Women's beach volleyball | * Women's beach volleyball | ||
FGCU is a member of the ] (NCAA) Division I, and a member of the ASUN Conference, as well as the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association. FGCU plays its men's and women's basketball games at ] and its baseball games at ], with other on-campus facilities including softball and soccer fields, tennis courts and an aquatics complex for intercollegiate competition. | |||
] | |||
The average GPA of a student athlete at FGCU was 3.27 in the spring semester of 2017.<ref name="naplesnews.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/nov/27/fgcu-student-athletes-gpa-ncaa-division-chris-sale/ |title=Making the grade: FGCU student-athletes have higher GPA than peers " Naples Daily News |last=Williams |first=Leslie |publisher=Naplesnews.com |access-date=March 31, 2013}}</ref> | |||
FGCU is a member of the ] (NCAA) Division I, and a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, as well as the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association. FGCU plays its men's and women's basketball games at ] and its baseball games at ], with other on-campus facilities including softball and soccer fields, tennis courts and an aquatics complex for intercollegiate competition. | |||
The average GPA of a student athlete at FGCU was 3.27 in the spring semester of 2017.<ref name="naplesnews.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/nov/27/fgcu-student-athletes-gpa-ncaa-division-chris-sale/ |title=Making the grade: FGCU student-athletes have higher GPA than peers " Naples Daily News |last=Williams |first=Leslie |publisher=Naplesnews.com |accessdate=March 31, 2013}}</ref> | |||
===Baseball=== | ===Baseball=== | ||
The FGCU baseball team has sent several players to professional leagues, the |
The FGCU baseball team has sent several players to professional leagues, including ] pitchers ] who was selected unanimously as the ] Pitcher of the Year and First Team All Sun Conference, and all-star ] and ], both of whom played for the ]. Pitcher ] was the first Eagle to reach the major leagues, with the ]. Pitcher Justin Stiver was the first Eagle athlete drafted by a professional team in any sport, selected by the ] in the ].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://fgcuathletics.com/archives.aspx?path=baseball |title=Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles Athletics - Story Archives |website=fgcuathletics.com|access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref> | ||
===Basketball=== | ===Basketball=== | ||
{{ |
{{See also|Florida Gulf Coast Eagles men's basketball|Florida Gulf Coast Eagles women's basketball}} | ||
] on the campus of FGCU|alt=|260x260px]] | ] on the campus of FGCU|alt=|260x260px]] | ||
On March 24, 2007, FGCU's women's basketball team ended its 35–1 season with a loss in the ] National Championship to ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Caldwell |first=Dana |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/mar/24/despite_loss_national_championship_recruits_optimi/ |title=Disappointment, heartbreak |publisher=Naplesnews.com | |
On March 24, 2007, FGCU's women's basketball team ended its 35–1 season with a loss in the ] National Championship to ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Caldwell |first=Dana |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/mar/24/despite_loss_national_championship_recruits_optimi/ |title=Disappointment, heartbreak |publisher=Naplesnews.com |access-date=March 31, 2013}}</ref> One year later, in 2008, the women's basketball team qualified for the ], becoming the first team to qualify for the WNIT in its first season of Division I sports.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fgcuathletics.com/wbasketball/news/66/744/ |title=Women's Basketball to Host USF in First round of WNIT |publisher=Fgcuathletics.com |access-date=March 31, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914041205/http://www.fgcuathletics.com/wbasketball/news/66/744/ |archive-date=September 14, 2012}}</ref> During the 2008 WNIT Tourney, the team became the first ] team to win a post-season game since 1998, when ] won in the women's NCAA tourney.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fgcuathletics.com/wbasketball/news/66/754/ |title=FGCU Athletics – Official Site |publisher=Fgcuathletics.com |access-date=March 31, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921172032/http://www.fgcuathletics.com/wbasketball/news/66/754/ |archive-date=September 21, 2012}}</ref> The women's team has since won the Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season and/or tournament championship each year since (except for 2010) with annual postseason appearances either in the NCAA Tournament or the WNIT, in which the Eagles finished second nationally in 2016 after losing to South Dakota in the championship game. | ||
In 2012, FGCU's first year of full Division I postseason eligibility, the men's team played in the Atlantic Sun Championship final, losing to Belmont. In ], the team won the Atlantic Sun championship, beating top-seeded Mercer in the conference tournament final earning the automatic invitation to the ]. In its first-ever tournament appearance, the No. 15 seeded Eagles upset the No. 2 seeded ] in the first round of the tournament<ref name="NCAA_2013_First_round">{{cite web |url= |
In 2012, FGCU's first year of full Division I postseason eligibility, the men's team played in the Atlantic Sun Championship final, losing to Belmont. In ], the team won the Atlantic Sun championship, beating top-seeded Mercer in the conference tournament final earning the automatic invitation to the ]. In its first-ever tournament appearance, the No. 15 seeded Eagles upset the No. 2 seeded ] in the first round of the tournament<ref name="NCAA_2013_First_round">{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=330810046 |title=Florida Gulf Coast Eagles vs. Georgetown Hoyas – NCAA Tournament Game – Recap – March 22, 2013 – ESPN |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN |date=March 22, 2013 |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref> and the No. 7 seeded ] in the second round.<ref name="NCAA_2013_Second_round">{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=330830021 |title=Florida Gulf Coast Eagles vs. San Diego State Aztecs – NCAA Tournament Game – Recap – March 24, 2013 – ESPN |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN |date=March 24, 2013 |access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref> The Eagles became the seventh No. 15 seed to advance to the round of 32<ref name="NCAA_2013_First_round" /> and the first to advance to the Sweet 16.<ref name="NCAA_2013_Second_round" /> The Eagles went on to win two more ASUN Conference championships in 2016 and 2017. | ||
==Student life== | ==Student life== | ||
===Residence life=== | ===Residence life=== | ||
] | ] | ||
{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;" | |||
On-campus housing is made up of three sections: North Lake Village, South Village and West Lake Village. North Lake Village is located on an 80-acre lake and features apartment-style residence halls with waterfront recreation. West Lake Village was previously owned by ] and formerly called College Club Apartments. Housing 501 students, it was bought by the University for $17 million and the apartments officially became part of FGCU Housing and Residence Life in October 2010.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hale |first=Leslie Williams |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/jun/10/fgcu-seeks-buy-college-club-apartments-17m/ |title=FGCU seeks to buy College Club Apartments for $17M |publisher=Naples News |date=June 10, 2010 |accessdate=October 11, 2010}}</ref> Themed housing is available, such as Honors and Wellness communities. South Village (SoVi) is composed of suite-style residence halls with five buildings: Everglades Hall, Biscayne Hall, Palmetto Hall, Osprey Hall and Eagle Hall, housing a total of more than 1,720 first-year students. | |||
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Student body composition as of May 2, 2022 | |||
|- | |||
! Race and ethnicity<ref>{{cite web |title=College Scorecard: Florida Gulf Coast University|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?433660-Florida-Gulf-Coast-University |publisher=] |access-date=May 8, 2022}}</ref> | |||
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total | |||
|- | |||
| ] | |||
|align=right| {{bartable|60|%|2||background:gray}} | |||
|- | |||
| ] | |||
|align=right| {{bartable|24|%|2||background:green}} | |||
|- | |||
| ] | |||
|align=right| {{bartable|7|%|2||background:mediumblue}} | |||
|- | |||
| Other{{efn|Other consists of ] & those who prefer to not say.}} | |||
|align=right| {{bartable|5|%|2||background:brown}} | |||
|- | |||
| ] | |||
|align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:orange}} | |||
|- | |||
| ] | |||
|align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:purple}} | |||
|- | |||
! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |] | |||
|- | |||
| ]{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal ] intended for low-income students.}} | |||
|align=right| {{bartable|32|%|2||background:red}} | |||
|- | |||
| ]{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the ] at the bare minimum.}} | |||
|align=right| {{bartable|68|%|2||background:black}} | |||
|} | |||
On-campus housing is made up of three sections: North Lake Village, South Village and West Lake Village. North Lake Village is on an 80-acre lake and features apartment-style residence halls with waterfront recreation. West Lake Village was previously owned by ] and formerly called College Club Apartments. Housing 501 students, it was bought by the university for $17 million, and the apartments officially became part of FGCU Housing and Residence Life in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hale |first=Leslie Williams |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/jun/10/fgcu-seeks-buy-college-club-apartments-17m/ |title=FGCU seeks to buy College Club Apartments for $17M |publisher=Naples News |date=June 10, 2010 |access-date=October 11, 2010 |archive-date=March 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320065210/http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/jun/10/fgcu-seeks-buy-college-club-apartments-17m/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Themed housing is available, such as Honors and Wellness communities. South Village (SoVi) is composed of suite-style residence halls with five buildings: Everglades Hall, Biscayne Hall, Palmetto Hall, Osprey Hall and Eagle Hall, housing more than 1,720 first-year students. | |||
In the summer of 2013, South Village opened the SoVi Pool, a resort-style pool featuring a "beach-entry" and built-in pool volleyball court. FGCU enhanced the North Lake Village complex in 2017 by opening a new lakefront boardwalk and dining facility.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fgcu.edu/studentlife/housing/thefgculife/southvillage.aspx|title=South Village|website=www.fgcu.edu|language=en-US|access-date=December 2, 2018}}</ref> | In the summer of 2013, South Village opened the SoVi Pool, a resort-style pool featuring a "beach-entry" and built-in pool volleyball court. FGCU enhanced the North Lake Village complex in 2017 by opening a new lakefront boardwalk and dining facility.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fgcu.edu/studentlife/housing/thefgculife/southvillage.aspx|title=South Village|website=www.fgcu.edu|language=en-US|access-date=December 2, 2018}}</ref> | ||
More than 3,200 students live in both North Lake Village and SoVi. Freshmen are not required to live on campus, but on-campus housing is usually filled to capacity every year. | |||
Individual halls sponsor their own activities and socials, and leadership positions are available in the Resident Hall Association. | Individual halls sponsor their own activities and socials, and leadership positions are available in the Resident Hall Association. | ||
A commonly used form of transportation on campus is |
A commonly used form of transportation on campus is the Eagle Express, a shuttle that operates daily, taking students from residence halls to classes and activities around campus. | ||
===Greek life=== | ===Greek life=== | ||
Florida Gulf Coast University has |
Florida Gulf Coast University has 28 ] on campus.<ref name="FastFacts"/> Greek life is governed by the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council, National PanHellenic Council and the Multicultural Greek Council.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://studentservices.fgcu.edu/Panhellenic/661.asp |title=Panhellenic |publisher=Studentservices.fgcu.edu |date=September 29, 1990 |access-date=July 15, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612022107/http://studentservices.fgcu.edu/Panhellenic/661.asp |archive-date=June 12, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> There is no separate Greek housing on campus. | ||
===Campus recreation=== | ===Campus recreation=== | ||
The official Campus Recreation department organizes several day and overnight trips annually, including rock climbing, skydiving, white-water rafting, sea kayaking and more. There are also 27 official sports clubs on campus, many of which engage in intercollegiate competition with their peers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fgcu.edu/studentlife/campusrec/outdoorpursuits/waterfront.aspx |title=Waterfront |website=fgcu.edu|access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref> | The official Campus Recreation department organizes several day and overnight trips annually, including rock climbing, skydiving, white-water rafting, sea kayaking and more. There are also 27 official sports clubs on campus, many of which engage in intercollegiate competition with their peers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fgcu.edu/studentlife/campusrec/outdoorpursuits/waterfront.aspx |title=Waterfront |website=fgcu.edu|access-date=November 28, 2018}}</ref> | ||
Line 207: | Line 250: | ||
===Media=== | ===Media=== | ||
The university has operated ] stations ] television and ] since 1996, when the license was transferred from the ] in Tampa. WGCU is a ] member |
The university has operated ] stations ] television and ] since 1996, when the license was transferred from the ] in Tampa. WGCU is a ] member while WGCU-FM is an ] member and broadcasts news, talk, and jazz. FGCU 360 Now is a website that features university news and complements the official university periodical, ''FGCU 360 Magazine'', which was rebranded in 2016 after originally publishing as Pinnacle.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://wgcu.org/about/ |title=About – WGCU |website=wgcu.org|accessdate=November 28, 2018}}</ref> | ||
''Eagle Media'' is the university's official independent student media group. Originally founded in 1997 as "''The Eagle''" newspaper, the media group now publishes a weekly newspaper, a website, and TV/radio programming when classes are in session.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Eagle Media |url=https://eaglenews.org/mission-statement/ |access-date=August 15, 2022 |website=Eagle News}}</ref> In 2017, the Student Media Advisory Board recognized ''Eagle News'', ENTV and Eagle Radio jointly as Eagle Media, FGCU's only student-led media program.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eagle Media History |url=https://eaglenews.org/mission-statement/ |accessdate=August 15, 2022 |website=Eagle News}}</ref> | |||
==Notable alumni == | |||
== Campus demographics == | |||
]]] | |||
{{US Census population | |||
]]] | |||
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=]|access-date=}}</ref><br> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/> | |||
* ]: ] | |||
| align-fn = center | |||
* ]: Florida state representative | |||
| 2020 = 3659 | |||
* ]: Major League baseball pitcher for the ] | |||
| estyear = | |||
* ]: NBA Basketball Player with the ] | |||
| estimate = | |||
* ]: Major league baseball pitcher for the ] | |||
| estref = | |||
* ]: Professional Basketball Player | |||
}} | |||
* ]: retired ] pitcher for the ] | |||
* ]: professional baseball pitcher<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=colemca01 |title=Casey Coleman Stats |publisher=Baseball Almanac |accessdate=November 26, 2012}}</ref> | |||
Florida Gulf Coast University is listed as a ] (CDP) in 2020 for statistical purposes. It is part of the ] | |||
* ]: Professional Basketball Player | |||
* ]: former professional ] driver | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | |||
* ]: professional golfer<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pgatour.com/golfers/027797/derek-lamely/ |title=Derek Lamely |publisher=PGA Tour |accessdate=November 26, 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019061042/http://www.pgatour.com/golfers/027797/derek-lamely/ |archivedate=October 19, 2012}}</ref> | |||
|+'''Florida Gulf Coast University CDP, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small> | |||
* ]: concert pianist<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fgcu.edu/vpchiefofstaff/pressrelease.asp?id=21150 |title=Vice President and Chief of Staff |publisher=Fgcu.edu |date=October 24, 2013 |accessdate=August 23, 2014}}</ref> | |||
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small> | |||
* ]: Major league baseball pitcher for the ] | |||
!Pop 2020<ref name="2020CensusP2">{{Cite web |title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Florida Gulf Coast University CDP, Florida |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US1223005&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
* ]: Founder and CEO of Arthrex (honorary doctorate)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://naples.floridaweekly.com/articles/fgcu-presents-honorary-doctorate-to-arthrex-founder-reinhold-schmieding/|title=FGCU presents honorary doctorate to Arthrex founder Reinhold Schmieding {{!}} Naples Florida Weekly|website=naples.floridaweekly.com|access-date=December 2, 2018}}</ref> | |||
!% 2020 | |||
|- | |||
|] alone (NH) | |||
|2,631 | |||
|71.90% | |||
|- | |||
|] alone (NH) | |||
|243 | |||
|6.64% | |||
|- | |||
|] or ] alone (NH) | |||
|8 | |||
|0.22% | |||
|- | |||
|] alone (NH) | |||
|51 | |||
|1.39% | |||
|- | |||
|] alone (NH) | |||
|0 | |||
|0.00% | |||
|- | |||
|] alone (NH) | |||
|22 | |||
|0.60% | |||
|- | |||
|] (NH) | |||
|141 | |||
|3.85% | |||
|- | |||
|] (any race) | |||
|563 | |||
|15.39% | |||
|- | |||
|'''Total''' | |||
|'''3,659''' | |||
|'''100.00%''' | |||
|} | |||
== Notable alumni == | |||
]]] | |||
]]] | |||
* ], professional basketball player | |||
* ], professional baseball player | |||
* ], professional baseball player | |||
* ], professional basketball player | |||
* ], former member of the ] | |||
* ], professional baseball player | |||
* ], professional racecar driver | |||
* ], professional baseball player | |||
* ], professional baseball player | |||
* ], member of the ] | |||
* ], member of the ] | |||
* ], professional basketball player | |||
* ], professional basketball player | |||
* ], professional ] driver | |||
* ], professional golfer<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pgatour.com/golfers/027797/derek-lamely/ |title=Derek Lamely |publisher=PGA Tour |access-date=November 26, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019061042/http://www.pgatour.com/golfers/027797/derek-lamely/ |archive-date=October 19, 2012}}</ref> | |||
* ], concert pianist<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fgcu.edu/vpchiefofstaff/pressrelease.asp?id=21150 |title=Vice President and Chief of Staff |publisher=Fgcu.edu |date=October 24, 2013 |access-date=August 23, 2014}}</ref> | |||
* ], Florida state representative | |||
* ], professional baseball player | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
{{Portal|University}} | |||
* ], facility {{convert|2|miles}} south; home to FGCU's ] clubs | * ], facility {{convert|2|miles}} south; home to FGCU's ] clubs | ||
* ] | * ] | ||
==Notes== | |||
{{Notelist}} | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{ |
{{reflist}} | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{commons cat}} | |||
* {{Official website}} | * {{Official website}} | ||
* | * | ||
{{Florida Gulf Coast University}} | |||
{{Navboxes | |||
| titlestyle = background: #004785; color: white; border: 2px solid #00794C | |||
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{{State University System of Florida}} | {{State University System of Florida}} | ||
{{ |
{{ASUN Conference navbox}} | ||
{{Division1floridacolleges}} | {{Division1floridacolleges}} | ||
}} | |||
{{Authority control}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 09:48, 22 November 2024
Public university in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.Motto | "Truth, Knowledge, Wisdom" |
---|---|
Type | Public university |
Established | May 3, 1991; 33 years ago (1991-05-03) |
Parent institution | State University System of Florida |
Accreditation | SACS |
Academic affiliation | |
Endowment | $129.3 million (2022) |
Chairman | Blake Gable |
President | Aysegul Timur |
Provost | Mark Rieger |
Academic staff | 526 |
Administrative staff | 875 |
Students | 15,969 (fall 2022) |
Undergraduates | 14,024 |
Postgraduates | 1,056 |
Location | Fort Myers, Florida, United States 26°27′45″N 81°46′22″W / 26.462499°N 81.772898°W / 26.462499; -81.772898 |
Campus | Large suburb, 800 acres (320 ha) |
Media | Eagle Media |
Colors | Cobalt blue and emerald green |
Nickname | Eagles |
Sporting affiliations | |
Mascot | Azul the Eagle |
Website | fgcu.edu |
Location of FGCUShow map of FloridaFlorida Gulf Coast University (the United States)Show map of the United States |
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is a public university in Lee County, Florida, near Fort Myers. It is part of the State University System of Florida and is its second-youngest member. The university was established on May 3, 1991, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It offers 58 bachelor's degree programs, 25 master's degree programs, 6 doctoral degree programs, and 12 graduate certificates.
FGCU's intercollegiate athletic teams, the Eagles, compete in the ASUN Conference in NCAA Division I sports.
History
Establishment
In 1991, Charles B. Edwards, chair of the board of regents, lobbied the Florida Legislature to pass legislation recommending that Florida's 10th state university be built in the Florida Southwest Region. Florida governor Lawton Chiles signed the bill authorizing the school in May 1991.
The board of regents selected a 760-acre (310 ha) site in the south Fort Myers area donated by Ben Hill Griffin III on which to build the university. On April 26, 1993, Roy E. McTarnaghan, who served as the executive vice chancellor for the State University System of Florida, was appointed president of the yet-unnamed "New University of Southwest Florida". McTarnaghan and a small number of employees set up temporary base in downtown Fort Myers in a space provided by the Lee County Commission. The school commemorates August 25, 1997, as its commencement date, the first time classes were held on campus.
Academic Building 5 at Florida Gulf Coast University was later renamed Charles B. Edwards Hall, in honor of Edwards.
Expansion and growth
In July 1999, William C. Merwin became FGCU's second president. Merwin sought to create a traditional four-year university. An active fundraiser, Merwin raised more than $250 million for the university in eight years, rapidly expanding the school. New buildings included Lutgert College of Business, Holmes Hall (U.A. Whitaker School of Engineering), Whitaker Hall, Cohen Center (the student union), Alico Arena, and an expansion of on-campus housing. Student enrollment increased from approximately 2,000 in its first year to almost 15,000 as of 2017. In 2007, Wilson G. Bradshaw became the university's third president. Bradshaw announced that he would step down after the 2016–17 academic year, and the Board of Trustees selected Michael V. Martin as his successor.
Responding to a challenge for state universities to improve their four-year graduation rate, FGCU in 2016 introduced a program, Soar in 4, that reimburses out-of-pocket tuition expenses for the freshman year of students who graduate within four years and meet certain other criteria.
Martin, a former chancellor of Louisiana State University and the Colorado State University System, succeeded Bradshaw as Florida Gulf Coast University president on July 1, 2017. The transition from Bradshaw to Martin came during the university's celebration of its 20th anniversary.
In 2017, the College of Health Professions & Social Work was renamed the Marieb College of Health & Human Services after a $10 million gift from donor Elaine Nicpon Marieb, for whom Marieb Hall was named after her original $5 million pledge.
In June 2023, The Board of Trustees selected Aysegul Timur as FGCU's fifth president, making her the first woman president in the university's history. Timur took office on July 1, 2023.
Main campus
FGCU's 807-acre (3.27 km) campus is in unincorporated Southwest Florida in Lee County, 21 mi (34 km) from Naples and south of Fort Myers. It is within San Carlos Park's fire district and has a Fort Myers postal code.
The 150-acre (0.61 km) center of the campus, known as the Academic Core, contains the buildings housing most of the school's classrooms and labs. There are three separate housing areas on the periphery of the campus: North Lake, South Village, and West Lake Village. North Lake Village overlooks Lake Como, with recreational activities including boating and water skiing, with a new boardwalk and dining facility opening along its waterfront in 2017.
Expansion
The Lutgert College of Business building opened in 2008, Holmes Hall (which houses the U.A. Whitaker School of Engineering) in 2009, and Herbert J. Sugden Hall (home to the School of Resort & Hospitality Management) in 2008. Academic Building 7 for the College of Arts and Sciences was completed in 2010 and named Seidler Hall in 2016 after donors Lee and Gene Seidler. In 2012, Academic Building 8 was completed. Now Marieb Hall, it was dedicated to Elaine Nicpon Marieb in 2012. The $24 million, 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m) building was designed for the College of Health Professions, which in 2017 was renamed the Marieb College of Health & Human Services after Marieb's second transformative gift, an additional $10 million pledge.
Other construction projects include expansion of the Cohen Center (the student union building also affectionately known as Harv's Place in honor of donor Harvey Cohen), an addition to the fine arts building, a 2017 expansion of Alico Arena, an addition of one of the largest solar panel fields at a university, and the construction of academic building 9. FGCU also opened a new facility a few miles northeast of campus in 2016, the Emergent Technologies Institute.
FGCU has created the Everglades Wetland Research Park (EWRP), housed in the Kapnick Education and Research Center on the campus of the Naples Botanical Garden in Naples, Florida, approximately 35 miles south of the main FGCU campus. The EWRP provides teaching, research, and service related to wetland, river, coastal science and ecological engineering.
In 2019, FGCU began construction for The Water School, a facility to house research labs and classrooms focused on environmental implications of water quality in Southwest Florida. Upon its completion, The Water School (also known as Academic Building 9) became FGCU's largest academic building. The Water School opened in November 2022.
Satellite campuses
There are three other satellite campuses: Naples, the Atrium in Fort Myers, and Herald Court Centre in Punta Gorda, where continuing education and lifelong learning classes are held. The FGCU Board of Trustees voted in January 2010 to assume ownership of 500 acres (2.0 km) in Buckingham. Located between East Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres, the land already contains over 60 buildings and housing for 300 people. Originally, the property operated as Gulf Coast Center, a residential facility for people with developmental disabilities. After the state phased out such large-scale institutions, FGCU's board of trustees accepted the land donation. It is used for off-campus team-building exercises and storage, among other things.
In 2007, the university purchased the former Bonita Beach Plantation Resort in Bonita Springs for use as a marine research laboratory. The Norm and Nancy Vester Marine and Environmental Science Research Field Station site has 10 boat slips and is located on Estero Bay. The site includes laboratories, offices, apartments for visiting researchers and a classroom.
Environmental sustainability
Since its founding, 400 acres (1.6 km) on the main campus have been set aside for environmental preservation. FGCU also has constructed a number of lakes on the campus that are home to large numbers of wildlife; the lakes also help promote the ecology of the area. Environmental sustainability is the principal goal expressed in the university charter. Seidler Hall, the new facility housing science laboratories and classrooms for the College of Arts and Sciences, achieved platinum certification, the highest level awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The university's 15-acre (61,000 m) solar field supplies about 85 percent of the energy needed to operate Holmes, Lutgert and Seidler halls, reducing FGCU's reliance on Florida Power & Light Co. by 18 percent. An ice thermal storage plant sends chilled water through an underground loop that cools campus buildings, saving more than $1.64 million over five years. The newest residence halls—Everglades, Biscayne, Palmetto, Osprey, and Eagle—heat their water via rooftop solar panels.
Library
The Library Complex is on FGCU's main campus in Fort Myers. The main facility accommodated 1 million visitors for the first time in the 2016–17 school year. The library has more than 1.5 million items in its collection, which can be accessed by students or any patron with a library card. The library also subscribes to more than 400 databases to allow students and patrons access to more than 700 million full-text articles. Its east wing includes a 115-seat computer lab.
In 2014, the Collection Analysis Project (CAP) began so that the FGCU library could determine what parts of the collection were being utilized by students and what could be removed in order to make way for various new projects within the library. One of the projects completed in 2023 is a renovation of the computer lab in the east wing of the first floor. The renovation features new furniture, computers, and work areas. In addition to its various print and electronic collections, the library also houses various art pieces, including seven signed lithographs by Salvador Dalí. The Archives and Special Collections unit on the library's third floor has held various exhibitions since the fall of 2013. The list of past exhibits is on the library's website. Other resources in the library complex include the ArtLab Gallery, Center for Academic Achievement, Lucas Center for Faculty Development, and the Writing Center. In 2019, the Library Complex was formally named after FGCU's third president, Wilson G. Bradshaw.
Academics
College/school | Year founded |
---|---|
College of Arts and Sciences | 1995 |
Marieb College of Health & Human Services | 1997 |
College of Professional Studies | 1997 |
College of Education | 2001 |
U.A. Whitaker School of Engineering | 2005 |
Lutgert College of Business | 2008 |
School of Entrepreneurship | 2019 |
The Water School | 2019 |
Florida Gulf Coast University academics are divided into eight colleges. In 2017–18, new freshmen averaged an ACT composite score of 23.3, a combined math and reading average SAT score of 1143, and a high school grade point average of 3.9.
The Lutgert College of Business is an AACSB-accredited institution, offering undergraduate degrees in accounting, computer information systems, economics, finance, management, and marketing; and the Small Business Development Center, which offers counseling and other services to regional businesses. The college offers the following graduate degrees: accounting and taxation, computer information systems, and business administration (both traditional and executive). FGCU also added a real estate undergraduate degree, which began in the fall of 2012.
FGCU's School of Entrepreneurship is a nationally ranked and SACSCOC-accredited institution that offers an undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary entrepreneurship studies (B.A.), entrepreneurship minor, and entrepreneurship graduate certificate. The School of Entrepreneurship houses the FGCU Institute for Entrepreneurship, which operates all extracurricular programs and activities such as the FGCU Runway Program Student and Alumni Business Incubator, Freshman Entrepreneurship Living-Learning Community, and FGCU Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program.
The Resort and Hospitality Management Department offers several majors, with students getting the opportunity to gain supervised field work experience at one of many resorts and spas in the area. Professional golf management is a unique program with limited access (it's the only remaining Professional Golfers Association–certified program in Florida and one of just 19 in the country), much like the nursing, music and athletic training programs.
FGCU also has a unique requirement for graduation—University Colloquium: A Sustainable Future. The aim of this colloquium is to educate graduates on the importance of ecology, preservation, and sustainability. FGCU also makes service learning a graduation requirement, and students have contributed more than 2.2 million volunteer hours in the community since the university opened in 1997.
FGCU's College of Engineering also offers civil, environmental, bioengineering and software engineering, the last of which began to phase out the overlapping computer science degree in 2011. Holmes Hall was built to facilitate the engineering programs, along with the Emergent Technologies Institute. FGCU's bachelor's programs in bioengineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering, and software engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. A Master of Science in engineering (MSE) program began in 2017.
In 2017, FGCU elevated its honors program to an Honors College, opening in August with almost 900 students.
Research
In 2015–16, nearly $10 million in funds were granted for research. Research institutes include the Biotechnology Research Group; the Lucas Center for Real Estate; Coastal Watershed Institute; Center for Environmental & Sustainability Education; FGCU Center for Leadership and Innovation; Florida Institute of Government; Center for Positive Aging; Whitaker Center for Science, Mathematics & Technology Education; Institute for Youth and Justice Studies, and the Regional Economic Research Institute. Since FGCU opened, the total funds awarded for research amount to $204.8 million as of 2016.
Rankings
Academic rankings | |
---|---|
Master's | |
Washington Monthly | 391 |
Regional | |
U.S. News & World Report | 78 |
National | |
Forbes | 519 |
WSJ/College Pulse | > 600 |
Florida Gulf Coast University was ranked #331-440 in the National Universities category in the 2022-23 U.S. News & World Report annual rankings of the best colleges and universities. The institution was also named #169-227 in the Top Public Schools category.
For its 2021 rankings of U.S. News & World Report ranked FGCU 68th overall in Regional Universities South. In the south category, FGCU was also named the #16 Most Innovative School and #66 in Top Performers in Social Mobility.
In 2020, The Princeton Review ranked FGCU as the 30th-best undergraduate entrepreneurship program overall and first in Florida.
U.S. News ranked FGCU as tied for 78th among all regional universities in the southern United States in 2019, and tied for 29th among public ones.
Athletics
Main article: Florida Gulf Coast EaglesFGCU's athletics teams are known as the Eagles. FGCU completed the four-year transition to NCAA Division I for all athletics programs in 2011. The Eagles compete in the Division I Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN), which they joined in 2007.
FGCU intercollegiate athletics offers:
- Men's and women's golf
- Men's and women's tennis
- Men's and women's basketball
- Women's softball
- Men's baseball
- Men's and women's cross country
- Women's volleyball
- Men's and women's soccer
- Women's swimming and diving
- Women's beach volleyball
FGCU is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, and a member of the ASUN Conference, as well as the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association. FGCU plays its men's and women's basketball games at Alico Arena and its baseball games at Swanson Stadium, with other on-campus facilities including softball and soccer fields, tennis courts and an aquatics complex for intercollegiate competition.
The average GPA of a student athlete at FGCU was 3.27 in the spring semester of 2017.
Baseball
The FGCU baseball team has sent several players to professional leagues, including Major League Baseball pitchers Richard Bleier who was selected unanimously as the Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year and First Team All Sun Conference, and all-star Chris Sale and Kutter Crawford, both of whom played for the 2021 Boston Red Sox. Pitcher Casey Coleman was the first Eagle to reach the major leagues, with the 2010 Chicago Cubs. Pitcher Justin Stiver was the first Eagle athlete drafted by a professional team in any sport, selected by the Houston Astros in the 2006 MLB draft.
Basketball
See also: Florida Gulf Coast Eagles men's basketball and Florida Gulf Coast Eagles women's basketballOn March 24, 2007, FGCU's women's basketball team ended its 35–1 season with a loss in the Division II National Championship to Southern Connecticut State University. One year later, in 2008, the women's basketball team qualified for the WNIT, becoming the first team to qualify for the WNIT in its first season of Division I sports. During the 2008 WNIT Tourney, the team became the first Atlantic Sun Conference team to win a post-season game since 1998, when Florida International University won in the women's NCAA tourney. The women's team has since won the Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season and/or tournament championship each year since (except for 2010) with annual postseason appearances either in the NCAA Tournament or the WNIT, in which the Eagles finished second nationally in 2016 after losing to South Dakota in the championship game.
In 2012, FGCU's first year of full Division I postseason eligibility, the men's team played in the Atlantic Sun Championship final, losing to Belmont. In 2013, the team won the Atlantic Sun championship, beating top-seeded Mercer in the conference tournament final earning the automatic invitation to the 2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. In its first-ever tournament appearance, the No. 15 seeded Eagles upset the No. 2 seeded Georgetown Hoyas in the first round of the tournament and the No. 7 seeded San Diego State Aztecs in the second round. The Eagles became the seventh No. 15 seed to advance to the round of 32 and the first to advance to the Sweet 16. The Eagles went on to win two more ASUN Conference championships in 2016 and 2017.
Student life
Residence life
Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
---|---|---|---|
White | 60% | 60 | |
Hispanic | 24% | 24 | |
Black | 7% | 7 | |
Other | 5% | 5 | |
Foreign national | 2% | 2 | |
Asian | 2% | 2 | |
Economic diversity | |||
Low-income | 32% | 32 | |
Affluent | 68% | 68 |
On-campus housing is made up of three sections: North Lake Village, South Village and West Lake Village. North Lake Village is on an 80-acre lake and features apartment-style residence halls with waterfront recreation. West Lake Village was previously owned by American Campus Communities and formerly called College Club Apartments. Housing 501 students, it was bought by the university for $17 million, and the apartments officially became part of FGCU Housing and Residence Life in 2010. Themed housing is available, such as Honors and Wellness communities. South Village (SoVi) is composed of suite-style residence halls with five buildings: Everglades Hall, Biscayne Hall, Palmetto Hall, Osprey Hall and Eagle Hall, housing more than 1,720 first-year students.
In the summer of 2013, South Village opened the SoVi Pool, a resort-style pool featuring a "beach-entry" and built-in pool volleyball court. FGCU enhanced the North Lake Village complex in 2017 by opening a new lakefront boardwalk and dining facility.
More than 3,200 students live in both North Lake Village and SoVi. Freshmen are not required to live on campus, but on-campus housing is usually filled to capacity every year.
Individual halls sponsor their own activities and socials, and leadership positions are available in the Resident Hall Association.
A commonly used form of transportation on campus is the Eagle Express, a shuttle that operates daily, taking students from residence halls to classes and activities around campus.
Greek life
Florida Gulf Coast University has 28 fraternity and sorority chapters on campus. Greek life is governed by the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council, National PanHellenic Council and the Multicultural Greek Council. There is no separate Greek housing on campus.
Campus recreation
The official Campus Recreation department organizes several day and overnight trips annually, including rock climbing, skydiving, white-water rafting, sea kayaking and more. There are also 27 official sports clubs on campus, many of which engage in intercollegiate competition with their peers.
Student organizations
There are more than 250 Registered Student Organizations at FGCU, including Student Government, which appropriates funding for many of them.
Media
The university has operated public broadcasting stations WGCU television and WGCU-FM since 1996, when the license was transferred from the University of South Florida in Tampa. WGCU is a PBS member while WGCU-FM is an NPR member and broadcasts news, talk, and jazz. FGCU 360 Now is a website that features university news and complements the official university periodical, FGCU 360 Magazine, which was rebranded in 2016 after originally publishing as Pinnacle.
Eagle Media is the university's official independent student media group. Originally founded in 1997 as "The Eagle" newspaper, the media group now publishes a weekly newspaper, a website, and TV/radio programming when classes are in session. In 2017, the Student Media Advisory Board recognized Eagle News, ENTV and Eagle Radio jointly as Eagle Media, FGCU's only student-led media program.
Campus demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 3,659 | — | |
U.S. Decennial Census 2020 |
Florida Gulf Coast University is listed as a census-designated place (CDP) in 2020 for statistical purposes. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2020 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 2,631 | 71.90% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 243 | 6.64% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 8 | 0.22% |
Asian alone (NH) | 51 | 1.39% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 22 | 0.60% |
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 141 | 3.85% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 563 | 15.39% |
Total | 3,659 | 100.00% |
Notable alumni
- Eli Abaev, professional basketball player
- Jacob Barnes, professional baseball player
- Richard Bleier, professional baseball player
- Sherwood Brown, professional basketball player
- Matt Caldwell, former member of the Florida House of Representatives
- Don Carman, professional baseball player
- Ross Chastain, professional racecar driver
- Casey Coleman, professional baseball player
- Kutter Crawford, professional baseball player
- Dane Eagle, member of the Florida House of Representatives
- Tiffany Esposito, member of the Florida House of Representatives
- Chase Fieler, professional basketball player
- Brandon Goodwin, professional basketball player
- Courtney Jolly, professional monster truck driver
- Derek Lamely, professional golfer
- Priscila Navarro, concert pianist
- Spencer Roach, Florida state representative
- Chris Sale, professional baseball player
See also
- Hertz Arena, facility 2 miles (3.2 km) south; home to FGCU's ice hockey clubs
- List of Florida Gulf Coast University people
Notes
- Other consists of Multiracial Americans & those who prefer to not say.
- The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
- The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.
References
- ^ Bland, Thyrie (August 25, 2016). "Fact check: When was FGCU established? 1991 or 1997?". The News-Press. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
- ^ "Fast Facts". Florida Gulf Coast University. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- "College Navigator - Florida Gulf Coast University". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- "IPEDS-Florida Gulf Coast University".
- "Branding and Design Guidelines". University Marketing & Communications. 2022. pp. 10–11. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- "History « Florida Gulf Coast University 20th Anniversary". FGCUat20.com. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- "FGCU 25th Anniversary". fgcu.edu. Florida Gulf Coast University. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- "University Marketing and Communications". fgcu.edu. Florida Gulf Coast University. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- Dillon, Liam (July 8, 2010). "Donations, endowments take a hit at local colleges as economy sours". Naples Daily News. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
- Bland, Thyrie (November 12, 2015). "FGCU President Wilson Bradshaw to retire in 2017". News-Press.com. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
- "Office of the President". fgcu.edu. Florida Gulf Coast University.
- "FGCU plans to force students to graduate". News-Press.com. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- "FGCU at 20". fgcuat20.com.
- "FGCU breaks ground on Student and Community Counseling Center". FGCU360.com. October 31, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- "Board of Governors confirms Timur as Florida Gulf Coast's 5th president". Fort Myers Florida Weekly. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- "Office of the President". Florida Gulf Coast University. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
- Aten, Tim (March 28, 2013). "In the Know: Where in the world is Dunk City?". Naples News. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
- "FGCU's Lutgert Hall Officially Opens for Business". fgcu.edu. Florida Gulf Coast University. October 30, 2008. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- "Holmes Hall, New Home of U.A. Whitaker School of Engineering, Hosts Official Grand Opening". fgcu.edu. Florida Gulf Coast University. January 2009. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- "FGCU Hosts Herbert J. Sugden Hall Grand Opening". fgcu.edu. Florida Gulf Coast University. November 14, 2008. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
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