President's Report 2/23/24

February 23, 2024 / Lyndsay Rhodes

Board of Trustees Updates

At the January 9th, 2024, Board of Trustees meeting Trustee Michael Wynn was elected as Chair, and Trustee Richard Eide was elected as Vice Chair for the 2024-2026 term. Chair Wynn will be joining us at Faculty Senate on March 29th to connect with faculty and answer questions. We will be setting up a survey to collect questions or topics for discussion for you to share with faculty in your units. We will then collate survey responses to facilitate as efficient of a discussion during the allotted time as possible.

The next full Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Thursday April 9th at 8:30am in the Cohen Ballroom.

General Education Course Descriptions and Student Learning Outcomes

Regulation 8.005, General Education Course Options, defines the Board of Governors approved general education courses in the state core. We have received confirmation that each university must update the descriptions and student learning outcomes for offered general education courses in the state course database to match the course descriptions and student learning outcomes outlined by the Board of Governors. Director of General Education, Dr. Joe Ross, has communicated with Department Chairs and Associate Deans with the specific courses and process to update the course descriptions and student learning outcomes. Beginning Fall 2024, each syllabus for the listed general education courses in the state core must include the BOG-approved course description and student learning outcomes. If additional changes are required (such as adding supplemental course outcomes), programs will need to follow the curriculum change process. Academic & Curriculum Support and General Education Council will work to expedite the process so this can be completed this semester. The BOG-approved course descriptions and student learning outcomes can be found in the attached document. For additional information, please contact your department chair or Joe Ross.

Great College to Work for survey

A taskforce to coordinate the Great College to Work for survey is being established and includes representatives from faculty, staff, and leadership and spearheaded by Dr. Sang Ki Min (AVP Planning and Institutional Performance). Dr. Derek Lura is the faculty representative. The team is currently working to choose several custom questions more specific to FGCU for inclusion on the survey. The survey is open to all faculty and staff and is scheduled to launch after spring break and stay open for 3-4 weeks. This survey, along with COACHE, is a key performance indicator included in our 2024-2029 Strategic Plan. We will continue to update you as we hear more.

NSF grant Sustainable Regional Systems Research Networks

FGCU is working to prepare a grant application for the NSF grant Sustainable Regional Systems Research Networks proposal (NSF 24-533) opportunity. This up to $15 million over 5 years award is focused on the interconnection of urban-rural systems and the need for sustainable regional systems, with emphasis on integration of science, engineering, education, business, and social/human behavior. Faculty interested in collaborating on the NSF grant Sustainable Regional Systems Research Networks proposal should reach out directly to Dr. Rosemary Higgins (AVP, Research and Sponsored Programs). The full application is due May 15, 2024, and will be prepared in collaboration with Dr. Madeleine Khan.