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Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is a public university in Lee County, Florida, United States. Located 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 65 bachelor's degree programs, 27 master's degree programs, 7 doctoral degree programs, and 19 academic certificates.
FGCU's intercollegiate athletic teams, the Eagles, compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) in NCAA Division I sports.
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.
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[update]. 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.
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Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is a public university in Lee County, Florida, United States. Located 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 65 bachelor's degree programs, 27 master's degree programs, 7 doctoral degree programs, and 19 academic certificates.
FGCU's intercollegiate athletic teams, the Eagles, compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) in NCAA Division I sports.
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.
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[update]. 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.