Office of the President

July 3, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!

By now, many of you have heard my story about how I chose to continue my journey in higher education by making the transcontinetal move to Southwest Florida 25 years ago. Being so far away from my culture and family led me to adop this region as my new home and the people around me as my new family.

And that's how I think of Florida Gulf Coast University. It is home. You are my family.

It is truly an honor to serve as the fifth president of your university! I am excited for the work - and fun - to come as we grown, innovate and change together. FGCU serves as an economic driver to Southwest Florida and beyond, and we will continue to foster the feedback loop between the growth of the university and the needs of the region. FGCU will take the lead on innovating and adapting big ideas and new ways of learning, teaching, reseraching, and most importantly, preparing our students for today's ever-changing work and business environment and the future of work as life-long learners. I am so passionate and enthusiastic about working alongside the FGCU community to transform lives and build a better future!

We are in a time of rapid change and technological disruption, and we need to focus on our strategic directions. My top goal over the next 90 days is to dig deep into the strategic planning process, which we started over a year ago with the launch of the FGCU Strategic Roadmap initiative. With feedback from our students, facutly, staff, alumni and the communities we serve, we are ready to complete the process. It is my goal to have a final document to present to the FGCU Board of Trustees in December and the Florida Board of Governors in January, so the journey to make these deadlines begins today.

Soon, announcements will roll out about the various ways you can get involved and have conversations with me. I want to hear from all of you! We will also be strengthening campus communications and bolstering efforts to create two-way channels to share ideas and feedback. Don't be surprised if you see me out of the office and around campus for town halls, roundtables, meet-and-greets and classroom visits. You can also email me at president@fgcu.edu, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

But all of that can wait a day. Tomorrow if the Fourth of July, and I want to wish all of you and your families a wonderful and safe Independence Day.

Wings up and go Eagles!

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July 10, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!

Last week kicked off the start of my presidency at FGCU, and I want to thank you for the warm welcome and outpouring of support. Even with the Fourth of July holiday and extreme heat, our campus was buzzing with activity.

I enjoyed stopping by the Library Lawn to talk with students during the Programming Board’s Fresh Sesh event, and I was pleased to chat with students who were beating the heat by studying indoors. 

From an administration standpoint, I began meeting one-on-one with members of the Board of Trustees to outline my performance goals and other topics. Cabinet continues to meet on its regular schedule to discuss our direction as a leadership team, and we began initial conversations about our budget allocations and future legislative funding requests. While it is too premature to share details at this time, as all of these conversations are ongoing, I will keep you updated as we move along.

If I miss you while I’m out and about, don’t forget you can always email me directly at president@fgcu.edu. I look forward to seeing you on campus.

Wings up and go Eagles!

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July 17, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!

I am starting my third week in office, and I continue to be out and around on campus.

Last week, I dropped by Eagle View Orientation and could not stop myself from making some remarks and welcoming everyone to the Eagle Family! I am inspired and energized by meeting with our upcoming class and their families. 

In addition to being around campus, I have been out in the community talking about FGCU and the role it plays in Southwest Florida. Also, I continue to meet with members of the FGCU Board of Trustees through one-on-one meetings focused on our strategic direction. 

Last week, the President’s Cabinet worked on the 2024 Legislative Budget Request, and we have ongoing meetings to discuss our current budget allocations. Additionally, we are working on naming the co-chairs and establishing the expectations of two new committees: one focused on the strategic planning process for the university and the other on internal communications. I will provide more details about these endeavors over the next few weeks. 

Finally, I want to remind everyone to take care of yourselves. We are absolutely having a very hot summer, and it’s important to be attentive to the recommendations of local authorities, including FGCU’s Emergency Management office. 

Wings up and go Eagles!

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July 24, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!  

I was delighted to spend time last week with the Mandela Washington Fellows, a cohort of 25 young leaders from Africa who have spent the summer on our campus learning how to bring about positive changes in their home countries. It was so rewarding to hear them reflect about their time at FGCU, and how they regard us as a model for working with our local community. 

As you know, part of that connectivity is FGCU’s research that is applicable to our region. I saw that in action last week when I learned more than I probably ever wanted to know about pythons from senior-level students and their faculty. I attended the Department of Biology’s Summer 2023 Undergraduate Research Symposium, and it was truly remarkable.  

And for a little extra fun, I tried to put my best foot forward at the Student Shuffle, a line dancing event at University Recreation & Wellness. Next time, I’m bringing my gym clothes! 

From an administration standpoint, I want you to know that the President’s Cabinet is continuing its work on the 2023-24 budget allocations. Also, we have decided who will lead the Strategic Planning Steering Committee. Committee co-chairs are Dr. Clay Motley, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, and Jorge Lopez, associate vice president of Student Financial Enrollment and Business Services. Serving as ex-officio is Dr. Eileen DeLuca, the interim chief strategy and program innovation officer. Their first job is to form a committee, which will include student, faculty and staff representatives from across campus. By the start of August, FGCU will have picked a consultant that will work alongside the committee to help create our next strategic plan, so this is an exciting first step in the process. Congratulations to Clay, Jorge and Eileen! 

I plan to share more about the Internal Communications Committee next week. Stay tuned! 

Wings up and go Eagles!  

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July 31, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!  

What a month we have had! It’s amazing to think that tomorrow is the first of August, which means we are counting down to when FGCU faculty and students return to campus. I am so eager to begin the fall term with all of you.  

As summer comes to an end, it is bittersweet to say goodbye to the Mandela Washington Fellows. We have built incredible ties with them, and I know they will carry FGCU's commitments to the community and civic engagement back home with them to Africa. They are now part of the Eagle Family, and we will always be in touch.  

I’ve continued to be out and about, spending time with employees and students alike. I’ve also been inviting university partners, business leaders and other representatives of our Southwest Florida community to our beautiful campus for meetings. One of my priorities is to do everything I can to showcase what our campus has to offer, and often that means I’m inviting our outside guests for lunch meetings at SoVi Dining or The Boardwalk. It truly has made all the difference in our discussions, and it helps me tell FGCU’s story. 

And that leads me to my next point. As I teased last week, the President’s Cabinet has decided who will lead our newly formed Internal Communications Committee. The group’s co-chairs are Pamela McCabe, the coordinator of University Communications & Media Relations, and Professor Lyn Millner of the Department of Communication & Philosophy. They will round out the committee with representatives from across the campus community, and the group’s work will help us elevate the story of FGCU as we engage with one another in more meaningful ways.  

In the next week, I will be traveling to Munich, Germany, to visit the European regional head office for Arthrex. During this trip, we will discuss how we can expand our partnership and create new opportunities for academic, research and workforce development.  

In closing, I wish all of you a wonderful week, and I look forward to seeing you around campus. 

Wings up and go Eagles!  

August 7, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!  

We are now one week out from the start of the fall semester, and the energy that comes with a new academic term can be felt across every corner of campus.

Part of that energy is due to an increase in traffic as more of our Eagles return to the nest. Today, we welcome back most of our faculty members who have been off for the summer, and our residential students will being moving into their rooms in the coming days.

As you make your way around campus, you will likely notice some of our summertime upgrades to campus. Signage on windows and doors are in the process of being updated with FGCU's new logo, and the main loop around campus has been refreshed with new asphalt and traffic lines. We are looking very sharp!

I encourage all faculty and academic support staff to be on the lookout for a message from Provost Mark Rieger today. He has some very exciting news to share for the year ahead.

And to all employees, I am looking forward to seeing you Friday at the Welcome Celebration - our annual kickoff to the fall term. This is a great opportunity to share a meal, catch up with colleagues and meet our newest employees. I'll be giving the "State of the University" address, and I will discuss what's next for FGCU as we head into our 26th year of teaching and learning.

It trusly is an exciting time to be an FGCU Eagle, and I look forward to welcoming the fall term with all of you.

Wings up and go Eagles! 

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August 14, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!  

I am thrilled to welcome all FGCU students, faculty and staff to the new academic year! It is truly a time of new beginnings here on campus, and I am so excited to welcome the incoming class of 2027, our transfer students and new hires to the Eagle Family.  

It is not lost on me that FGCU will celebrate its 26th birthday in 11 days. Our institution’s future is bright, and we will remain focused on the pursuit of excellence in terms of academics, research, scholarship, service to the community and the day-to-day functions that ensure our students are successful. 

I want you to know that we have been very busy all summer preparing for the start of fall classes, and here are two changes I know our students and employees will be glad to know: 

1. We have upgraded our campus WiFi network, known as eduroam, to provide faster network speeds and higher security standards. Service will now be available on the Library Lawn and the outdoor area near Academic Building 9, home of The Water School. If you need help logging into eduroam, visit edu/wifi for instructions.
    
2. We are in the process of building a new elevated, lighted boardwalk to provide a safer way for our students and employees to travel between the SoVi residential area and the main academic corridor. The pathway will have access points at SoVi Dining, the Bower School of Music & the Arts and the nearby multipurpose rec field. We will have more updates on the boardwalk in the coming months – stay tuned! 

Of course, it would not be the start of the fall term without showing school spirit. I look forward to greeting students tonight at Eagle Revolution, our annual pep rally to kick off the new academic year. Don’t forget, doors open at 6:30 p.m. at Alico Arena! 

Our faculty and staff had their own version of a pep rally last week with the annual Welcome Celebration. It was a terrific opportunity to catch up with colleagues, meet our new hires and share our excitement for what’s to come in our 26th year.  

I can feel it already – we are off to a banner 2023-24 academic year. 

Wings up and go Eagles!

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August 21, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family! 

We’re one week into the new academic year, and it is so wonderful to see the energy and excitement that comes with the start of the fall term. I have made it a priority in my schedule to drop by the Weeks of Welcome events, which has given me a chance to introduce myself to students and, in one case, catch a ride on the swings during the First Day Fair on the Library Lawn. These events are a great way to have fun, meet fellow students, get connected to campus and learn more about what it means to be an FGCU Eagle.  

It is so important for all of our students, especially our freshmen, to feel they belong at FGCU – that this is your home away from home. Our faculty and staff are here to support you in your journey, and students can reach out to us at any time for extra support. We can help you get more involved with campus events and activities, introduce you to other students and programs, and we can provide guidance for the road ahead – be it academics, internships or local career opportunities. We’re here to support you, so don’t hesitate to ask for help! 

One of the highlights of my week was an off-campus excursion to the Bonita Springs community. Dr. Steve McIntosh, a member of the FGCU Foundation Board of Directors, orchestrated a tour where I could visit with community and business leaders to talk about growth and partnerships with FGCU. It’s important for us to make these connections in the five-county region we serve.  

I am also very proud to tell you that two important state funding requests were approved by the FGCU Board of Trustees during its virtual meeting on Friday. Here’s what you should know:

• Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Fund | This $1.1 million funding proposal is meant to incentivize collaboration between nursing education programs, like we offer through Marieb College of Health & Human Services, and partners in the healthcare industry. By working together, we can meet local, regional and state workforce needs, and we would use the money to recruit more instructors, improve the nursing education program and increase the number of nursing graduates.
• 2024 Legislative Budget Request | The $10.9 million funding request will help FGCU take its student-centered education model to the next step by preparing incoming students for college-level work, build tomorrow’s workforce and leverage innovative programs. The three-step approach will ensure more students complete their academic programs on time with skills that will help them meet the demands of an ever-changing workforce. You can read more about the LBR document in the cover story of August’s Inside FGCU newsletter.  

Both funding requests will now go before the Board of Governors for review, and I’ll keep you updated on what happens next with these funding requests. Make it a great week!  Wings up and go Eagles!

September 5, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family! I hope you all enjoyed a relaxing Labor Day weekend, and that you are returning to campus today feeling refreshed and energized for the week ahead.
As I look at my calendar, there are many events that I am looking forward to attending this week.
On Wednesday morning, I’ll be at the Civility Summit in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom. The event begins at 10 a.m. and is open to the entire FGCU community. It is the first event planned by FGCU’s newly created Office of Public Policy Events, and I hope to see you there.
On Thursday afternoon, we will gather in the Cohen Student Union, Room 201, for the next event planned by the Strategic Plan Steering Committee. They are helping us build on the momentum of last year’s strategic roadmap initiative with a noon to 3 p.m. kickoff event. It’s not too late to register – click here for details.
Also on Thursday afternoon, the Audit and Compliance Committee of the FGCU Board of Trustees will meet virtually. A full board meeting is set for September 12 in the Cohen Ballroom, and it has a packed agenda. Details about these meetings can be found on the website for the FGCU Board of Trustees. 
Like so many events, last week’s Florida Board of Governors meeting had to be rescheduled due to Hurricane Idalia. It will now take place virtually on Friday, September 8. The agenda for the 2 p.m. meeting can be found on the Board of Governors’ website, and you can follow along in the proceedings through the Florida Channel. 
There is certainly a lot going on across campus, and I look forward to seeing you.
Wings up and go Eagles! 

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September 11, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!   

What we say and how we say it is essential to our campus community, and, by now, you are aware that communication ranks very high in my priorities. Today, I am excited to share an update about the Internal Communications Committee.  

I am thrilled to announce the membership of the group to all of you:  

Dr. Meagan E. Baskin | Director of the Southwest Florida Leadership Institute and associate professor of Management in Lutgert College of Business 

Beverly Brown | Director of operations, Office of the President 

Anna Carlin | Instructional Technology Librarian  

Jaclyn Chastain | Coordinator of Academic and Curriculum Support  

Dr. Lisa Johnson | Associate vice president of Enrollment Management  

Catherine Gonzalez | Student 

Dr. Chad Nelson | Program coordinator and assistant professor in Department of Communication & Philosophy  

T.O. (Travell Oakes) | Assistant director of Multicultural Development Initiatives  

Seana Perkins | Immunization records specialist in Student Health Services  

The committee will be led by co-chairs: Pamela McCabe, the coordinator of University Communications & Media Relations, and Lyn Millner, a journalism professor in the Department of Communication & Philosophy.  

The purpose of the Internal Communications Committee is to strengthen how the university provides information to students, faculty and staff. The committee is charged with understanding the types of informal and formal information channels available to the university and exploring how these channels can be leveraged in a way to better engage FGCU’s internal audience.  

The group will kick off the work by hosting listening sessions with shared governance groups and launching a campus-wide survey that asks you some important questions about what you want to know and how you want to receive information. Look for additional updates from Pamela and Lyn in the coming weeks.  

Let’s make it a great week! Wings Up and Go Eagles!

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September 25, 2023 

Hello, Eagle Family!

The strategic planning process is moving at full speed, and I am so pleased to see so many of our students, faculty and staff engaged with this important process. Your input is important!

Keep an eye on the Strategic Plan Steering Committee website, as it lists out all the upcoming events the group has put together. One of those events takes place tomorrow - it is a workshop meeting with the FGCU Board of Trustees. The all-day meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. in Room 138 of Academic Building 9, home of The Water School. Click here for the full agenda.

Thanks again to all who have been engaged with the process of developing our vision and direction for the future, and I encourage all members of the FGCU Family to find time to attend the meetings and discussions about this critical endeavor.

Wings up and go Eagles!

October 2, 2023  

Hello, Eagle Family!

October has arrived, and we are approaching the halfway point of the fall term. We have much to look forward to, including traditional fall events on campus, the upcoming holidays and the great celebration of our fall graduates in December. I'm pleased to see so much enthusiasm campus-wide, and I want our students, faculty and staff to know that your leaders are taking notice.

I encourage you to save the date for an upcoming town hall, which is set to take place at noon on October 25. I will be joined by Cabinet, which consists of our five vice presidents, to talk about FGCU's funding sources, current operating budget and allocations, as well as the upcoming legislative session. This will be a great opportunity to ask questions on how the budget works for our university and have a dialogue with university leadership.

The event will take place in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom, and our students, faculty and staff can join the conversation in person or virtually. Full event details will be shared by email and on my website in the days to come.

The event is the first of many to be planned by the Internal Communications Committee. The group has been hosting listening sessions with shared governance groups and will soon launch a campus-wide survey. Stay tuned for more information.

Make it a great week. Wings up and go Eagles! 

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October 9, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!

Last week was a great example of how FGCU connects with community and business leaders across Southwest Florida.

The university welcomed members of the President's Advisory Circle on Workforce and Economic Development to campus for its quarterly meeting. This is an invite-only group of leaders from the five-county area. FGCU faculty, staff and administrators regularly talk with this group about the current and future state of the workforce. During our meeting, we collected the group's valuable input and insights on our next strategic initiatives and directions for FGCU's bright future.

On that note, don't forget the survey about FGCU's mission, vision and goals is due tomorrow (October 10). Check your email for Friday's announcement on the feedback sessions from the Strategic Plan Steering Committee.

We also welcomed our Town & Gown membership to campus last week. This is a group that has a long history in supporting FGCU student scholarships, the FGCU Campus Food Pantry, Azul's Attire and other projects that support our students, faculty and staff. It's always so wonderful to see our community give back.

Finally, FGCU Eagle Advocacy kicked off the upcoming legislative session with the Southwest Florida Delegation. Our theme for the upcoming legislative session is all about "Excellence in Student Success."

For those who missed the event, we plan to talk briefly about the upcoming legislative session during our October 25 town hall. We'll also discuss FGCU's funding sources and the current operating budget and allocations. The flyer for the town hall is attached. Mark your calendars and bring a lunch.

Make it a great week! Wings up and go Eagles!

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October 16, 2023 

Hello, Eagle Family!  

In a little over two weeks, there are going to be noticeable changes to the Cohen Student Union. FGCU is preparing for a significant renovation that will provide our student union with a more welcoming, living room-style atmosphere. I have attached a couple renderings of Phase 1 of the project, and you can see that the design calls for more open space, comfortable seating areas and a bolder color scheme that aligns with our new branding initiative.  

It will take about two years for the entire Cohen project to be completed. FGCU is conducting the project in three phases, so only small sections of the building will be under construction at one time. Phase 1 begins October 30, and it will focus on updating Einstein’s Bros. Bagels and the walkway/lobby area leading out to the Bookstore parking lot. 

The Bookstore will remain accessible during the work. Einstein’s will be temporarily moving to the food court area, where it will offer a condensed menu in The Rally space. Please note that Einstein’s will be closed October 27-28 for the move. It is anticipated to reopen in the food court space October 30.

As this project moves along, I will provide you with updates. Thank you to the renovation committee for collaborating on this project to improve the student union experience. 

Wings up and go Eagles!   

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October 23, 2023

I will be part of a team from FGCU that is attending the 2023 Florida Chamber Annual Meeting & Future of Florida Forum. As we meet with business and community leaders from across the state, we will share FGCU’s story and its unparalleled impact in the Southwest Florida region. This is an excellent opportunity to extend FGCU's reach and partnerships statewide, furthering our mission to help students launch successful careers in the Sunshine State.

Attending the annual meeting is the perfect way to start the week, especially after an incredible weekend on campus. Eagle EXPO was action-packed, and the annual open house truly highlighted our programs and the work done by our terrific faculty, staff and students. The weekend doubled as Eagle Family Weekend, and it was so wonderful to see the influx of families visiting campus, too. In all, we had more than 2,000 people on campus, and I am so appreciative of all of our Eagles who pitched in to make it such a successful weekend.  

As we head into the week, be sure to mark your calendar for Wednesday’s budget-focused town hall featuring the President’s Cabinet. The event is a great way to learn more about FGCU’s budget process, including our funding sources, allocations and the upcoming legislative session. The event starts at noon in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom, and you can watch it online at www.fgcu.edu/townhall. Light refreshments will be provided, and we encourage you to bring your lunch. I am looking forward to having this important conversation with faculty, staff and students. 

Finally, I want you to know that our leadership team continues to work with the Chancellor’s Office to evaluate, interpret and implement new legislation related to higher education, especially Senate Bill 266. Recently, we received a draft version of the Board of Governors (BOG) regulation, which addresses prohibited expenditures. FGCU leadership – and leaders from other state public universities in Florida – provided feedback on this regulation to the Chancellor’s Office. We will inform you about the progress and implementation as we learn more. 

Wings up and go Eagles!  

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October 30, 2023  

Dear Eagle Family,

Thank you to everyone who attended our first town hall of the academic year. I was joined on stage by our vice presidents for a presentation on FGCU’s operating budget, and we took several questions from our in-person and virtual audience. 

We know that not everyone could make it to the event, so please know that a recording of the discussion can be found on the website for the Office of the President. The Internal Communications Committee is collecting feedback on this town hall, which can be submitted through a three-question form accessible at https://bit.ly/ICC-TH.

The committee will use this information to guide future events, and Cabinet will answer your additional questions on the budget after the feedback survey closes on Friday, November 3. For more information, email icc@fgcu.edu. The next town hall will take place in January 2024, and it will focus on performance-based funding metrics. We will announce details shortly. 

Events like these are not only informational, but a great way to build a better sense of community for our students and employees. We often talk about the importance of our students feeling as though they belong on our campus, but it is also important for our employees to feel connected to our campus community. We know you can’t be at every event, but it’s important to find ways to get involved. Joining committees, grabbing lunch with colleagues from across campus, supporting student events on the Library Lawn, cheering on the Eagles at sporting events and following along with the meetings of the FGCU Board of Trustees are great ways to get more involved. 

We are a team, and it’s important for all of us to find time in our day to connect with our campus community beyond our typical roles. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing you on campus!

Wings up and go Eagles!

November 6, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!   

At the end of October, you received information from the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance about the events and happenings associated with Compliance and Ethics Week. Starting on November 13, our students, faculty and staff are invited to take part in these workshops, training sessions and informative talks that will help refresh your knowledge about university policies and procedures.   

These events will provide you with a greater idea of what to look out for when it comes to compliance topics and ethical behavior, which is something we all have a responsibility to uphold. For more information and to register for Compliance and Ethics Week sessions, visit: Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance Events - Eagle Link (campuslabs.com). 

Next week, the FGCU Board of Trustees will meet for its second workshop on the strategic planning process. The workshop will take place at 9 a.m. November 14 in Room 138 of Academic Building 9 (home of The Water School). We are very close to completing this important, guiding document for the university, and it is important for all of us to get involved in the process. 

Finally, I want to share a terrific experience I had last Friday when I served on a panel of university presidents from across the state. The event, held at the University of Central Florida, was titled, “Supporting Research and Innovation in Florida – Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities.”  Our moderator was President Alexander Cartwright (UCF), and I was joined on stage by fellow presidents Debra Schwinn (Palm Beach Atlantic University), Moez Limayem (University of North Florida) and Martha D. Saunders (University of West Florida). It was a thoughtful conversation, and I was so happy to share the ways we work with our Southwest Florida and statewide partners to prepare our students for their future. 

Often, I write you messages that explain how the university is collaborating with business leaders and community partners to support what we do on campus in terms of student learning, research initiatives and other programs. Last week’s panel was yet another example of how we are working with the greater community – this time, sharing the sentiment alongside some of our higher-ed peers across the state.  

I look forward to seeing you on campus. Wings up and go Eagles! 

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November 13, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!

I had the pleasure of attending Trustee Summit, a one-day meeting of all of the State University System’s presidents, trustees and members of the Board of Governors (BOG). It was held at the University of Central Florida and led into the November BOG meeting. 

The summit is a conference, if you will, to help educate board members about new and rising topics in higher education, while providing orientation sessions for new members. I was amazed at how many of the discussion points were focused on topics that FGCU has implemented and, often, already mastered or is in the process of planning. 

This includes focusing our attention on experiential learning and internship opportunities, which provide our students with real-world experience beyond the classroom. Also highlighted was a push for universities to develop the local workforce with short-term, high-rigor academic programs like digital badges and micro-credentials. It was flattering to know we are ahead of the curve and an example in our state and across the nation for these initiatives. 

For some other areas, we have work to do. However, we are seeking out new opportunities and planning for next steps, especially for improving student success outcomes, such as: 

• implementing an advanced, data-driven culture and using predictive analytics to identify potential barriers that keep students from progressing or graduating;
• adapting learning opportunities with new technologies to better meet the needs of today’s teaching and learning environment; 
• and, finally, increasing awareness of FGCU for life-long learning opportunities. 

We will carry all of this momentum forward in our next strategic plan. As I previously mentioned, FGCU’s trustees meet tomorrow for a second workshop on this process. Among the topics to be discussed are the draft documents for our next mission, vision and goals.

Many important topics were also discussed during the BOG meeting, including the proposed regulation on prohibited expenditures, general education core courses, performance-based funding metrics and a new funding formula. I will provide more details on these topics when we receive specific direction from Chancellor Ray Rodrigues and his staff. 

Make it a great week! Wings up and go Eagles!

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November 20, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family! 

It is Thanksgiving week, and I want to pause and reflect on my gratitude for all of our FGCU students, faculty and staff. You have shown such wonderful support as I transitioned to the presidency, and I am constantly in awe of the incredible community that makes up our Eagle Family.  

Please know that you are making a difference in the world, and your impact can be felt beyond the corners of this campus. Southwest Florida residents have every reason to be proud our university is in their backyard, and that’s because of you. I am so proud to count you all as my colleagues. 

May your Thanksgiving break be a time where you can gather with loved ones and rest up for the final stretch of the fall term.

As a quick lookahead: 

STUDENTS: The final day of fall classes is December 8, with finals week running through December 15. Commencement is December 16. Spring term classes begin January 8, 2024.

EMPLOYEES: In addition to the Presidential Holiday for this week (November 22), please make sure to mark your schedules for the recently announced Presidential Holiday on December 22. This is an early kickoff to this year’s winter break, and we will see you back on campus January 2.  

I am looking forward to seeing you on campus as we head into the final weeks of the fall semester. Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving. 

Wings up, and go Eagles!

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November 28, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!  

I hope you had a great time with your loved ones during the Thanksgiving break and have returned to campus feeling recharged and ready to complete the final days of the fall term. 

This week, the university is fine-tuning the details of our next strategic plan, which is a document that will guide the university during the next five years. The steering committee and I are continuing to gather final insights and feedback from members of FGCU’s Board of Trustees. On December 7, we will present the final version of this plan to the full board. It is very exciting to have reached this stage of the plan, and I look forward to sharing more about it. 

The next day, December 8, is the final day of fall classes before exam week. Students, I wish you all the best as we approach the end of the semester. Study and sleep well! We know this time of year comes with extra stress and responsibilities, and your wellbeing is important.

While the end of the term is a busy time of year, it is also a time when you are more likely to see me out and about on campus. I am looking forward to making visits to classrooms to observe student presentations in addition to attending university events, cheering on our student-athletes at their games and representing FGCU at community gatherings.

I am sure you will see me around, and I look forward to seeing you.

Wings up and go Eagles!

December 4, 2023

Hello, Eagle Family!   

We have reached the final week of the fall term, and I am so proud of the work put into this semester by our students, faculty and staff.  

As I mentioned in last week’s message, I was going to be stopping by classrooms to sit in on end-of-term presentations. In the communications department, I sat in on a pitch session with public relations students, and then I saw the presentation of research papers for students in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program in Marieb College of Health & Human Services. On my way, I stopped by a sustainability event hosted by Student Government.  

I also took part in a Q-and-A session with students in an undergraduate leadership class, and I attended a meet-and-greet in the Cohen Student Union for members of the Naples Council on World Affairs. During this event, hosted by FGCU’s Global Engagement Office, I saw the FGCU Millennium Fellows present their projects. I was honored to be included in these sessions and see the phenomenal work that has been done this semester by FGCU students.  

Likewise, I had a fun, after-hours meetup with faculty from the Daveler & Kauanui School of Entrepreneurship at one of my favorite places to dine on campus: The Boardwalk. Meeting with employees is so important to me, so please don’t hesitate to invite me to events. I may not always be able to attend, but I will when I can! 

Finally, I just want to say that I ended last week on a high note with the very spirited Night at the Nest. We had 800 people at the gala, which is our annual fundraiser for the Athletics program. It was such a fantastic opportunity to see our student-athletes and coaching staff mingling with the community. It was truly the embodiment of what we do well here at FGCU – building relationships with our community so we can better serve our students. It was the perfect end to the week! 

Have a great week on campus.  

Wings up and go Eagles!

---

December 11, 2023 

Hello, Eagle Family!

FGCU is most definitely on a journey to excellence, and I am thrilled to announce that our proposed strategic plan has been unanimously approved by our Board of Trustees (BOT). We have called the 2024-29 strategic plan Innovating for Student Success: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. View the draft document online by clicking here!

Next, we will take our proposed strategic plan before the Board of Governors (BOG) January 24-25 for final approval before we begin the exciting work of bringing the document to life. Reaching this milestone is important for our FGCU Community, and I am so grateful and proud of all the work that has been done on this project during the past 20 months.

We began the journey with the 2022 Strategic Roadmap Steering Committee and completed the project with the Strategic Plan Steering Committee. Both groups pulled together stakeholders throughout our university, including our deans, school directors and shared governance groups, to facilitate conversations and feedback sessions. We heard from students, employees, alumni, donors, Trustees and advisory board members for our six colleges and five schools. We looked beyond our campus, soliciting feedback from our five-county service region, including business and community leaders, local school districts, nonprofits and members of the local delegation. The feedback we received was incredible, and it helped us refine our existing mission and vision statements.

We have also ensured that our strategic goals and directions are in alignment with the 2025 Strategic Plan for the State University System (SUS) and the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s 2030 Blueprint plan, as well as the demographic and economic growth of Southwest Florida and beyond. This helped us create strategic and measurable performance goals that will not only continue our distinctive identity in Southwest Florida’s living laboratory, but ensures our plan aligns to the regional workforce, the state and the ever-changing landscape of higher education.

My deepest appreciation to all who contributed to this important task. It is almost impossible to list everyone's name here, but links to the committee memberships are provided above. We recognize your work and thank each of you for your contributions and service. A special thank you to those who helped lead the work for the past six months: Committee Co-chairs Dr. Clay Motley and Jorge Lopez as well as Ex-officio Dr. Eileen DeLuca. Job well done!

I will keep you updated on the next step: presenting the plan to the BOG at the end of January. Until then, please take time to read the document.

We are all stakeholders in FGCU’s Journey to Excellence, and that means we are all accountable for ensuring we meet our goals. I am looking forward to the work that lies ahead!

Wings up and go Eagles!

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December 18, 2023  

Hello, Eagle Family!  

The fall term has officially come to an end, and we celebrated fall commencement over the weekend. Despite blustery, rainy weather, our ceremonies were packed with families and friends of our Eagle graduates.  

A big thank you to all the faculty participants, staff workers and student volunteers who made this important day such a beautiful event for our graduates. And to our students who completed their academic programs, congratulations! 

As I told our graduates on Saturday, the characteristics of FGCU students stand apart from other institutions. Like our mascot, the mighty Eagle, our students are strong and resilient, and they have learned to persevere through life’s challenges. And the same can be said for our world-class faculty and amazing staff members who put student success as the focal point of their day-to-day work.  

From my perspective, the past year has been an incredible year for our institution, and I look forward to continuing that momentum in 2024. I wish you all a wonderful and relaxing winter break, and I look forward to seeing you all next year!  

Wings up and go Eagles!  

January 2, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family, and happy New Year!  

I hope you had a great time with your loved ones during winter break and have returned to campus feeling rested and refreshed. We are kicking off the spring term next week, and soon our campus will be buzzing with activity. 

On Friday, January 12, we will gather at Alico Arena for my presidential installation, an event that will celebrate everything our institution has achieved over the past 26 years and the work that lies ahead. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend the festivities, with the ceremony starting at 10 a.m. in the arena. The ceremony will be followed by an outdoor lunch on the FGCU Soccer Field, and I look forward to celebrating with all of you. Both events are free to attend, but tickets are required to enter Alico Arena.

While the celebration is a great kick off to the year, I am most excited about what we will achieve together in the months ahead. From my perspective, 2024 brings us new opportunities for personal and professional growth, and it starts with our proposed strategic plan, Innovating for Student Success: FGCU's Journey to Excellence.

We will present the document to the Board of Governors (BOG) for final approval at the end of the month. If you have not done so already, please read through the plan. FGCU’s Journey to Excellence will truly guide our decisions and priorities for the next five years, and all of us have a responsibility in making sure we meet our goals.  

I look forward to seeing you on campus. 

Wings up and go Eagles!

---

January 8, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family! 

Today marks the first day of the spring term, and I wish all of our students, faculty and staff a great beginning to what I know will be an amazing semester. I would also like to welcome our newest students, staff and faculty to campus. On behalf of the university, I welcome you to the Eagle Family.

The start of a new year, or a new semester, brings a sense of renewal. And it truly is a time of new beginnings at FGCU. We are growing, we are maturing and we have a bright, exciting future ahead of us.

I hope to see you at my presidential installation celebration this Friday at Alico Arena. The time-honored academic celebration begins at 10 a.m., and we will gather to honor FGCU’s legacy, celebrating everything our institution has achieved over its past 26 years and the important work that lies ahead.

The ceremony will be followed by an outdoor lunch on the FGCU Soccer Field. Both events are free to attend, but tickets are required to enter Alico Arena. Make sure you get your tickets! 

I look forward to seeing you on campus.

Wings up and go Eagles! 

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January 16, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family! 

Alico Arena was filled with Eagle Spirit Friday during the installation ceremony, and I thank all of our students, faculty and staff for representing our great university at this event. Truly, it was a wonderful celebration of our institution’s unique history, biggest milestones and the legacy we have built in Southwest Florida. 

As part of the time-honored academic tradition, I shared the stage with our previous leaders, including our founding president, Dr. Roy McTarnaghan; our third president, Dr. Wilson Bradshaw; and Dr. Mike Martin, our fourth president. Having our previous presidents back on campus made the event extra special – something we have heard from longtime employees, alumni and our community supporters. 

I want to thank the hardworking volunteers and event staff who put on this great event. You embedded FGCU’s culture of passion, partnerships and performance into every piece of the ceremony and truly made the Eagle Family very proud. 

As I told the audience Friday, the road ahead is bright for FGCU. We are going to build on our successes and carry FGCU’s momentum forward. We will cross off our next milestone next week when we present our new strategic plan to the Board of Governors for final approval. Once approved, we will begin the exciting work of bringing the plan to life on our campus.  

It is such an exciting time to be an FGCU Eagle. 

LOOKING AHEAD: Please mark your calendars for FGCU’s next town hall, which will focus on performance-based funding and metrics. The town hall is set for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, February 2, in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom. Check out the event flyer or visit the website for the Office of the President for more information. 

Wings up and go Eagles! 

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January 22, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family! 

I am writing you from Tallahassee in honor of the 10th Annual FGCU Day at the Capitol. Tomorrow, our team of Eagle Advocates will meet with elected officials and their staff to talk about FGCU’s legislative priorities, what we love about this institution and where we are headed in the future.  

I’m thrilled to have so many of our students and alumni join us for this great tradition. Thank you to Student Body President Emory Cavin, who rounded up members of Student Government to participate in FGCU Day and learn first-hand about the fundamentals of state government. And thanks to our Government Relations team for making this event happen! 

As I have said before, our future is bright. We will carry this momentum to the Board of Governors this week, as I will present our proposed strategic plan for final approval. Please stay tuned on more information about our next steps with our five-year plan. 

Among our upcoming events is the next town hall. I am looking forward to a great discussion with faculty, staff and students at the February 2 event, where I will be joined by our vice presidents for a discussion on performance-based funding and metrics.  

Light refreshments will be available, but plan to bring a lunch and your questions. The event starts at 11 a.m. in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom. 

Here are a few of the topics we will cover:

• The history of performance-based funding (PBF) in Florida
• A look at how the benchmarks for the metrics system has changed over time 
• The link between a university’s performance and how it is funded
• FGCU’s position for PBF metrics
• How FGCU’s proposed strategic plan will impact our performance in the state metrics system 

It may be helpful to review the following documents before the town hall:  

• 2023 Performance Based Funding: Metric Scores and Allocations
• 2023 SUS Accountability Plan, which includes definitions for each metric and shows metric-by-metric comparisons for the 12 SUS institutions.

See the event flyer (attached) or visit the website for the Office of the President for more information.  

Wings up and go Eagles! 

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January 29, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family! 

Over the weekend, we welcomed our admitted students for the upcoming academic year to campus for our annual Say Yes to the Nest event. This is an opportunity to show off our campus and provide future Eagles with more information about our academic programs, colleges, schools and campus life.  

It was a beautiful day on campus, and we were able to showcase our Southwest Florida lifestyle during winter, which was a wonderful experience for our out-of-state visitors. I appreciate and thank all of our faculty, staff and students who made the event such a great success. Great job, team! 

Speaking of teams, one of my favorite parts about our campus is how many incredible sporting events occur. There is always an opportunity to wear your green and blue and cheer on our Eagles, whether the athletes play for our registered sport clubs or intercollegiate teams. Be sure to check out the Athletics calendar so you do not miss the opportunity to interact with our outstanding student-athletes and coaches. 

As we head into a new week on campus, do not be surprised if you see more people on campus. On Tuesday and Wednesday, FGCU is hosting universities and colleges from across the nation for Instructure’s Badging Summit. This is an incredible opportunity for FGCU to stand out as a role model to other institutions as we highlight our digital badge and micro-credential programs.  

I have often said that FGCU is ahead of the curve for responding quickly to workforce needs, and one way we do this is through these short-term, high-rigor academic certificate programs that help advance employees in their career path. Hosting this conference is a big step for our university, and one that should make all of us proud. 

Finally, I want to remind you that at 11 a.m. on Friday we will gather in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom for the university’s next town hall: Understanding Performance-Based Funding and Metrics. I will be joined by our vice presidents for the discussion, and we encourage our faculty, staff and students to bring a lunch and some questions for the Q-and-A. Visit the website for the Office of the President for more information.   

Make it a great week. 

Wings up and go Eagles!  

February 5, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family! 

From start to finish, last week was a perfect example of how FGCU is creating partnerships across campus and beyond.  

I started the week by sitting in on discussions and presentations for FGCU’s Digital Badge Summit (in collaboration with Instructure), which was an incredible opportunity for FGCU to highlight its nationally recognized digital badge and micro-credential programs. We have done so much in such a short amount of time to develop these programs for our students and workforce. It was a wonderful and humbling experience to share our badging model with university leaders from across the state and nation.  

I also attended the Lee Health Day open house, where our students, faculty and staff learned more about Lee Health and the work being done in our community by one of the largest public health systems in the United States. While I was there, Dr. Larry Antonucci, the president and CEO of Lee Health, presented me with my very own lab coat – dubbing me a “Doctor in Community Partnerships!” Of course, I was honored to receive my second “doctorate,” but the recognition truly honors the work we are doing campus-wide to connect our students with regional partners like Lee Health.  

Finally, I want to thank all of you who attended the town hall discussion on performance-based funding and metrics. The open forum is exactly what we need to do more of as a university community, and it was an exercise in showing how we are using our new strategic plan to form better relationships campus-wide on our Journey to Excellence. I’m looking forward to planning our next event with the Internal Communications Committee. Stay tuned for more details! 

SAVE THE DATES: Please mark your calendars for the spring semester lunches at The Boardwalk. The events are held the first Tuesday of the month, when the waterfront restaurant will open early for faculty, staff and students. The next lunch is tomorrow – Tuesday, February 6 – from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. I’m disappointed I have to miss it, but I encourage you to head over for a lunch with a view! 

Wings up and go Eagles!

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February 12, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!

Student success is at the forefront of our mission, and I am proud of the many ways our students are learning, maturing and impacting the world around them.

Today, I want to highlight some great news from the School of Nursing. Once again, our nursing graduates have risen to the top when it comes to passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). This year, 100% of our nursing graduates passed the exam, earning them the top pass rate in the State University System of Florida. Within the SUS, the average pass rate is 92%, and the national average is 90%. Kudos to our Nursing faculty and staff for putting support systems in place to help our students transition from the rigorous program to the workforce. And congratulations to our nursing graduates – you make us proud!

Speaking of alumni, last week was Homecoming. More than 1,000 alumni, students, faculty and staff attended the various events, from the launch of an alumni-themed beer called “Wings Up” at Palm City Brewing to celebrating the many successes of our talented graduates at our annual Alumni Awards.  Of course, the weekend festivities were also incredible, and I enjoyed seeing FGCU’s green-and-blue pride on display at the Homecoming Tailgate and basketball games. I applaud our employees who made it such a wonderful week for our Eagle Family – thank you!

Finally, I want to officially congratulate our newly elected officers for FGCU’s Board of Trustees. Michael Wynn is board chair and Richard P. Eide, Jr. is vice chair for the 2024-26 term. I am eager for the work ahead as we bring our strategic plan to life.

Make it a great week, and I hope to see you on campus.

Wings up and go Eagles!

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February 19, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!    

Often, we talk about the wonderful partnerships that exist between FGCU and the regional and statewide workforce, as we act as a pipeline that connects students to their future careers. But we also develop important friendships with other community groups and organizations, ensuring that FGCU’s Journey to Excellence will make all of Southwest Florida successful.

Take for example our partnership with the region’s K-12 school systems. We regularly work with school administrators and instructors to plan one-of-a-kind experiences that highlight how a university education can impact the lives of their students. We showcased this type of partnership last week when we welcomed seventh-grade students from Collier County Public Schools to campus. You may have noticed their bright green shirts as the middle schoolers toured our academic facilities!

I met up with the students and Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli on the tour, where I was able to tell them about our institution. Their visit to campus was a wonderful experience, especially for the students who may become the first in their family to go to college. We will be doing a similar venture in April with Superintendent Mike Swindle of the Hendry County School District, and I’m looking forward to engaging more of our region’s youth in the remarkable things happening on campus.

I like to think of our visitors as Early Eagles, as we help them envision what life as an FGCU Eagle could look like for them. When you think about it, it is not much different than what we did Saturday during Eagle Expo. During this admissions-focused open house, we offered prospective Eagles and their families tours of campus and the residence halls, displayed information about our colleges, schools and programs, and gave them opportunities to engage with our faculty, staff and students. Thanks to our faculty, staff, students and administrators who volunteered to showcase FGCU on Saturday.

It is always a pleasure to share our passion for student success with our visitors. This passion and our pursuit of excellence under our new strategic plan were part of my remarks last week during a luncheon with Town & Gown, a service organization that promotes friendships between the Southwest Florida community and the university. The members support student scholarships, faculty projects and stock our Campus Food Pantry and Azul’s Attire.

Sharing FGCU’s story with our partners is vital to our success, whether it is a school district or a representative of Town & Gown. Once again, I send my gratitude to all our employees and students who are helping tell our story.

Wings up and go Eagles!  

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February 26, 2024 

Hello, Eagle Family! 

Improving internal communications is one of our objectives in FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. Doing so will strengthen our organizational culture and ensure that our students, faculty and staff feel more informed about and engaged in the day-to-day operations of campus. But to make strides in this area, we need to hear from you. 

Today, we are launching a campus-wide survey on internal communications. The survey takes about 5 minutes to complete, and it will remain open for the next three weeks – closing on Friday, March 15.  

Click HERE to take the communications survey! 

You will be asked about: 

• Frequency of university communications
• Topics that interest you the most
• Preferred methods or channels of communication 
• Emails you regularly read (and the ones you ignore)

Please participate in the survey and encourage your friends and colleagues to do the same. Survey Link: https://fgcu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0vpjuk8sqMmH7YG  

It is critical that we hear from you, as surveys like this provide us with valuable feedback that helps our university respond to the needs of our constituents. We are committed to continuous improvement. I look forward to also hearing recommendations from the COACHE Strategy Setting Task Force about resources and support and ways to improve FGCU’s culture of leadership.  

EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION NIGHT AT ALICO 

FGCU faculty and staff will be recognized during the women’s basketball game against the University of North Florida Thursday night. The game begins at 7 p.m. at Alico Arena. The players have been asked to identify an FGCU employee who has been their personal MVP (most valuable player), and all faculty and staff in the audience will be recognized during halftime. Tickets can be purchased at fgcuathletics.com, and don’t forget to wear red to support the American Heart Association.   

SOAR INTO SPRING  

March 4-8 is the students’ spring break, and it is my hope that faculty and staff are able to use this time to participate in trainings and gear up for the remainder of the spring term. One way to do this is by signing up for the annual Soar into Spring events offered by the Staff Advisory Council (SAC). All the details can be found in Soar into Spring document attached to this email.

Make it a great week on campus. Wings up and go Eagles! 

March 4, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!  

Students are on spring break this week, and that means we are looking at a different pace on campus for faculty and staff. As you make plans for the days ahead, don’t forget about the annual Soar into Spring events offered by the Staff Advisory Council (SAC). There are approximately 30 events scheduled throughout the week. Please see the attachment for the full schedule of events.  

For part of this week, I will be in Tallahassee to advocate for our university alongside University Trustees Joseph Fogg III and Richard Eide, Jr. The Senate and House recently started negotiations for the 2024-25 state budget, and we will be meeting with legislators to discuss our priorities, resource requests and FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. 

I have been sharing information with all of you about our strategic plan, especially our commitment to creating an exceptional workplace environment. As a reminder, we are participating in two surveys that will assist us in this mission. On March 12, employees will receive an email about the “Great College to Work For” survey, and our campus-wide survey on internal communications will remain open until March 15. It is critical that we hear from you, so please participate. 

I wish all of you a great week on campus. 

Wings up and go Eagles! 

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March 11, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!   

Our students are back from spring break, and the campus is buzzing once again with activity. I hope you took advantage of a quieter week on campus, and that you were able to get out of the office to participate in the Soar into Spring events. I want to thank the Staff Advisory Council (SAC) for organizing the events and our partners around campus for providing our employees with these engaging activities around campus. 

I mentioned in my email last week that I traveled to Tallahassee with two of our University Trustees. It was a pleasure to meet with so many of our elected officials and share the wonderful accomplishments of our university. As we discussed FGCU’s priorities, resource requests and our new strategic plan, it was clear to me that our state officials are proud of the work we are doing at FGCU. In the coming weeks, we will know more about where we stand in the governor’s final state budget, and I will keep you updated once that information becomes available.  

Don’t forget, this is the final week to participate in the campus-wide survey on internal communications. Your feedback will help inform decisions about how we will improve internal communications for our students, faculty and staff. The survey takes about 5 minutes to complete, and it will remain open until 11:59 p.m. Friday. Click HERE to take the communications survey, or visit https://fgcu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0vpjuk8sqMmH7YG. 

Wishing all of you a great week on campus.  

Wings up and go Eagles!

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March 18, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!

The spring semester continues to be one of great excitement, especially for our seniors and graduate students who are counting down the days to commencement in May. As we approach this time-honored academic tradition, FGCU is expanding the ways we can make this incredible milestone extra special. FGCU faculty and staff who have an immediate family member graduating this term should send an email to April Cordonnier at acordonnier@fgcu.edu. We are also looking for more employees to sign up to work during the celebration. If you want to get more involved, please fill out this form: Spring 2024 Commencement FGCU Employee Worker Registration - Formstack

I want to thank all of our faculty and staff for taking part in recent surveys, many of which are collecting valuable feedback about our work environment. This includes the “Great Colleges to Work For” survey, which closes on March 26.  Your participation in these voluntary surveys help FGCU improve our work culture, services to students and campus communications. Please participate in these surveys to the best of your ability. 

Finally, I want to congratulate the women's basketball team for winning its seventh consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament title over the weekend. FGCU will play the University of Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at 4 p.m. Saturday in Bloomington, Indiana. You can follow along on ESPN News, and I want to wish our student-athletes, coaches and support staff congratulations and good luck. 

If you include FGCU’s regular season play across all sports, we have won five conference championships this year, which brings our program’s total to 103 championship wins overall. We have much to be proud of at FGCU, and I encourage our Eagle Family to show support for our student-athletes by wearing blue and green on campus this week. 

Wings up and go Eagles! 

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March 25, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to Indiana to cheer on our women’s basketball team as they took on Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Our student-athletes always play with such passion, and Saturday was no different. Although their journey in the Big Dance has ended, I am proud of them and grateful to have been courtside to watch them play as a team one final time, alongside more than 140 FGCU fans. I am so thankful to everyone who was there – alumni, parents, friends, donors and, of course, our dedicated support teams from the Athletics department. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget. 

This week, I will be representing our university at the Board of Governors meeting in Gainesville, where we will hear updates from all 12 public universities about student success initiatives and faculty research. I am proud to say that during the 2022-23 academic year we nearly tripled the amount of research dollars awarded to faculty members since the pandemic. We are continuing to build off the success of our past as we mature as an institution, and this is just one area that shows how we are maturing as a university and building off our past successes.  

I know all of you have programs and initiatives that bring you great joy and pride here on campus, and I look forward to seeing these endeavors grow. One way to support these causes is by participating in the annual FGCU Give Day fundraising campaign. The 24-hour donation drive begins at noon Wednesday. Every contribution, no matter the size, plays a crucial role in shaping the future of FGCU. Visit giveday.fgcu.edu for more information.  

SAVE THE DATE: Please join the Office of Public Policy Events April 3 for a discussion with State Reps. Spencer Roach (Republican from North Fort Myers) and Hillary Cassel (Democrat from Hollywood). Called “Crossing the Political Divide,” the event will highlight their joint efforts as co-sponsors of proposed House Bill 1213 regarding revisions to windstorm insurance coverage. The program begins at 6 p.m. with a reception at 5 p.m. in the Cohen Student Union, Room 201. 

Wings up and go Eagles! 

April 1, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!

Tomorrow, our campus will welcome more than 160 juniors from LaBelle and Clewiston high schools as part of our first-ever Hendry County Schools Day at FGCU. Many of our faculty and staff will join in supporting this event, and you will likely notice the uptick in foot traffic on campus as the students explore pathways in fields related to healthcare, entrepreneurship, business, construction and education.

This initiative speaks to Goal 3: Elevate Partnerships for Regional Impact of our new strategic plan. Recently, FGCU established an FGCU-Hendry County Coalition to enhance outreach to and communication with Hendry County, and a significant focus is on the public schools in that region.

FGCU will also be visiting this community, as well as others in Southwest Florida, to deepen our connections and create new partnerships that will assist in FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. I send my thanks to all of our faculty, staff and students who have been engaged in these efforts.

The following evening, we will host State Reps. Spencer Roach and Hillary Cassel for a discussion called Crossing the Political Divide. The program, planned by FGCU’s Office of Public Policy Events, begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Cohen Student Union, Room 201. See the attached flyer for details!

SAVE THE DATE 

Finally, I encourage you to mark your calendars for the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the South Village Boardwalk. The event is set to begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, April 18, and it will give you an opportunity to take your first journey along the pathway connecting the South Village residential area with the main academic corridor.

Employees, you can learn more about what makes this boardwalk unique in the March issue of Inside FGCU, which can also be found online: www.fgcu.edu/inside. If you plan to join in the festivities, make sure to RSVP through this link for catering purposes: https://fgcu.formstack.com/forms/sovi_grand_opening. I hope to see you there!

Wings up and go Eagles! 

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April 8, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!

As you know, the remodel of the Cohen Student Union has been underway since the end of last October. From start to finish, the remodel project will take about two years to complete and require three phases of construction.

Our end goal is to provide students and employees with a more welcoming, living room-style atmosphere that incorporates more open space and group seating areas that will be great for socializing and working collaboratively on school projects. Cohen’s remodel will also showcase our Eagle spirit, as the walls and decor will showcase FGCU’s bold colors and insignia.

While we are just getting started on this initiative, I am pleased to say the first phase is nearly finished! I hope you will join me at the grand re-opening celebration of Einstein Bros. Bagels. Although the restaurant did not close during the remodel, it shifted to the general food court area. This celebration will take place at Einstein’s original – and updated – location at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 23. If you plan to join in the festivities, please RSVP by April 18 at https://fgcu.formstack.com/forms/einstein_grand_reopening.  

I am also counting down the days to FGCU’s 27th annual Celebration of Excellence event, which is one of our university’s longest-running traditions. Open to the entire FGCU community, this event honors the achievements of our students, faculty and staff during the past year.

It isn’t lost on me that the Celebration of Excellence fits into our new strategic plan, particularly Goal 4: Strengthen Organizational Culture and Commitment to Employees. Celebrating your hard work and dedication to our students is an absolute joy, and I hope to see you at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom for this great event.

Speaking of FGCU's Journey to Excellence, I am thrilled to announce the addition of a new role at our university. Soon, we will be adding a Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Chief of Staff position to the President’s Cabinet. The person who fills this role will be a direct report to me, and they will serve as one of the key strategic partners to the organization's leadership, providing high-level support and guidance.

The person selected for this new position will collaborate campus-wide with offices and academic units to ensure effective implementation of our new strategic plan and other university initiatives. In other words, this position will deliver project management, strategic planning coordination and implementation support to further the university's strategic vision and key organizational initiatives with measurable and timely outcomes.

This vice president will also oversee and provide guidance to the Office of Board Relations, where they will coordinate with the Director of Board Relations and Associate Corporate Secretary Tiffany Reynolds, who will now also carry the title and duties of Deputy Chief of Staff. 

FGCU is launching a national search for this new vice president position, and the job posting will go live later this week. I will keep you updated – stay tuned!

Make it a great week. Wings up and go Eagles! 

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April 15, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!

You have heard me say that FGCU’s new strategic plan is our roadmap forward, and I want to focus today’s message on our next steps as a university community.

To execute this plan and bring it to life, we must prepare unit plans in both academic and administrative functional areas of the university. These plans include the tactics, strategies, projects and initiatives that will be used to help FGCU meet its overarching, institutional goals and objectives.

From here, we need to make sure that all of our individual performance goals align with the unit plans. This is how we make a difference in student success and drive home the mission of the institution. As I have said many times before, every employee on this campus – faculty, staff and administration – plays a critical role in FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. All of us are accountable, and we need to keep this expectation in mind as we move into FGCU’s annual goal-setting process.

Tying all these elements together – our institutional, unit and individual work – creates the systematic alignment required for us to be successful in our mission. It takes every single one of us to accomplish our strategic goals and objectives, and that means we all need to work together. Together, we are FGCU!

The Strategic Plan Executive Committee, in consultation with the Cabinet and Institutional Effectiveness and Accountability Council, has worked on a timeline and specific directions. Information will be sent out to campus later this week, and we plan to present our top priorities to the Board of Trustees at the September meeting. Stay tuned for more information.

DON’T FORGET! 

• FGCU is offering three virtual information sessions about our project with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS).  
• Today at 1:30 p.m. | Click here to register for Town Hall 1 
• Tuesday at 11 a.m. | Click here to register for Town Hall 2 
• Wednesday at 4 p.m. | Click here to register for Town Hall 3 
• The Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the South Village Boardwalk begins at 9 a.m. on Thursday. Please see the attachment for more details. I hope to see you there!

Wings up and go Eagles! 

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April 22, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!

Please bear with me as I have a longer message this week as we wrap up our spring term! 

STRATEGIC PLAN 

Last week I announced there would be an email to campus that provides a timeline and specific directions for how we will bring our strategic plan to life in all of our units. In full transparency, the Strategic Plan Executive Committee is still developing this information.

Here’s what the team is working on: 

• Collecting valuable feedback from our shared governance groups so we can develop the process and timeline.
• Working with General Counsel to adjust related university policies to provide better clarity about unit reporting across campus. 
• Launching a new piece of technology called HelioCampus, which will help us transparently set and track our efforts in continuous improvement campus-wide.  

I apologize for jumping ahead of where we were in the process – I was just so excited to share the news! Please stay tuned for additional information on our next steps.   

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS 

Recently you were asked to participate in a survey about internal communications, and the committee leading this effort prepared a presentation for Cabinet last week that explains their top-five takeaways from the survey results.

Attached is their summary, and I want you to know the co-chairs of the Internal Communications Committee will be returning to Cabinet in the coming weeks with a list of recommendations for how we can improve communication efforts campus-wide. From here, we will discuss what can be accomplished immediately, what will take a few months, and what items might be developed over a longer period of time. The committee is also making recommendations for upcoming events that will help us have more authentic conversations as a community. Thank you for participating in this survey and helping guide our process forward. 

COACHE SURVEY 

Provost Mark Rieger and I met with the COACHE Strategy Setting Taskforce last Friday. The team provided such a comprehensive and thorough report with actionable strategies and objectives that align with Goal 4 of the strategic plan. I thank everyone who is involved in this process and appreciate the commitment of improving the two areas of selected priorities: (one) resources and support and (two) culture of leadership.

The team also presented an implementation plan with a detailed timeline. Now, the task force will add new members and continue to work with me to further prioritize these recommendations and start implementing them during the summer. We will move forward with these recommendations right away. On the other hand, once we get the results of the “Great Colleges to Work For” survey, we will analyze and merge strategies together even further. Stay tuned!

CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE & EAGLE X 

It was so wonderful to attend the Celebration of Excellence event last week. I love that our university has this long-standing tradition to pause and acknowledge the strength of the incredible people who work and learn here. The nominees and award winners are a sampling of what it means to be an FGCU Eagle, and I want to congratulate all involved!

I also want to thank all the faculty, staff and students who made this year’s Eagle X event a resounding success! Eagle X is a great demonstration of FGCU’s commitment to transformational education, from inside the classroom with research and scholarship to beyond the classroom with internships, community engagement, and leadership process. This great event truly showcases our students’ outstanding work to the campus and Southwest Florida communities, and it is a true celebration of student excellence. 

STATE BUDGET 

I know that many of you are asking for details about this year’s legislative outcomes regarding the state’s budget. However, Gov. Ron DeSantis has not signed the budget yet, and we are waiting until we have the final version of the state budget to begin conversations about our finances for the year ahead. 

I know this can be confusing because the Florida Legislature passed the fiscal year 2024-25 budget on March 8.  But under Florida’s Constitution, the governor has 15 days to act on legislation once a bill has been presented to them. At this time, the governor has not been presented with the budget bill. FGCU continues to monitor this process closely, so please be patient and stay tuned! 

DON’T FORGET:

The grand re-opening celebration of Einstein Bros. Bagels. is at 9 a.m. tomorrow! FGCU has completed the first phase of a two-year process to update and remodel the Cohen Student Union. We will mark this milestone with the grand re-opening of Einstein Bros. Bagels in its original location. I hope to see you there! 

Wings up and go Eagles!  

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April 29, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!

Today marks the final day of spring classes, and the rest of the week will be dedicated to preparing for the culmination of the 2023-24 academic year. It has been a great honor to stop by classes, observe end-of-the-year presentations and recognize our students’ many accomplishments.  

We will honor the Eagle Class of 2024 this weekend at Alico Arena. Many of the students who will be recognized during the four ceremonies missed an opportunity to have a traditional high school graduation due to the global pandemic, and this will be a very special moment for them and their biggest supporters. I send my congratulations to each of our graduates, and I want to preemptively thank our faculty participants, staff workers and student volunteers who have signed up to make this weekend’s events so special. Your contributions make all the difference! 

From my perspective, the past year has been an incredible year of growth for our institution. We are seeking ways to continually improve how we serve our students, and we are working together to reach our goals and objectives as outlined in the new strategic plan. We are off to an incredible start, and I know we will carry that momentum into the 2024-25 academic year. 

Certainly, we have welcomed many new faces to campus this year, and I want to personally invite you to a mix-and-mingle event with Colin Hargis, FGCU’s new director of intercollegiate athletics. Join us Friday, May 10, in the atrium and garden area outside of Academic Building 9, home of The Water School. The event runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and it will be in the style of an open house. Light snacks and beverages will be served. 

Colin is also going to be throwing out the first pitch the next evening during FGCU Night at Hammond Stadium. Wear your blue for FGCU and help us pack the stands as the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels play the Dunedin Blue Jays. A half-price ticket is available for all FGCU students, faculty, staff, alumni and their families. Order your tickets ($6.50, plus service fees) today at fevo-enterprise.com/event/fgcu.

Wings up and go Eagles!  

May 6, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!

It is the start of a new week, and I am still thinking about the energy that filled Alico Arena over the weekend as the FGCU community celebrated the many accomplishments of the Class of 2024. The stands were packed with family and friends who cheered on their graduates, and it was an honor to recognize the resilience, hard work and dedication of our FGCU graduates.

Thank you to all the faculty participants, staff workers and student volunteers who made this important day such a beautiful event for our 1,900 graduates and their guests. From start to finish, the ceremonies were absolutely beautiful. Your presence meant so much to the graduates and their families.

Grades are due this week, and I want to thank the faculty for a successful spring term. If you are off this summer, I send you my best wishes for a safe and restful break. 

As we head into the summer, I want to share that I will be changing up my messages to campus for the months of May, June and July. Starting this week, I will only be sending out messages every other week, and I will resume my weekly schedule in August. Of course, if it is needed, I will send messages that require your immediate attention.

For part of this week, I will be traveling to Washington, D.C., with representatives of our Government Relations, Alumni and Research & Sponsored Programs offices. We will be meeting with various elected officials to showcase the work we do here, and I’ll report back on this trip in my next message (May 20).

I’ll be back in time for Thursday’s Board of Trustees workshop on metrics and performance-based funding. To learn more about the meeting, visit www.fgcu.edu/about/leadership/fgcuboardoftrustees.

If you are in town this week, please note these upcoming events:

• Join us from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday for a mix-and-mingle event with FGCU’s new athletics director: Colin Hargis. The event will take place at Academic Building 9, home of The Water School. Light refreshments will be served (see flyer).
• Wear your blue for FGCU and help us pack the stands for FGCU Night at Hammond Stadium. A half-price ticket is available for all FGCU students, faculty, staff, alumni and their families. Order your tickets ($6.50 + service fees) today at fevo-enterprise.com/event/fgcu.  

Wings up and go Eagles!   

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May 20, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!   

With the arrival of the summer term, we are counting down to the end of the fiscal year and the start of a new budget cycle. During my meetings with Cabinet and other campus leaders, we regularly discuss the upcoming budget year as an opportunity to find ways we can invest more resources and support for our staff and faculty.  

Without a doubt, we have seen incredible hard work campus-wide over the past year, and it brings me great joy to see the energy and passion surrounding our new strategic plan. I want you to know that FGCU’s leadership team is committed to building an operating budget that prioritizes increases in compensation and support for our employees so we can continue this work together, both professionally and personally. 

As I have shared previously, we remain in a holding pattern for making final decisions on next year’s budget. To get to this point, we need a final state budget in place. At this time, the governor has not been presented with the budget bill from the state legislature. Once that happens, there is still a 15-day grace period for action. 

Our team continues to track this process closely, and I am looking forward to sharing more on our upcoming budget soon. Stay tuned! 

In other news, I am proud to say FGCU’s recent trip to Washington, D.C., was an incredible opportunity to meet with members of our Southwest Florida Congressional Delegation. Among the topics we discussed were the:

• Implementation efforts of our five-year strategic pla
• Expansion of research activities, including water-quality initiative
• Academic highlights of the past year, including the incredible success of our health sciences program
• And the expansion of our micro-credentialing and digital badging efforts.

Our delegates made it clear that they appreciate the work happening at FGCU, and it was so wonderful to hear their ongoing commitment to supporting student success on our campus. We even talked about ways we can help our students pursue internship opportunities in congressional offices! Of course, one of the highlights of the trip was connecting with alumni members in the FGCU Washington D.C. Eagles Chapter for an after-hours reception. 

I send my thanks to those who came along with me on this trip, including Dr. Rose Higgins, Associate Vice President of Research & Sponsored Programs; Jennifer Goen, Director of Government Relations; Kim Wallace, Director of Alumni Relations; Angela Kunkle, Director of Development; and Susie Wentworth, Advocacy Coordinator in Government Relations. This trip proves once again that we have incredible support for our university in our community and beyond! 

My next scheduled update will come out on June 3. As always, Wings Up and go Eagles! 

June 3, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!

We may have kicked off the summer term, a time when fewer students and faculty are around campus, but it has been anything but slow! For one, FGCU has been reaching out to the far reaches of our five-county service area to host town hall conversations, continue partnerships and build new relationships. These efforts speak to strategic plan Goal 3: Elevate Partnerships for Regional Impact.

Last week, we traveled to Clewiston for an event for the Hendry and Glades county communities, where we spent time talking about our rural outreach efforts, connections with the K-12 school systems and the future of agribusiness. This week, we head north to Charlotte County to strengthen our work in this community.

One of the topics we make sure to highlight is the incredible success of our alumni. While we have many examples of our fine flock of Eagle alumni, I want to highlight one of them in today’s message. FGCU softball legend Courtney Platt has been inducted into the Atlantic Sun Conference Class of 2024 Hall of Fame! She was honored for playing for the Eagles from 2008 to 2011. We are so proud of her!

We want to share more stories like this as we amplify FGCU’s brand under the new strategic plan. To help us in this endeavor, FGCU has hired BVK, a nationally known marketing firm in the higher education space. While we are at the initial stage of kicking off this work, consultants will be meeting with identified stakeholder groups for interviews this week. This includes shared governance groups, donors, alumni and other constituent groups on campus. I will share updates as the process evolves.

On this note, I expect to share news of the search process for our new Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Chief of Staff position in the coming weeks. The search panel has been formed, with Vice President David Vazquez, who oversees the division of Administrative Services & Finance, serving as chair.

SAVE THE DATE | The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees begins at 8:30 a.m. June 11 in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom. Details of the meeting’s agenda can be reviewed online, but the meeting will be conducted in person. We understand that attendance isn’t possible for all of our faculty, staff and students, so we will begin writing meeting recaps to share with our campus community.

My next scheduled update will come out on June 17. As always, Wings Up and go Eagles!

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June 17, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!

A little over two weeks ago, I announced a leadership change in General Counsel. I am pleased to announce that Lisa Jones has been selected to serve as interim General Counsel while we launch a national search with Greenwood Asher & Associates for the Vice President and General Counsel position.

Many of you are familiar with Lisa, who joined FGCU 11 years ago as Associate General Counsel. Her previous experience includes serving as University Counsel and Secretary to the Board for Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, as well as Associate General Counsel for Wichita State University and the Kansas Board of Regents.

I know she will do a phenomenal job in this interim role, and she is already working closely with outgoing Vice President and General Counsel Vee Leonard to ensure a smooth transition in the leadership of that office.

On that note, I invite you to join in celebrating Vee’s incredible 19 years of service to our campus community. Vee’s farewell reception is from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 2, on the third floor of Edwards Hall, with the reception taking place in the open lobby area and Conference Room 309. RSVPs are not required.

Another event I want to make sure you are aware of is this week’s Ice Cream Social! FGCU leaders will be passing out free ice cream to faculty and staff between noon and 2 p.m. Tuesday (June 18) in the covered alcove area near Ben Hill Griffin Hall. Please mark your calendars, bring your colleagues and enjoy a refreshing treat on what will probably be a warm day in Southwest Florida! 

Speaking of weather, it’s important to note that we are already seeing an uptick in weather events related to the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Employees, please pay attention to the emergency notifications shared from the FGCU Update email account and download the RAVE Guardian Eagle App. If you need to update your cell phone and emergency contact information, please do so through Workday.

My next scheduled update will come out on July 1.

As always, Wings Up and go Eagles!  

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June 24, 2024

Good morning, Eagle Family!

I think it is safe to say last week’s Ice Cream Social was a big hit! It was wonderful to get out of the office, see our colleagues from across campus and enjoy a homemade treat in the middle of the work week.  

FGCU’s leadership team has decided to make the Ice Cream Social an ongoing staff and faculty appreciation event. Please mark your calendars for 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. for the following dates: 

• (Tomorrow) Tuesday, June 25 

• Wednesday, July 10 

• Tuesday, July 16 
• Wednesday, July 24 

The free ice cream will be handed out in the covered alcove area near Ben Hill Griffin Hall. Please make sure to scan the QR code when you pick up your ice cream! Your feedback will help us add new flavors to the rotation and assist with market research to see if it is feasible to launch an ice cream business that will eventually be run by FGCU students. Provost Mark Rieger will have more information about this initiative in the Academic Affairs newsletter.

While enjoying ice cream last week, many of you asked about the state of our Library Lawn. As we do each summer, FGCU is using the slower months to upgrade our campus grounds and facilities with ongoing maintenance, such as replacing roofs, upgrading interior lighting, installing new carpet, painting and pressure cleaning campus. 

Here is a list of work going on across campus:

• The Library Lawn is being updated with improved drainage and new sod. The project will be completed before the start of the fall term. 

• The Information Technology Services (ITS) help desk is moving from Griffin Hall to the first floor of the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library. This provides our employees and students with a more centralized location to access help. The project will be completed before the start of the fall term. 

• Four large digital signs are being added to campus. One will be placed near the Cohen Student Union, with the other three located along our three entrances to campus. This project will continue through the fall term. 

• The food court area and bathroom flooring in Cohen Student Union is also being upgraded this summer. This project will finish prior to the larger Phase II portion of the Cohen remodel, which will kick into high gear during the 2025 summer term. 

• FGCU is also cleaning and painting parking garages across campus, and we are repaving the parking area near Alico Arena.  
• We are also planning to create brick-paved pathways near Merwin and Whitaker halls for pedestrian and golf cart traffic. The project will be completed before the start of the fall term. 

As you can see, we are making great use of the summer months to improve our campus.  

I look forward to seeing you out and about! Wings Up and go Eagles! 

July 1, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!

Today marks my one-year anniversary of officially serving as FGCU’s president. Leading up to this milestone, I have been reflecting on all that has transpired in the past year, including our biggest accomplishments and the incredible work that has gone into developing a culture of continuous improvement.

Of top of mind is the creation and launch of a new strategic plan that guides our journey forward in terms of service to students. Embedding student success into the fabric of our campus ensures we are doing our all to help each student reach their academic goals and career ambitions. I referenced this last week during the Florida Board of Governors meeting, when our accountability plan and performance-based funding metrics were presented.

Through each division on campus, we are aligning our actions to our strategic plan, ensuring our goals and objectives are part of day-to-day operations. Already, we are moving the needle and seeing improvement, and that’s a testament to the data-driven approach we have embraced. By using predictive analytics to track each students’ progress from orientation to graduation, our faculty and staff are able to focus on the unique needs of our students like never before.

As we balance the loss in performance-based funding with our strategic vision forward and allocate necessary resources for improving our metrics, under the guidance of the FGCU Board of Trustees, campus leaders and I remain dedicated to improving the lives of all employees with a compensation package regardless of bargaining. We are keenly aware of the strain felt campus-wide by the Southwest Florida economy, and our primary motivation is to equitably enhance the well-being of all of our employees in our journey forward. I will have more information about what this looks like in an upcoming message, but I want to send my sincere appreciation and gratitude to all of our staff and faculty for the incredible dedication and hard work shown in the past year.

We are a team, and many of our successes from the past year will appear in the university’s first-ever annual report. Campus leaders are currently creating this document, and we anticipate it will launch in time for the 2024 Fall Kickoff Celebration for faculty and staff. Pamela McCabe will share more information about our annual celebration tomorrow, but please place a hold in your calendar for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9.

In closing, I want to share that I reread my very first message to campus. I wrote about the excitement I had for the work that stood before us as we prepared for a new year of teaching, learning and working collaboratively. Twelve months later, I still feel that energy and passion, and I am so proud of all we have achieved together – and what is still to come. It is an absolute honor to be your president, and I thank you for making this past year so memorable.

DON’T FORGET

• Join us for Vice President & General Counsel Vee Leonard’s farewell reception from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 2, on the third floor of Edwards Hall. RSVPs are not required.
• The next FREE ice cream social is from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 9. This is a date change. Please see the attached flyer for all upcoming dates.
• My next scheduled update will come out on July 15.

Wings Up and go Eagles!

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July 15, 2024

Dear Eagle Family,

We are about one month away from the start of the fall semester, and that means we are about a month away from a new edition of the Inside FGCU employee newsletter coming out. The newsletter was an initiative we kicked off last year to provide more information about campus happenings and employee milestones to our faculty and staff as one of our university-wide communication channels.

During the summer, changes were made to this publication – all of which were informed by feedback we received through the campus-wide internal communications survey. Thank you to all of the employees who brought forth feedback on this product. It is currently undergoing a redesign, as we are adjusting the size and look of the product. While we will continue to produce the newsletter electronically, it will only be delivered in printed form to employees and offices that opt-in for the product. If you are interested in receiving free printed copies, beginning with the August 20 edition, please click here to fill out a request form.

I am also pleased to announce the new members of the Editorial Advisory Committee, who will be working on this initiative this year: 

• Ashlynn Dunn of the Lutgert College of Business  
• Dayna Harpster of WGCU Public Media  
• Emily Helm of University Recreation & Wellness 
• Vince Modarelli of University Advancement 
• Jonathan Schaffer of Daveler & Kauanui School of Entrepreneurship 
• Kara Simmons of Alumni Relations  
• I’Riel Williams of Innovative Education & Partnerships

Staff support for Inside FGCU is provided by Rubi Olvera, the coordinator of University Communications & Media Relations, and Dave Anderson, the associate director of design in University Marketing & Communications.

I will be sharing more details about upcoming changes related to the internal communications survey in future messages.

Finally, as you see in the attachment, we are also a month away from the 2024 Fall Kickoff Celebration. This event is like a pep rally for the new academic year, where we celebrate our employees, gather for a lunch served by university leaders, and hear the annual State of the University address. All attendees will receive a free gift on their way back to work, and Azul will be giving out a special prize to the most spirited Eagle in the room. The event is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. August 9 at Alico Arena. Make sure to RSVP by August 1, and don’t forget to wear your FGCU gear! This event excites me so much as we, Eagle family, start the new academic year. See the attachment for more information.

SAVE THE DATES 

• The next free Ice Cream Social is from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. tomorrow (July 16) in the covered alcove area next to Ben Hill Griffin Hall. See the Academic Affairs newsletter for more information. 
• My next scheduled message comes out on July 29, and I will be resuming weekly emails in August. 

Wings Up and Go Eagles!

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July 29, 2024

Dear Eagle Family,

As many of you know, the summer months are a great time to soak up additional training and professional development opportunities. I took advantage of this last week when I attended the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ annual New Presidents Academy conference in California.

The gathering was an opportunity for state university presidents and chancellors from around the country to discuss best practices and dig deeper into the various elements of a university environment, from meeting industry needs and building up the culture of student success to the importance of campus communication. We also learned about emerging topics in higher education, and it is clear to me that FGCU is in a great position to quickly react to the changing environment’s impact on our students, employees and the broader community.

Looking ahead, it is sure to be a busy week. On Wednesday, our leadership team, including vice presidents and academic leaders, visit Babcock Ranch to discuss FGCU’s presence, visibility and opportunities in Charlotte County. I will provide a recap of the visit in my message to campus next week. After that, I will fly to Germany to visit Arthrex’s Europe, Middle East and Africa headquarters to continue discussions about our strategic partnership, new initiatives, research opportunities, internships, talent pipeline and workforce development in the medical device industry. I am also excited to meet with our international interns from the Lutgert College of Business during my visit.

Our next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held virtually, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. Click here to find the agenda. For those who cannot watch the broadcast, Board Relations will send out a recap email to campus.

As we look ahead to the start of the fall term, I want to let you know that all employees will be invited to take part in a university marketing survey. Earlier this summer I shared that BVK, a nationally known marketing firm in higher education, was hired to help FGCU amplify our new strategic plan on campus and throughout our community. BVK consultants have conducted various stakeholder interviews, and now they are preparing to launch a campus-wide survey that will inform FGCU’s future marketing efforts.

Your perspective as FGCU “insiders” is critical to the success of this study, and I encourage students to participate. FGCU employees will receive an email on August 7 from Kitty Green, the vice president of University Advancement, with the link to the survey. Responses are anonymous. If you have any questions, please contact Deborah Wiltrout, interim associate vice president of University Marketing & Communication, at dwiltrout@fgcu.edu.

SAVE THE DATE

• The 2024 Fall Kickoff Celebration for all employees is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. August 9 at Alico Arena. The event includes a free lunch, a gift for all attendees, and Azul will be giving out a special prize to the most spirited Eagle in the room. Make sure to RSVP by August 1! (See attachment)

Wings Up and Go Eagles!

August 5, 2024

Dear Eagle Family,

The university’s annual Fall Kickoff Celebration is this Friday, and I hope to see Alico Arena packed with our amazing staff and faculty. The event is called a celebration because we are recognizing the incredible people who work here and support our mission as a student-centered institution.

I know our University Events and Chartwells catering team has planned an incredible event for all of us to enjoy, and I want to encourage attendees to wear you FGCU pride. Azul will be selecting someone from the crowd as our most-spirited Eagle. The more green and blue you wear, the higher your chances of being selected for the prize: a basket of FGCU goodies from our Bookstore!

I will also be giving the annual State of the University Address during the lunch portion of the program. This is a time for me to share information about our biggest wins from the past academic year and outline our journey forward as directed by our new strategic plan. We know that not every employee can attend the Fall Kickoff Celebration, so we will once again post a recording of my speech to the website and share the link with employees as soon as it is available.

As you know, it is one of my core priorities to enhance the university’s communication efforts. Key to our movement forward is the work of the Internal Communications Committee, an advisory group of campus stakeholders. As this team moves into its second year, I want to announce that the committee has two open seats. If you would be interested in volunteering your time to serve the university in this capacity, please send me an email with your resume or a professional bio. No prior communication experience is required.

Finally, I want to quickly share the outreach experiences the university has had in the past week.

• First, our leadership team visited Babcock Ranch to discuss how FGCU could expand its footprint into Charlotte County. The visit was planned nearly a year after the university formalized its partnership with this growing community, putting pen to paper about our intent to build a presence in Babcock that is rooted in our shared core values of sustainability and resilience. We are continuing to explore various ways we can amplify teaching, research, community engagement, service and workforce/economic development initiatives, including micro-credentialing programs, in this space. We will provide updates to campus as we move forward.
• Second, I am pleased to report I had a successful visit at Arthrex’s Europe, Middle East and Africa headquarters. Through this strategic partnership, we are discussing new opportunities for academic programming, micro-credentials and faculty-student research in the medical device industry. Also, it was a fun experience to speak with our interns who are working in Europe as part of an international experience with the Lutgert College of Business.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT

• FGCU employees will receive an email on Wednesday (August 7) from Kitty Green, the vice president of University Advancement, with a link to a market research survey that will help inform our new branding campaign. The survey is part of the research being conducted by BVK, a nationally known marketing firm in higher education that was hired to help FGCU amplify our new strategic plan on campus and throughout our community. Please participate.

Wings Up and Go Eagles!

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August 12, 2024

Dear Eagle Family, 

Among my favorite traditions at FGCU is the annual Fall Kickoff Celebration – a time when our incredible staff and faculty gather for a meal and camaraderie at Alico Arena. Friday’s event surpassed all my expectations! Your passion and love for our institution were on display, and my favorite part of the program was when our employees stood up to be recognized.  

As you looked around at your peers, cheering and clapping for their Years of Service milestones, I told you that, together, we are a team. By forging partnerships and collaborating across campus, we are working to improve everything we do as a university. 

A video recording of my “State of the University” remarks can now be viewed online. One topic I reiterated during my speech was how we need to be focused on continuous improvement. I explained that individual units across campus are implementing tactics and strategies to bring our university’s strategic plan to life, and how all employees need to identify performance goals that describe how their individual role can positively impact FGCU’s performance metrics and student success efforts. 

Much work lies ahead for FGCU’s workforce. To better assist our organization, I am realigning the department of Human Resources so that it reports directly to my office. Chief Human Resources Officer Sara Stensrud and her team will report directly to me. Information Technology Services (ITS), Physical Plant and Environmental Health & Safety will continue reporting to Administrative Services & Finance. This means Chief Information Officer Mary Banks, Associate Vice President of Physical Plant Jim Hehl and Environmental Health & Safety Director Rhonda Holtzclaw will report directly to Vice President David Vazquez. In September, FGCU should receive the final report from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS), which will further our work in improving the operational effectiveness of our structure and student success efforts.

I am grateful for the hard work you have put forth over the past year, and I know that you are ready to tackle what lies ahead. In appreciation of your commitment to FGCU’s mission, I am adding two extra paid holidays to the schedule this year: 

• Wednesday, November 27 (the day before Thanksgiving) 
• Tuesday, December 24 (the day before Christmas) 

I am making the announcement now so you have time to plan your holidays. Thank you for making FGCU what it is today and helping build a brighter future. 

Wings Up and Go Eagles!

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August 19, 2024

Good morning, Eagle Family, and welcome to the start of the fall semester! It is so exciting to see more than 16,000 FGCU Eagles across campus. I know this is going to be our best year yet, and that’s because of you – our incredible people!

In just over a week, FGCU will celebrate its 27th year of teaching and learning. We are growing, we are maturing, and we remain committed to our mission as a transformative and learner-centered university here in Southwest Florida.

As you heard me say at the Fall Kickoff Celebration, we are now in the process of bringing our new strategic plan to life. Attached, you will find one of my PowerPoint slides from my “State of the University” address that outlines how we will do this together, as a team.

The process starts by understanding our institution’s mission, which provides the foundation for our strategic plan Innovating for Student Success: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. We have our big-picture goals and objectives set, and we are developing a scorecard that will help us keep track, in real time, of where we are and where we are heading. This scorecard is the reflection of our collective work, collaboration and teamwork.

Campus-wide, unit plans are being developed to bring our strategic plan to life. These plans outline the operational and implementation strategies, tactics and initiatives that ensure the university’s larger goals and objectives are being met.

From there, unit goals guide each of our individual performance goals. I recognize this is a shift in how we have handled goal setting and performance reviews in the past.

Human Resources will be providing information that explains the process in more detail. Supervisors will receive an email later this week, so they will be better prepared to answer questions their employees might have about the process. Staff and out-of-unit faculty can expect an email on the updated process next week. Managers will also be invited to workshops September 10-20, which will help ensure employee goals are linked to unit goals that assist the university in meeting the goals outlined in the strategic plan. A timeline will be provided in the emails, and the goal-setting process will be completed by October 1.

As we roll out this new process, it is important for all of our employees to understand how their individual role contributes to the overall success of the university under our strategic plan. We are all in this together, and together we are stronger.

As always: Wings Up and Go Eagles!

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August 26, 2024

Good morning, Eagle Family! 

Yesterday, we reached an all-new milestone for our institution: FGCU celebrated the 27th anniversary of our first day of classes. We have achieved so much over the years, growing from our humble beginnings as a commuter school with a handful of buildings to the regional comprehensive university we know and love today.  

FGCU filled an educational void that once existed in the Southwest Florida region, and we have remained committed to meeting the needs of our students and the community we serve. We are nimble, resourceful and innovative, responding to the economic and workforce needs of the state of Florida. Through these efforts, FGCU has emerged as the economic driver for Southwest Florida and beyond, and our institution is an example of what regional partnerships can do to help students find success in the classroom, career and life.  

As I am sure you read in the latest issue of the Inside FGCU employee newsletter, we are proposing our next Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) through our reaffirmation process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). With university-wide recommendation and support, our proposal is called “The Skills Advantage: From Campus to Career,” and it is focused on giving greater visibility to our transferable skills offerings. We know very well that students develop these skills in their courses as well as extra and co-curricular activities across our campus and beyond, but they are often not visible in the titles of courses or the names of majors. To amplify the importance of transferable skills, FGCU is proposing to make transferable skills the highlight of its QEP.   

It’s important for all of our employees to know how these employability skills can help our students find success, both in the classroom and in their careers. I encourage you to visit fgcu.edu/theskillsadvantage. Faculty and staff interested in integrating badging into their courses or student programs need to contact Dr. Glenn Whitehouse at gwhiteho@fgcu.edu.  

Celebrate with FGCU

·       The University Help Desk moved to the first floor of the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library, and an open house is planned for 1 p.m. Tuesday, August 27. (See attachment for details.)

·       College Colors Day is Thursday, August 29. Celebrate your Eagle spirit by participating in the annual Green & Blue Spirit Photo with the FGCU Athletics Teams at 10 a.m. on the Library Lawn

Wings Up and Go Eagles! 

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August 29, 2024

Dear FGCU Family,

As FGCU settles into its 27th year of teaching and learning, we are becoming more strategic in our daily functions and operations. Following a robust national search that was assisted by a panel of FGCU stakeholders, I am pleased to announce the university is taking another step in these efforts with the appointment of Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Chief of Staff Eileen DeLuca, Ph.D.

Eileen will transition to this new role in January 2025. Leading up to this change, she will continue serving the university as both the acting vice president of Student Success & Enrollment Management and interim chief strategy and program innovation officer for the division of Academic Affairs.

As you may recall, Eileen joined FGCU in June 2023. Among her first assignments was helping the university complete its new strategic plan, Innovating for Student Success: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. In her upcoming role, Eileen will continue these efforts, collaborating campus-wide with offices and academic units to ensure effective implementation and operationalization of our new strategic plan and other university initiatives.

Prior to becoming an FGCU Eagle, Eileen worked at Florida SouthWestern State College, where she progressively took on larger leadership roles. She scaled the academic ranks, starting as an adjunct professor in 2005 and working her way up to full professor, department chair and dean. Eileen took on assistant- and associate-level vice president roles before being named interim provost in July 2018 and provost 10 months later. She held the college’s top academic role through 2022, when she was named the provost for external international partnerships. Eileen earned her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Florida, two master’s degrees (applied anthropology from the University of South Florida and education from the College of New Rochelle) and a bachelor’s degree in education from USF.

When Eileen transitions into the vice president and chief of staff role in January, she will become a direct report to me and provide high-level support and guidance as a member of cabinet. She will also oversee and provide guidance to the Office of Board Relations, coordinating with Director of Board Relations, Associate Corporate Secretary and Deputy Chief of Staff Tiffany Reynolds. We will continue to explore future leadership in the areas of strategy and program innovation.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to the search panel chair, David Vazquez, and members of the search panel: Trustee Michael Wynn, Jen Goen, Pamela McCabe, Dr. Tracy Elliott, Dr. Jenny Manegold, Dr. Max Stein, Dr. Eric Tack, Dr. Sang Ki Min, Mary Banks and Jena Padilla for their time and service for practicing shared governance.

It is always a rewarding feeling to know we cast a wide net but found that the best candidate was already among us. Please join me in congratulating Eileen.

Wings Up & Go Eagles! 

September 3, 2024

Dear FGCU Family,

After serving as FGCU’s chief academic officer for over three and a half years, Dr. Mark Rieger is moving on from his position as executive vice president and provost, effective September 6. Mark will be going on professional development sabbatical starting September 7.

Mark began his journey as an FGCU Eagle during the global pandemic, replacing Dr. Jim Llorens, who was the interim provost of the university for the previous three years.

Prior to joining FGCU, Mark served 34 years at the universities of Delaware, Georgia and Florida in various capacities, ranging from faculty to dean. He brought to FGCU his extensive research, teaching and administration experience.

I am especially proud of Mark’s work to bring FGCU back to a fully in-person and robust academic offering following the pandemic, as well as his leadership during our response and recovery efforts related to Hurricane Ian. During his time with FGCU, Mark amplified the impact of research and sponsored programs and launched seven degree programs, four academic certificates and five minors. Most recently, he garnered support for FGCU’s first doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) program, which was approved by the Board of Trustees and now moves on for further consideration by the Florida Board of Governors. On behalf of the university, I thank Mark for his service and send him my best wishes as he embarks on the next phase of his journey.

FGCU is working with Greenwood Asher & Associates to launch a national search to fill the role of provost, and soon I will be announcing the members of the search committee who will assist with this effort. We intend to bring on our next provost by the start of the 2025 spring term.

To assist with the transition of leadership, I have named Dr. Tony Barringer as interim provost, enabling him to oversee the daily administrative operations for the division of Academic Affairs. Meanwhile, the Dean’s Council will work with me directly, ensuring continuity of our strategic initiatives and improvements in performance-based funding metrics. Consultant Dr. Kenneth Furton, the former provost of Florida International University, will serve as an advisor to the president and Dean’s Council in this effort. You can see Dr. Furton’s bio attached to this email, and you will begin seeing him on campus in mid-September.

In the meantime, I hope you will join me in wishing Mark well.

Wings Up and Go Eagles!

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September 9, 2024

Dear FGCU Family, 

As you know, helping our students find success in and out of the classroom is our main priority. This isn’t just a talking point for the university, but it is our way of life as faculty and staff.  

FGCU will present its Student Success Plan to the Board of Trustees Tuesday, with the goal of bringing the document to the Florida Board of Governors next week for approval. The plan is a required step of the state’s Performance-Based Funding (PBF) process, as we did not have satisfactory improvement and reach the 70-point mark required of us on the State University System of Florida’s grading system. Although we have made considerable progress since 2018, we still have much work to do. At this time, FGCU's plan strongly focuses on four of our lowest metrics. With a mix of new and ongoing efforts to dig deep into data, we are realigning and reaffirming our commitment to helping our students reach their goals, including graduating on time.  

As we move forward with these efforts, it is important for all of our faculty and staff to know how to support students with the many questions they may have. To assist in this effort, Student Success & Enrollment Management has created a course entitled “Student Success Resources,” and I ask that you remind students that they can access this resource in Canvas. Academic Affairs has also developed a similar toolkit for instructors entitled “Faculty Success Resources,” which is also available in Canvas. 

Fall 2024: Town Hall Save the Dates 

September 24: “Journey to Excellence.” A virtual town hall to help the campus community understand the five goals of the strategic plan. 

• Time: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  
• Location: Microsoft Teams (Link TBA) 

October 24: “Building a Great College to Work For.” A facilitated discussion about FGCU’s results and next steps stemming from the feedback on the “Great Colleges to Work For” survey.  

• Time: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

• Location: Cohen Student Union Ballroom (a virtual option will be available for those who cannot attend in person) 

November 6: “Building FGCU’s Future.” A conversation about new campus projects and how we will adjust our master plan to address our maturing campus. This will include discussion about our property in Buckingham, space across campus and the future of Academic Building 10. 

• Time: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 
• Location: Academic Building 9, Room 138 (a virtual option will be available for those who cannot attend in person) 

Wings Up & Go Eagles!

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September 16, 2024

Dear FGCU Family,

Next Tuesday, on September 24, we will gather for our first town hall of the fall semester, and I am thrilled to share it will be focused on the strategic plan.

As you have heard me say – and write in my weekly messages – we all play a role in ensuring FGCU meets the goals and objectives outlined in the strategic plan. Unit plans for academic and administrative areas are being developed that outline the tactics, strategies, projects and initiatives that will help us in this effort, and it is critical for our individual performance goals to feed into the unit plans and FGCU’s Journey to Excellence.

Our objective for this virtual town hall is to help employees make the connection between themselves (their role) and their unit (office) to the broader university strategic plan, innovating and improving for student success with measures and key performance indicators. I will start the town hall with a short overview before inviting participants into breakout rooms for group discussion about the goals.

There will be five rooms – one for each goal included in the strategic plan – and you will be invited to pick two rooms to visit during the town hall. During 30-minute sessions, room hosts will facilitate a conversation to give participants an opportunity to ask questions and share how they see their unique role supporting the strategic plan. Please come prepared with your questions.

Next week I will share host details, but please go ahead and mark your calendars for this event. The town hall begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 12:30 p.m. The Microsoft Teams link is https://tinyurl.com/3rmycvca, and a flyer for the event is here.

As they have done for previous town halls, the Internal Communications Committee will be monitoring each room’s chat during the town hall. Requests for anonymity will be honored.  

Internal Communications Committee: Update 

I recently put out a call for volunteers to fill two vacancies on the Internal Communications Committee. I was pleased to see so many of our staff members, faculty and adjunct instructors put their names in for consideration.

Cabinet selected Dr. Ellen K. Donald (assistant professor in Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and program director of the Golisano Intellectual and Developmental Disability Initiative) and Dr. David Poisson (adjunct professor in the Department of Communications & Philosophy). I also extend my congratulations to Seana Perkins (administrative assistant in Student Health Services) for being selected as a co-chair to this group.

The full roster for the committee is here. 

Wings Up & Go Eagles!

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September 23, 2024

Dear FGCU Family,

Last week, FGCU’s student success plan was presented to the Florida Board of Governors (BOG), and I am pleased to share it was approved, enabling the release of $3.8 million in performance-based funding. Creating and presenting the plan is a required step, as we did not improve from the previous year’s total score and meet the 70-point threshold for maintenance of funding through the state's performance funding process.

Our student success plan has a laser focus on four metrics – the three-graduation metrics (metrics 4, 9a, 9b) and metric 5, our academic progress rate. Reducing year-to-year variability and creating consistent attainment of scores on the excellence scale are key components of our targeted strategy.

It is important for all FGCU faculty and staff to know that, together, we have been working diligently and systematically toward improving all 10 metrics and key performance indicators in our accountability plan. In March, we will return to the BOG for a follow-up presentation to show how we have implemented the plan as well as our expected improvements with the help of our plan. This will be an opportunity for us to receive the other 50% of funding.

A PDF copy of my presentation is attached to this email. I encourage you to review the detailed plan with root causes and intended deliverables available here.

Mental Health Survey Starts Today 

As we continue to prioritize the well-being and success of our students, FGCU will be participating in the Healthy Minds Study. This initiative is a comprehensive research project from the University of Michigan that will help us better understand the challenges and needs related to mental health among our students. 

Later this morning, all employees and students will receive an email inviting them to participate in a survey; the email will come from Marieb College of Health & Human Services with an email of healthyminds-FGCU@umich.edu. I encourage you to participate in this initiative.  

Strategic Plan Town Hall Tomorrow 

I hope to see you at 11 a.m. Tuesday for our first town hall of the academic year: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. The event will take place on Teams, and participants will be encouraged to join breakout rooms for discussions about how the work of our employees and their offices connect to our university’s strategic goals for the next five years. Attached is the event flyer and a list of the people who will be leading discussions in each room.  

Wings Up & Go Eagles!

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September 30, 2024

Dear FGCU Family,

Today, the university shifts back to fully normal business operations, events and activities. As we go about our work this week, I encourage you to pause and check in with one another. We have faculty and staff who are facing challenges at home brought by Hurricane Helene, including those who were impacted by Hurricane Ian two years ago. Compassion and flexibility should lead all of our efforts as we go about our days.

I also want to thank all of you for your patience and trust as we pivoted our decisions throughout the storm to ensure the safety of our students and employees. We coordinated with and obtained reliable information through our partners, including regional school districts, county emergency managers and state officials.

Many resources are available to help our employees through this difficult time:

• All impacted employees hired prior to Hurricane Helene are eligible to apply for up to $10,000 through FGCU’s Employee Loan Program. Loans are interest free and will be paid back through payroll deduction over the next three years. Employees will need to provide documentation as part of the application process. Applications are available online and will be reviewed and funds awarded on a case-by-case basis, as long as funds are available. If you have questions, contact Sara Stensrud as sstensrud@fgcu.edu.
• An Employee Assistance Program counselor will be on campus today from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Cohen Student Union, Room 245. No appointments are needed. The EAP is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at (833) 746-8337 or online at www.mylifeexpert.com. Use company code: Florida.
• FGCU’S Community Counseling & Education Center provides non-crisis/emergency services to FGCU employees and community members. The center operates when FGCU is open. For more information, call (239) 745-4777 or visit www.fgcu.edu/mariebcollege/counseling/communitycounseling.

I shared with students a list of resources available to them, so please encourage them to read the message I sent them this morning. We are a family, and FGCU is here to support you.

Wings Up & Go Eagles! 

October 14, 2024

Dear Eagle Family,

FGCU was fortunate during Hurricane Milton. Minimal debris cleanup was required on our main campus, and utilities, such as power, water and internet, were unaffected by the storm.

Not everyone in our community can say the same. We understand that all of our stories look different right now, and it is critical that we lead with patience, compassion and flexibility as we return to normal operations.

Keeping an open line of communication is essential for us to move forward, so please tell your supervisor if you are facing a hardship related to the hurricane. Please note the following resources:

• Employee Assistance Program counselors are available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library, Room 431. The EAP is also available remotely 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at (833) 746-8337 or online at www.mylifeexpert.com. Use company code: Florida.
• FGCU’s Campus Food Pantry in Modular 4 is available to faculty and staff this week. The pantry hours are noon to 5 p.m. Monday and Friday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
• Applications for FGCU’s Employee Loan Program are available online for faculty and staff who are facing financial hardship as they work through FEMA and insurance to recover from Milton and Helene. Contact Sara Stensrud at sstensrud@fgcu.edu with questions.

And if you work with students affected by Milton, please encourage them to fill out the Emergency Outreach Form (maxient.com). This is the best way for us to know what resources or assistance they need to recover from the storm.

Information about extended deadlines for mandated trainings, goals and unit plans will be shared with faculty and staff today, and faculty will receive further guidance on how to address the academic days lost as a result of Helene and Milton.

Lastly, I want to thank you for your patience, care, support and kindness to one another in these difficult times. I also want to extend my deepest appreciation to the dedicated university personnel who stayed on campus during the storm to keep our FGCU community safe as well as everyone who worked post-hurricane to ensure the safety and operability of our campus. Their work helped FGCU get back to normal operations as quickly as possible. I am so proud of our FGCU Family, and you truly make FGCU so special.

We are the Eagle Family, and we are better together.

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October 21, 2024

Dear Eagle Family,

FGCU is moving forward with national searches for the positions of Executive Vice President and Provost as well as Vice President and Vice Provost, Student Success & Enrollment Management.

To assist executive search firm Greenwood Asher & Associates, I have formed two search committees. Committee membership represents all facets of our campus community, ensuring voices of students, faculty and staff are part of the decision process. Committee rosters are attached to this email.

Committee kickoff meetings and listening sessions for both searches have been scheduled, and we have launched websites for each search. Please see below for more information:

Executive Vice President and Provost: Serves as the chief academic officer for FGCU, providing academic leadership for the colleges and schools. The person hired for this role will be the second-highest ranking officer at FGCU, behind the university president. Search website: fgcu.edu/provostsearch Kickoff meeting: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, November 1, in Academic Building 9, Room 138 Committee support staff: Julie Echo, jeacho@fgcu.edu

Vice President and Vice Provost, Student Success & Enrollment Management (SSEM): Serves as the chief student affairs officer, directing all student-related functions of the university. Search website: fgcu.edu/vicepresidentsearch Kickoff meeting: 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, November 1, in Academic Building 9, Room 138 Committee support staff: Jenn Culver, jculver@fgcu.edu

Listening Sessions: Vice President Searches
You are invited to attend listening sessions with Greenwood Asher & Associates, where consultants will lead the discussion and prompt the audience with questions about both positions, as they will work closely together.

• Session 1: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday, October 31, Academic Building 9, Room 106
• Session 2: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday, November 1, Academic Building 9, Room 138

I encourage you to stay informed as we conduct searches for these critical positions that directly impact our operations and efforts in supporting FGCU students.

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October 22, 2024

Dear FGCU Family, 

Eagle EXPO was this past Saturday, and I want to thank our staff and faculty who took part in planning and bringing to life this action-packed open house. The event is meant to showcase everything we love about our university to prospective students. I am proud to say we welcomed about 1,600 guests, including 440 individuals I would like to think of as future Eagles.  

Without a doubt, campus was filled with phenomenal energy during the event, and I am so appreciative of everyone who dedicated their time and resources to highlight our wonderful colleges, schools and programs.  

As announced last week, all FGCU staff and faculty are invited to participate in two upcoming town hall events:  

• Town Hall: Building a Great College to Work For (hosted by ModernThink) 
  Date: Thursday, October 24 
  Time: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 
  Location: Cohen Student Union Ballroom 
  Virtual access: https://tinyurl.com/2n26za9n 
• Town Hall: National Center for Higher Education Management Systems Report (hosted by NCHEMS)  
  Date: Monday, October 28 
  Time: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 
  Location: Cohen Student Union Ballroom 
  Virtual access: https://tinyurl.com/ye2yzpty 

ModernThink (October 24) will provide an overview of our results on the “Great Colleges to Work For” survey, and NCHEMS (October 28) will present its final report and findings regarding FGCU’s functional alignment with our strategic directions and key performance indicators. I am looking forward to attending both upcoming town halls, which will be facilitated by outside experts in their fields who have been brought on to share how our university is benchmarked to higher education best practices and peers. Also, I am excited to hear from our consultants about their recommendations for improvement and the opportunities we have before us as we collectively create a better future for our university. 

Flyers for the town halls are attached, and I look forward to all of us attending these presentations and listening together. 

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October 28, 2024

Good morning, Eagle Family!

Today, we gather for an employee-focused town hall with consultants from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS). Just like our ModernThink town hall last week, this is an opportunity for staff and faculty to listen in as outside experts share their final report and findings regarding FGCU’s functional alignment with our strategic directions and key performance indicators. I realize that we are having back-to-back town halls and reports, but the recent hurricanes complicated schedules.

I want to remind us all that these presentations are an external look into FGCU with qualitative and quantitative data and information our consultants put together. It is also very important to note that we will take our time to digest and evaluate what we hear from our consultants in terms of findings and recommendations. All of this information is aimed at providing us with a benchmark analysis as we continue to work together to implement our strategic plan, Innovating for Student Success: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. I will be in the audience to listen to the presentation and look forward to seeing you all.

As a reminder, the town hall is from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. today in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom. Virtual access is available through Microsoft Teams at https://tinyurl.com/ye2yzpty, and the town hall will be recorded and posted online. The recording of the October 24 town hall on our university’s results on the “Great Colleges to Work For” survey can be found on the website for the Office of the President.

In other news, I want to share that FGCU was well-represented at the 2024 Future of Florida Forum and Florida Chamber Annual Meeting in Orlando last week. Attending events like these are critical opportunities to engage with leaders across the state to discuss Florida’s growth, economic development and innovative solutions for a sustainable future. Our team had insightful conversations with other leaders and explored how we can continue to positively impact our Southwest Florida community and state.

FGCU was also recognized with a special spotlight for all it has achieved in the past 27 years – a point that was reiterated by Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, who presented on the strategic achievements of the State University System of Florida. I also want to send a congratulations to FGCU Board of Trustees Chair Michael Wynn for receiving the 2024 Florida Chamber’s Chairman award.

Last week, FGCU also welcomed to campus one of our Florida Board of Governors (BOG), Timothy M. Cerio. During his visit, Governor Cerio met with students, deans and leaders from Student Success & Enrollment Management and the university. It was a wonderful visit that amplified the positive impact our university has on our students and the broader community.

We will carry this message to Wednesday’s BOG meeting at Florida International University in Miami. Click here for the agenda and more information.

November 4, 2024

Good morning, Eagle Family!

Last week, FGCU was honored with a visit from our founding president, Dr. Roy McTarnaghan. He was appointed president of our university in 1993, long before it even had a name, and he was critical to building the university, opening it in 1997 and leading it through 1999. It is such a gift that our previous leaders have a passion and true love for this institution.

During his visit, Dr. McTarnaghan shared his wisdom with staff, faculty and campus leaders on student success and the mission of FGCU. He shared memories of our university’s early days, and he signed copies of his book, On Task, On Time: The Development of Florida Gulf Coast University. This book is provided to all FGCU Trustees, so they know our history, founding mission and principles through the lens of the leader who established FGCU.

Dr. McTarnaghan and I discussed the implementation of our new Student Success Plan, and I enjoyed learning from his years and years of experience in higher education. His message to me: We’re on the right path, and we have his support!

I was also told this during the Florida Board of Governors meeting last week, where we were invited to highlight FGCU’s Micro-Credentials and Digital Badges: The Power of “And.” Kristen Vanselow, the assistant vice president of Innovative Education & Partnerships, presented our model, which puts a focus on academic and workforce alignment. It’s exciting to see how we continue to expand opportunities for students to create a talent pipeline between the university and our partners in various industries and the community.

This connection was showcased during Friday’s outstanding President’s Scholarship Luncheon, a truly wonderful event that pairs our FGCU donors with the students who have benefited from their scholarships. I am energized and inspired by our students, donors, alumni, faculty and staff for collaborating to make such an incredible difference in the lives of our students.

As we celebrate the many great programs we offer our students, it’s also important to recognize the people making it happen. One way to do just that is by nominating colleagues for the Advising, Librarianship, Scholarship, Service and Teaching Excellence Awards. Nominations are due November 15, and I encourage you to get involved by sending Julie Eacho (jeacho@fgcu.edu) your nominations. The provost sent an email with all the details on Friday!

Other Announcements

• Employees and students have until November 12 to participate in the HealthyMinds Study, which is a comprehensive research project from the University of Michigan that will help us better understand the challenges and needs related to mental health among our students. Look for emails from healthyminds-FGCU@umich.edu for more information.
• In partnership with Lee Health, FGCU is participating in the 2025 Lee County Heart Walk at 8 a.m. December 14 at Centennial Park in Downtown Fort Myers. The event is in benefit of the American Heart Association. This year, every walker who registers on the Heart Walk website has the opportunity to learn hands-only CPR and spread that education to their family, colleagues and friends.

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November 12, 2024

Good morning, Eagle Family.

Yesterday, our campus was closed in observance of Veterans Day – a time in which we share our gratitude and appreciation for the courage, dedication and sacrifices made by those who have served in the U.S. military. We are so honored to have veterans among us on campus – as students, faculty and staff. On behalf of the university, I thank you for your service.

As shared in the November issue of the Inside FGCU newsletter, FGCU offers various veteran-related services and resources to students, employees and the broader community. Here are a few I would like to highlight for you today:

• To better meet the needs of Southwest Florida veterans and their families, FGCU plans to expand veteran services by creating a privately funded Veterans Center for Student Success on campus. The center will also enhance the university’s direct support for enrolled veterans, their benefited families and FGCU faculty and staff.
• The Office of Military & Veterans Success serves as a hub for academic resources for military-connected students. It understands veteran-specific issues that impact performance and academic success and, in turn, provides resources and guidance for servicing the unique educational needs of veterans.
• Home Base of Southwest Florida’s Warrior Health & Fitness Program, located at the Kleist Health Education Center, provides a free, 90-day program designed to help veterans improve their physical health and well-being through supervised physical exercise, nutrition, stress management and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
• The Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program at FGCU offers a comprehensive, tuition-free training experience designed specifically for military veterans and their families. It supports participants at all stages of their entrepreneurial journey.  

It is our desire to continue to amplify these efforts to ensure these key services and resources grow.

Town Hall Recordings and Next Steps

The President’s Cabinet is working with our consultants from ModernThink (the “Great Colleges to Work For” survey) and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) to provide more information about the recent town hall topics. Soon, we will have the final report from NCHEMS to share with you, and we will be launching a website that will contain more information about our results and next steps related to the Great Colleges’ survey.

Video recordings of the two town halls are now available on the Office of the President website:

• NCHEMS town hall recording
• Great Colleges to Work For (ModernThink) town hall recording 

Also, attached to this email is a Q-and-A sheet from the October 28 NCEHMS town hall. FGCU staff assisting with the event accidentally closed the event 30 minutes early due to confusion on when the town hall was scheduled to end. Due to this error, NCHEMS consultant Dr. Sarah Pingel prepared answers to the questions that were left unanswered in the virtual chat.

We know there is work to do on both of these projects, and it is important that we, as the FGCU Family, are all on the same page as we move forward. There is a lot of information to digest right now, and we appreciate your patience as we take these steps together. 

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November 13, 2024

Dear Eagle Family,

After 22 incredible seasons at the helm of FGCU’s women's basketball team, Karl Smesko has decided to move on from collegiate athletics to start a new journey within the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Karl shared his decision with student-athletes, team coaches and support staff earlier this morning, and it is with bittersweet sentiments that I announce that today will be his final day of coaching.

On behalf of the university, I want to thank Karl for his many contributions to our university. I hope all members of our FGCU community will join me in wishing Karl, our longtime friend and colleague, all the best as he begins the next phase in his career.

Under Karl’s leadership, FGCU won 14 Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) regular season championships, made 10 appearances in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Tournament and has established the program as one of the premier 3-point shooting teams in the nation. Of course, Karl’s accomplishments and reputation go far beyond gameday statistics. Over the years, he has positively impacted the lives of hundreds of student-athletes, helping them find success on the court, in the classroom and in life. His natural ability to teach extended well beyond the student-athletes. On the sidelines, Karl strategically mentored and developed an all-star coaching staff, preparing them for the road ahead.

The women’s basketball season is just getting started, and I am excited to announce that effective Thursday, November 14, Chelsea Lyles will continue the team’s efforts as head coach. This year, Chelsea started her sixth season as associate head coach. Previously, she served as the team’s recruiter coordinator, assistant coach and student assistant. She also played for the Eagles between 2008 and 2010.

Please show your support for our student-athletes, coaches and support staff at their next home game, which is set for 1 p.m. Sunday against the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)

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November 13, 2024

Dear FGCU Family,

FGCU is proud to recognize Compliance & Ethics Week, and I encourage students, faculty and staff to participate in the various events that have been planned. This includes workshops, training sessions and informative presentations designed to deepen your understanding of university policies and procedures.

These events are intended to further equip our campus community with essential knowledge about compliance and ethical behavior - key responsibilities for everyone. For information and to sign up for the sessions, visit the Office of Institutional Equity & Compliance’s events page on Eagle Link.

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November 15, 2024

Dear FGCU Family,

I am thrilled to announce that Kristi M. Carman, Esq., has accepted our employment offer to serve as FGCU’s new Vice President & General Counsel. She will begin her role at the university in May 2025.

For the remainder of the academic year, Lisa Jones, Esq., will continue to serve the university as Interim Vice President & General Counsel. Lisa has done a phenomenal job in this role, and I am so pleased to have her assistance during this transition.

Likewise, I want to share my sincere appreciation for FGCU’s search panel that conducted this national search alongside our executive search firm, Greenwood Asher & Associates. The search process lasted longer than expected, due to candidate schedules, travel delays and efforts to ensure we are meeting all requirements for an individual to practice law in the state of Florida. Thanks to co-chairs Precious Gunter and Trustee Luis Rivera as well as the rest of the search panel: Vice President Kitty Green, Dean Shawn Felton, Sara Stensrud, Tiffany Reynolds, Jen Goen, Jena Padilla, Dr. King Alexander Sr. and Dr. Chris Blakely. Through it all, the panel represented the university well and remained committed to finding a great fit for our university.

In her current role, Kristi serves as general counsel at the University of West Georgia. She is a strategic leader with comprehensive experience in legal affairs, including compliance, contract management, Title IX and policy development. She has also served as general counsel with the Technical College System of Georgia and the Georgia Student Finance Commission. Her legal career brought her to the City of Atlanta, where she served as senior assistant city attorney, and she was senior vice president at JTC Education Holdings/MedTech in Georgia. Kristi earned her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in 1995 and her juris doctorate from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1998.

We look forward to seeing Kristi on campus in May 2025, and, once again, I extend my sincere gratitude to all who were engaged with this search effort.  

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November 18, 2024 

Dear Eagle Family,

Today I write you from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)’s annual conference for presidents and chancellors. All of our discussions have been focused on collaboration and how we, as leaders in higher education, can build bridges to uplift our communities by working together.

Collaboration is a word we frequently use at FGCU, and I am thrilled to share with my colleagues all the ways our units, departments and colleges are embracing the power of collaboration in their day-to-day work.

Certainly, collaboration was on display last Friday as over 600 individuals came together from across our campus and outside organizations to participate in the largest-ever Disaster Day Interprofessional Simulation event in Southwest Florida. At the heart of the event were hands-on training exercises for 317 students from the Marieb College of Health & Human Services, who worked together, across majors, to care for “patients.”

I use quotes because it was a drill with very convincing actors! Some of those patients were life-like manikins, brought in from various organizations in the community. Others were fellow students, FGCU employees and members of the Florida State Guard who donned makeup, prosthetics and acted as though they were injured, ill or experiencing mental health-related trauma from an emergency situation.

This event is an example of the power of partnership. Not only did we connect students and employees from across campus, but we engaged the public to assist with our mission of student success. Experts in public health and safety sectors from about 20 outside organizations were on hand to offer the assistance during the full-day event. Everyone was there to support our students as they prepare for their future careers, and that is a collaboration we should all be proud of!

I send my sincere thanks to the FGCU students and employees who helped make this event possible. I want to send a special thank you to those at the core of planning the event: Dr. Joe Buhain, Dr. Elizabeth Murray, Tracy Pearce, Zac Gelow, Diana Tsenekos, Chief Craig Kowalski, James Welch, Jaime Wilson, Dr. Dan Bacalzo, Billy Marcantel, Lacey Hiatte, Catherine Lytle and Matthew Connetta. Well done!

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November 25, 2024 

Hello, Eagle Family!   In honor of Thanksgiving, I have prepared a video to share my gratitude and appreciation for all of our FGCU students, faculty and staff. To watch, please click the video below or visit FGCU’s YouTube channel.  Happy Thanksgiving! I look forward to seeing you back on campus in December!

December 2, 2024

Good morning, Eagles!

I hope you had a great time with your loved ones during the Thanksgiving break and have returned to campus feeling recharged and ready to complete the final days of the fall term.  

The last day of fall term classes is December 9 (one week from today!), and finals week begins on the 10th. I wish you all the best as we approach the end of the semester.  

Study and sleep well! We know this time of year comes with extra stress and responsibilities, and your wellbeing is important. As I have said before, our FGCU faculty and staff are here to support you in your journey, so please don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. 

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December 4, 2024

Dear FGCU Family,

It is with sadness that I share that one of our faculty members from the Bower School of Music & the Arts – Dr. Patricia “Ticia” Gingras – recently passed away. Her students knew her as Dr. G.

As the head of music education at FGCU, Dr. G. taught music methods courses, placed and supervised student teachers, and served as the faculty liaison to the College of Education and area schools. She joined FGCU in 2016 as a program coordinator and assistant professor and became an associate professor in 2021. During her time at FGCU, she also picked up addition roles teaching within University Colloquium. As an award-winning educator, scholar and composer, Dr. G. shared her expertise and talents at local, national and international conferences and symposiums.

The FGCU community is invited to attend Winterfest at 6:30 p.m. today on the Bower School of Music Lawn. The event is open to everyone, and we hope it will serve as a meaningful tribute to Dr. G.’s life and legacy while bringing our community together during this season of reflection and gratitude.

I also encourage you to seek out assistance during this time of grief. The following resources are available to FGCU employees:

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services, including mental health counseling, are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at (833) 746-8337 or online at www.mylifeexpert.com. Use company code: Florida.
• FGCU’S Community Counseling Center provides services to employees and community members. For more information, call (239) 745-4777 or visit www.fgcu.edu/mariebcollege/counseling/communitycounseling.

If you know of a student who needs assistance, please let them know about the following resources:

• Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): No appointments necessary. Call (239) 590-7950 or email caps@fgcu.edu
• 24/7 CAPS Crisis Line: (239) 745-EARS (3277)
• Student Care Services: care@fgcu.edu
• Togetherall: https://account.v2.togetherall.com/register/student

UBYou: https://link-to.app/ubyou 

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December 9, 2024

Dear Eagle Family,

Students are at the heart of our strategic plan, Innovating for Student Success: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. But the backbone of this incredible work comes from our world-class staff and faculty, who enrich the lives of our 16,000 students and ensure they reach their full potential.

As our university adopts a mindset of continuous improvement, it is essential that we evaluate how the university is performing as an employer so that we can foster an environment where all staff and faculty feel that they can thrive and grow. This is not just a goal in our strategic plan – it is the right thing to do.

To assist in this effort, we have used various efforts to solicit feedback from our employees, with each of these tools providing us with key information about employee’s perceptions of what it is like to work at FGCU. Through the Internal Communications Committee, we launched a survey that helped us understand how you want to receive information from the university and one another. I am sure you recognize that we have executed many new initiatives. We formed a taskforce to plan action steps with regards to the feedback we received from faculty on the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Survey, which you will hear detailed updates on the progress soon. And, as we conclude the fall term, I am pleased to say in this email that we are closing the loop in sharing updates about our recent town hall topics.

First, I want you to know that FGCU has received the final report from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS). The full report can be found online at www.fgcu.edu/facultystaff, and the October 28th town hall recording is available on my website.

Second, I am pleased to announce our next steps for ModernThink’s “Great Colleges to Work For” Survey results. When staff and faculty participated in the survey during the spring 2024 semester, I promised you that the university would use your anonymous feedback to guide our steps forward. I stressed how important it was for you to share your experiences – the good and the bad – with us so we could fine-tune our work culture and environment.

And that is exactly what we are doing.

Since the October 24th town hall, we knew it was critical for us to have ongoing discussions about the data, helping us collect ideas from across campus. Divisional vice presidents and the deans of our colleges and schools are continuing the conversations about the survey results in their areas, and I encourage you to join these discussions and share your ideas for a better employee experience at FGCU. These ideas will come before Cabinet in January so we can establish a top five list of campus priorities, which we will then share university-wide. Units will integrate these priorities so that we can move forward together.

To chronicle our efforts moving forward, FGCU has launched an employee experience website. Please visit fgcu.edu/employee-experience to find key resources like our 2024 “Great Colleges to Work For” survey data, the town hall recording and a list of frequently asked questions. The website also outlines opportunities for staff and faculty to get involved in our next steps, including being able to share anonymous feedback and sign up to become an Employee Experience Champion.

As we look ahead to 2025, FGCU will be focused on bringing all the feedback we received from these four instruments to further analyze what we learned so we can move forward with strategic initiatives to improve, change and innovate. We all have work to do individually and collectively. Through these efforts, we are ensuring our campus is a better place to work.

I know I can count on all of you to help our university in our journey forward.

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December 12, 2024

Dear Eagle Family,

It is with sadness that I inform you of the passing of Dr. Bernie Lester, a longtime and generous supporter of Florida Gulf Coast University.

Bernie was a key part of the team from Alico, Inc., an agribusiness company led by Ben Hill Griffin III, that was integral to bringing a university to Southwest Florida. He was part of Alico’s executive team that provided nearly 760 acres of land that would become FGCU’s footprint, in addition to negotiating with the state on the transfer of land and launching the construction of our campus’ initial facilities.

When the state shifted from the Board of Regents to a university trustee model of governance, Bernie was appointed by then-Governor Jeb Bush to the inaugural FGCU Board of Trustees. He served in this capacity for nine years.

Over the years, his connection to FGCU included seven years of service on the FGCU Foundation Board of Directors, seven years on the FGCU Financing Corporation Board of Directors, 15 years as a charter member of the Lutgert College of Business Advisory Council as well as many years as a member of the Center for Agribusiness Advisory Board.

Bernie was also an avid fan of the FGCU Eagles, having served as a charter member of the Eagles Club for intercollegiate athletics and holding season passes to men’s and women’s basketball. He supported the expansion of Alico Arena with a generous contribution, and the addition was named the W. Bernard and Elaine Lester Athletics Administration Complex.

Philanthropically, the Lester family supported FGCU faculty, students and student-athletes in many ways. Among those efforts were organizing the support for the three Alico Endowed Chairs in Lutgert College, establishing the Elaine P. and W. Bernard Lester Scholarship and creating the Lester Fund for Athletics.

Bernie’s commitment to FGCU was incredible. So much of what FGCU is today stems from his leadership, guidance and generosity. On behalf of the university, I send my deepest sympathies to the Lester family.

I know that many members of our FGCU community knew Bernie well. Please remember that the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at (833) 746-8337 or online at http://www.mylifeexpert.com. Use company code: Florida. 

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December 16, 2024

Dear Eagle Family,

Earlier today, I shared the attached message with our FGCU Board of Trustees, highlighting the many successes the university has achieved throughout 2024. It is impossible to include all of the great things happening on our campus, and these are only to mention how busy we have been. I encourage you to read the memo, and I hope you see yourself and your contributions and efforts memorialized in these highlights.

As we head into the remaining days of this calendar year, I want you to know that your efforts in supporting and educating our students are appreciated. You are making a difference in their lives – and in the lives of our broader community.

From my perspective, 2024 has been an incredible year for our institution, and we have so much to be proud of! I look forward to continuing that momentum when we return from winter break in January.

I wish you all happy holidays, a restful winter break and a joyful new year.

January 6, 2025

Hello, Eagle Family, and happy New Year!

Because of all of you – our outstanding students, faculty and staff – I know it is going to be a great year. I have prepared a video to share my appreciation as we continue our collective Journey to Excellence.

Please click the video below or visit FGCU’s YouTube channel to watch the video.

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January 10, 2025

Dear Eagle Family,

We are now in Year 2 of our strategic plan, Innovating for Student Success: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. As we move forward in operationalizing this plan, I am thrilled to see Dr. Eileen DeLuca shift into her new role as vice president of strategic initiatives and chief of staff. Much of her focus will be coordinating with offices and academic units across campus to make sure we are meeting our goals, objectives and key performance indicators.

As she leaves behind her leadership role in Strategy & Program Innovation, her direct reports have shifted into Academic Affairs, where they report to Interim Provost Tony Barringer. This includes:

• Kristen Vanselow, the assistant vice president for Innovative Education & Partnerships. Kristen remains at the helm of Continuing Education, FGCU Complete, and Micro-Credentials and Digital Badges, and will now take on leadership of the Hendry and Glades County Regional Partnerships, Professional and Cultural Education, and 2+2 articulation agreements with the Florida College System.
  
• Becky Jones, the director of Early College Programs. She leads the Accelerated Collegiate Experience (ACE) program, a full-time, on-campus, dual enrollment experience for eligible high school students. She is also involved with the development and support of collegiate academies and oversight of part-time dual enrollment programs within school districts in our regional service area.
  
• David Jaeger, the director of Digital Learning. He oversees both the instructional design team that provides support to the faculty within the colleges and schools, as well as the instructional technologists who provide support with software and the Learning Management System. Through interactions with all divisions and participation in Faculty Senate committees, he provides leadership for the adoption of quality digital learning practices across all instructional modalities that use technology.

As part of her new role, Eileen reports directly to me, serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet and oversees the Office of Board Relations in coordination with Tiffany Reynolds, the director of Board Relations, associate corporate secretary and deputy chief of staff.

For the time being, Eileen will wear multiple hats at the university. Until the search for the role of vice president and vice provost of Student Success & Enrollment Management (SSEM) is complete, Eileen will continue serving as this division’s acting vice president. Details about this search process can be found online at fgcu.edu/vicepresidentsearch.

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January 13, 2025

Good morning, Eagle Family! 

We are now one week into the spring semester – and a week into our launch of the Wings Up for Student Success platform. This is a comprehensive tool that unifies and coordinates various systems at our university into a single, centralized platform to help us holistically identify students who might need additional support in and out of the classroom.  

Last week, all staff and faculty received a message through Canvas announcing the launch of this tool and how it connects our campus’ efforts in advising, retention and student success, including their academic, social, emotional and physical well-being. See the attached graphic to see how you can share critical information with your colleagues. Through the use of this platform, we will be better able to target academic support services, outreach and intervention to students who need assistance, which will ensure students do not get lost in the journey from registration to graduation. I think we can all agree that this is a big step for our university! 

I want you to know FGCU will be rolling out the use of this platform in phases, and right now we are focused on case management, early alerts and referral tools. Updates will continue through August, and the university will be announcing upcoming training opportunities for all employees. This is not a one-time implementation, rather a long-term continuous improvement. We are innovating for student success in a journey to excellence by changing and implementing systems and processes across the institution to serve our students better every day. For now, I encourage you to visit FGCU’s Wings Up for Student Success website to learn more. General questions about the platform can be sent to wingsup@fgcu.edu.  

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January 21, 2025

Good morning, Eagle Family!

I am traveling to Tallahassee alongside our Government Relations team this week to speak with elected officials and their staff about our incredible institution. Key to this trip is sharing our strategic priorities with state legislators and explaining how this year’s funding requests for the university support our strategic plan – Innovating for Student Success: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence.

Each year, the university puts together a legislative budget request, or LBR, that identifies how recurring and non-recurring funding can advance our work. For the 2025-26 budget cycle, FGCU is requesting $21.8 million in operational support.

This funding will help us improve student success outcomes and provide students with accelerated education options, entrepreneurial endeavors and employer-partnered micro-credentials that align with an ever-evolving workforce. Our focus is supporting programs and initiatives that enhance success – both in and out of the classroom. Funding will also help us advance FGCU’s community partnerships, so our students have more opportunities to engage in real-world experiences, including internships, job-shadowing, co-ops and more. These efforts help them gain valuable career experience and success through transferrable and in-demand skills.

We are also requesting funds to support five capital requests. Three of these projects reimagine existing student space on campus, including Reed Hall, the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library and Annex, and the Cohen Student Union. We also want to use the funding to create a new, dedicated space on campus for career preparation and the development of innovative partnerships for our students. Also, we are requesting funding to build a learning, research and outreach facility in Charlotte County as part of our growing partnership with Babcock Ranch.

Throughout the semester, I will offer updates about this process as Florida officials shape the state budget. I send my appreciation to the team in Government Relations office for its work advocating on behalf of our university. To learn more about FGCU’s Eagle Advocacy efforts, visit fgcueagleadvocacy.com.

Wishing you a great week on campus!

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January 27, 2025

Dear Eagle Family,

Last week, my planned trip to Tallahassee was cancelled due to the winter weather that impacted business and operations in northern Florida. I am working with the Government Relations team to reschedule these important meetings with elected officials for early February. Throughout the semester, I will offer updates about how FGCU’s legislative budget requests are being factored into the state’s annual budget process.

In similar news, FGCU will soon receive its final calculation in the State University of Florida’s Performance-Based Funding (PBF) model. We have been informed that our anticipated score is 67 for the 2025-26 cycle. This is a four-point increase over our total score from last year, and it is something to be proud of and celebrate. 

Even before our Student Success Plan was formally approved, we saw the launch of new initiatives and processes that would help improve our performance metrics in the four key areas identified in the document. As a result, we experienced improvements across the board, as well as significant increases in the three graduation metrics (Metrics 4, 9a, 9b) and Metric 5, Academic Progress Rate.

However, I know that all of us on campus are viewing the anticipated score with disappointment. Internally, we predicted a pathway to a total score of 70 this year, with improvements in graduation and retention metrics. Where we fell short of this prediction was Metric 1, which we forecast to be between 7 and 9, considering the wage increases (with inflation) in the economic environment. Our actual score is anticipated to be a 6. Metric 1 focuses on the percent of 2022-23 graduates with a bachelor’s degree who have elected to enroll in graduate-level studies or have been employed with an annual salary of at least $40,000. I know this is disheartening, and we are taking a deeper look at post-graduation data to potentially identify the factors behind this result. 

I do not want this to stop us from being proud of our collective work. We still have much to celebrate, as I outlined in the attached memo to the FGCU Board of Trustees. I am transparently sharing this information with you because we have much work to do together.

To assist our campus community in understanding more about metrics, how they are calculated and some of our innovative ideas for improvement, the Internal Communications Committee has planned a town hall from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 5, in the Cohen Student Union Ballroom. The event will be interactive and include table discussions led by the following panelists:

• Dr. Eric Tack, associate vice president of Academic Engagement
• Dr. Sangki Min, assistant vice president of Planning & Institutional Performance
• Dr. Rosa Gomez-Camacho, senior director of Institutional Research and Data Analytics
• Dr. Clay Motley, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences
• Dr. Diana Cheshire, dean of the College of Education
• Megan Clipse, senior director of University Budgets

A flyer for the event is attached. For those who cannot join the in-person conversation, please note that a link to the town hall broadcast will be shared later this week.

From my vantage point, I can tell you there are many characteristics that set FGCU staff and faculty apart from other institutions, and one is the incredible passion you have for providing our students with a distinctive education and quality services. You are driven to make a difference in the lives of our students, and I am so proud of the work that you have accomplished in the past year. Together, we will continue these efforts in our pursuit of excellence.

February 3, 2025

Dear Eagle Family,

Last week, the Florida Board of Governors (BOG) approved a new strategic plan for the State University System of Florida. Called SUS 30: Extraordinary Impact, the plan outlines the bold vision forward for Florida’s public universities as they advance efforts around student success. The document defines our system’s mission, vision, values and priority areas.

The strategic plan was presented during Thursday’s BOG meeting, which I attended alongside many of our leaders across campus. It was incredible to see how much of our own strategic plan, FGCU’s Journey to Excellence, is reflected in this document. Knowing that our goals and objectives align to the BOG’s priorities tells us we are on the right path for student success.

As part of the system’s new strategic plan, new metrics and targets have been announced. Many of them will highlight our successes at FGCU, including evaluating licensure pass rates and connecting students to experiential learning/internships. These are areas we already excel. Other metrics include more students graduating without debt and improving the success rates of transfer and Pell Grant students. There are also new metrics in operational excellence, world-class talent, innovative research and economic developments. All of these are areas we are committed to improving as part of FGCU’s strategic plan, which, again, I am very proud to say is aligned with the system’s vision of achieving an extraordinary impact across the state.

I encourage you to spend some time reading through the SUS 30 document, which can be found online at www.flbog.edu/board/strategic-plan.

August 5, 2024

Dear Eagle Family,

We are now in the official countdown to the start of the fall term, which begins August 19. FGCU students bring such an energy and excitement to the campus community, and I am looking forward to seeing our campus re-energized with the comings and goings of our 16,000 students.

As I previously mentioned to you, I am a regular attendee at our Weeks of Welcome (WOW) events, which offer students opportunities to connect with their peers and the campus community. One such event is the Welcome Class of 2028 BBQ from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. August 16 on the Library Lawn. I cannot wait for the kickoff event, so be sure to come by, get some food and say hi.

I also hope you will mark your calendar for the annual Eagle Revolution pep rally. The event takes place at Alico Arena – home of FGCU Athletics – on the first day of the fall term. Students can enjoy a concert-like atmosphere that includes free food, music and giveaways. You will hear from university leaders like me as well as our incredible FGCU student-athletes and coaches. It’s also a chance to learn how to get involved with the Dirty Birds, the official student fan group for FGCU. The doors open at 6:30 p.m., and I look forward to seeing you!

BE ON THE LOOKOUT

• All undergraduate students will receive an email on Wednesday (August 7) from Kitty Green, the vice president of University Advancement, with a link to a market research survey that will help inform our new branding campaign. The survey is part of the research being conducted by BVK, a nationally known marketing firm in higher education that was hired to help FGCU amplify our new strategic plan on campus and throughout our community. Please participate.

Wings Up and Go Eagles!

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August 12, 2024

Dear Eagle Family, 

We are now one week out from the start of the fall semester. It is thrilling to see our campus population grow each day as more of our Eagles return to the nest. 

Last week, most of our faculty members who have been off for the summer reported to campus, and we gathered about 800 of our employees at Alico Arena for our annual Fall Kickoff Celebration. This event is like a pep rally for staff and faculty members, and I know our employees are excited to work with you and help you meet your goals. 

It is incredibly important for our students, especially our freshmen, to feel they belong at FGCU – that this is your home away from home. Our faculty and staff are here to support you in your journey, and students can reach out to us at any time for extra support. We can help you get more involved with campus events and activities, introduce you to other students and programs, and we can provide guidance for the road ahead – be it academics, internships or local career opportunities.  

For those of you moving into the residence halls this week, you will be greeted by FGCU staff, faculty and some of your peers. We want to welcome our newest Eagles to campus and help you acclimate as quickly as possible.  

Don't forget to stop by my tent for some ice-cold water and some shade! Here’s where to find me during move-in: 

• Wednesday | Tent stationed between Osprey and Eagle halls between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.  
• Thursday | Tent stationed at Palmetto Hall between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

I am looking forward to welcoming you to FGCU. Please don’t hesitate to ask for help! 

Wings Up and Go Eagles!

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August 19, 2024

Good morning, Eagle Family, and welcome to the start of the fall semester! We are excited that our beautiful campus is filled with more than 16,000 FGCU Eagles.

In just over a week, FGCU will celebrate its 27th year of teaching and learning. We are growing, we are maturing, and we remain committed to our mission as a transformative and learner-centered university here in Southwest Florida. I know this is going to be our best year yet, and that’s because of you – our incredible students!

As you go about finding your way on campus and adjusting to your new course schedule, I want to encourage you to take full advantage of the resources and opportunities available to you. Our faculty and staff are here to support you every step of your journey, so reach out and let us know how we can help you.

On behalf of the entire university, I wish you all a safe, healthy and wonderful start to the fall semester.

DON’T FORGET

• Tonight is our annual Eagle Revolution pep rally at Alico Arena. Enjoy free music, food and prizes as you are introduced to FGCU’s traditions, student-athletes and coaches. The fun begins at 6:30 p.m. – see you there!

Wings Up and Go Eagles!

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August 26, 2024

Good morning, Eagle Family! 

Yesterday, we reached an all-new milestone for our institution: FGCU celebrated the 27th anniversary of our first day of classes. We have achieved so much over the years, growing from our humble beginnings as a commuter school with a handful of buildings to the regional comprehensive university we know and love today.  

FGCU filled an educational void that once existed in the Southwest Florida region, and we have remained committed to meeting the needs of our students and the community we serve. We are nimble, resourceful and innovative, responding to the economic and workforce needs of the state of Florida. Through these efforts, FGCU has emerged as the economic driver for Southwest Florida and beyond, and our institution is an example of what regional partnerships can do to help students find success in the classroom, career and life.

One way we are doing this is through transferable skills. Often called employability skills, these are abilities like communication, critical thinking and teamwork that make you a standout applicant in the job market. You develop these skills in your courses as well as extra or co-curricular activities throughout your educational experience here at FGCU, but they are often not visible in the titles of courses or the names of majors.

To amplify the importance of transferable skills, FGCU offers 10 digital skills badges employers value most, and you can earn these badges at no cost and no additional classes via Canvas.   

Learn how to get career-ready at fgcu.edu/digitalbadges/transferable. 

Celebrate with FGCU

·       The University Help Desk moved to the first floor of the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library, and an open house is planned for 1 p.m. Tuesday, August 27. (See attachment for more details.)

·       College Colors Day is Thursday, August 29. Celebrate your Eagle spirit by participating in the annual Green & Blue Spirit Photo with the FGCU Athletics Teams at 10 a.m. on the Library Lawn. 

Wings Up and Go Eagles! 

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August 29, 2024

Dear FGCU Family,

As FGCU settles into its 27th year of teaching and learning, we are becoming more strategic in our daily functions and operations. Following a robust national search that was assisted by a panel of FGCU stakeholders, I am pleased to announce the university is taking another step in these efforts with the appointment of Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Chief of Staff Eileen DeLuca, Ph.D.

Eileen will transition to this new role in January 2025. Leading up to this change, she will continue serving the university as both the acting vice president of Student Success & Enrollment Management and interim chief strategy and program innovation officer for the division of Academic Affairs.

As you may recall, Eileen joined FGCU in June 2023. Among her first assignments was helping the university complete its new strategic plan, Innovating for Student Success: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. In her upcoming role, Eileen will continue these efforts, collaborating campus-wide with offices and academic units to ensure effective implementation and operationalization of our new strategic plan and other university initiatives.

Prior to becoming an FGCU Eagle, Eileen worked at Florida SouthWestern State College, where she progressively took on larger leadership roles. She scaled the academic ranks, starting as an adjunct professor in 2005 and working her way up to full professor, department chair and dean. Eileen took on assistant- and associate-level vice president roles before being named interim provost in July 2018 and provost 10 months later. She held the college’s top academic role through 2022, when she was named the provost for external international partnerships. Eileen earned her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Florida, two master’s degrees (applied anthropology from the University of South Florida and education from the College of New Rochelle) and a bachelor’s degree in education from USF.

When Eileen transitions into the vice president and chief of staff role in January, she will become a direct report to me and provide high-level support and guidance as a member of cabinet. She will also oversee and provide guidance to the Office of Board Relations, coordinating with Director of Board Relations, Associate Corporate Secretary and Deputy Chief of Staff Tiffany Reynolds. We will continue to explore future leadership in the areas of strategy and program innovation.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to the search panel chair, David Vazquez, and members of the search panel: Trustee Michael Wynn, Jen Goen, Pamela McCabe, Dr. Tracy Elliott, Dr. Jenny Manegold, Dr. Max Stein, Dr. Eric Tack, Dr. Sang Ki Min, Mary Banks and Jena Padilla for their time and service for practicing shared governance.

It is always a rewarding feeling to know we cast a wide net but found that the best candidate was already among us. Please join me in congratulating Eileen.

Wings Up & Go Eagles! 

September 3, 2024

Dear FGCU Students,

After serving as FGCU’s chief academic officer for over three and a half years, Dr. Mark Rieger is moving on from his position as executive vice president and provost. Mark brought to FGCU his extensive research, teaching and administration experience in higher education that spanned 34 years.

I am especially proud of Mark’s work to bring FGCU back to a fully in-person and robust academic offering following the pandemic, as well as his leadership during our response and recovery efforts related to Hurricane Ian. Mark amplified the impact of research and sponsored programs and launched seven degree programs, four academic certificates and five minors. Most recently, he garnered support for FGCU’s first doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) program, which was approved by the Board of Trustees and now moves on for further consideration by the Florida Board of Governors.

On behalf of the university, I thank Mark for his service and send him my best wishes as he embarks on the next phase of his journey.

To assist with the transition of leadership, I have named Dr. Tony Barringer as interim provost, enabling him to oversee the daily administrative operations for the division of Academic Affairs. FGCU is also launching a national search to fill the role of provost, and we intend to bring on our next provost by the start of the 2025 spring term.

Wings Up and Go Eagles!

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September 9, 2024

Good morning, FGCU Students! 

We are now at the start of the fourth week of the fall semester, and I hope you have found yourself in a familiar groove when it comes to class attendance, studying and enjoying all that FGCU has to offer. 

To assist in this effort, Student Success & Enrollment Management (SSEM) has created a course entitled “Student Success Resources.” It is a one-stop shop for many of the resources you need, and I encourage you to check it out the next time you log into Canvas. 

I know I have said this before, but our faculty and staff are here to support you in your journey and help you reach your goals. Please do not hesitate to ask us for help. We are here for you, whether you need help in your studies, guidance on volunteer experiences, or simply have a question about campus happenings. 

I am also a resource for you! I schedule my week in such a way that I can walk campus, drop into classrooms and attend student engagement events. I attend as many of our home sporting events as possible, and you can always find me sitting with the Dirty Birds to cheer on our Eagles. Please do not hesitate to say hi or tell me what is on your mind.  

Your experience at FGCU matters to me and all of us at FGCU.  

Wings Up & Go Eagles!

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September 23, 2024

Good morning, FGCU Students!

As I have mentioned in this space, your success is important to all of us at FGCU. In recent weeks, I have shared key resources and information with you on how to access help – both in and out of the classroom.

Today, I want you to know about some of the other ways the university is working to improve your experience.

Student Success Plan

We are moving forward with implementing our student success plan, which is a required step in our university’s performance-based funding model. Last week, I presented the plan to the Florida Board of Governors (BOG), and I am pleased to share it was approved. 

Although we are working toward improving all 10 student success metrics our university is assessed on, we are hyper focused on four metrics that relate to timely graduation and students staying on track in their studies. A PDF copy of my presentation is available here for more information on our next steps.  

Mental Health Survey Starts Today 

FGCU is participating in the University of Michigan’s Healthy Minds Study, which is a comprehensive research project that will help us better understand the challenges and needs related to mental health among our students. 

Later this morning, you will receive an email inviting them to take part in a survey. Please note: the email will show up in Outlook as coming from the Marieb College of Health & Human Services and the associated email is healthyminds-FGCU@umich.edu 

Please participate to the best of your ability. See flyer for details.

Wings Up & Go Eagles!

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September 30, 2024

Dear Students,

Today, the university shifts back to our normal schedule of classes and campus events, but we know there are members of the FGCU Family who are facing challenges at home brought by Hurricane Helene.

Students, I want you to know that faculty have been directed to be as flexible and reasonable as possible when coordinating make-up work for the days missed. Instructors will make all efforts to ensure academic continuity, and updates about class assignments and date extensions will be provided through Canvas. Again, we encourage you to reach out to individual professors for more information. Compassion and flexibility will lead our efforts as we go about our return to normal operations.

I also want to thank all of you for your patience and trust as we pivoted our decisions throughout the storm to ensure the safety of our students and employees. We coordinated with and obtained reliable information through our partners, including regional school districts, county emergency managers and state officials.

We have many resources available to students:

• FGCU students can access mental health support and therapy services through Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Walk-ins are welcome (no appointments necessary), and the CAPS team can be reached at (239) 590-7950 or caps@fgcu.edu. 
• 24/7 CAPS Crisis Line is available outside of normal business hours (evenings, weekends and holidays) at (239) 745-EARS (3277). For more information, visit www.fgcu.edu/counseling-and-psychological-services.
• Togetherall is a safe, anonymous, online peer-to-peer community for mental health support that is free to all FGCU students. Sign up using your FGCU email: https://account.v2.togetherall.com/register/student.
• UBYou is a student wellness and success app for students that offers a one-stop shop to FGCU campus resources as well as mental and physical health exercises. Sign up for free using your FGCU email: https://link-to.app/ubyou.
• Student Care Services is available in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in Cohen Student Union, Room 288, or by phone at (239) 590-7900 and email at care@fgcu.edu. The referral form is available online.

We are a family, and FGCU is here to support you.

Wings Up & Go Eagles! 

October 14, 2024

Dear Students,

FGCU was fortunate during Hurricane Milton. Minimal debris cleanup was required on our main campus, and utilities, such as power, water and internet, were unaffected by the storm.

Not everyone in our community can say the same. We understand that all of our stories look different right now, and it is critical that we lead with patience, compassion and flexibility as we return to normal operations.

The best way for us to know what resources or assistance you need post-hurricane is to fill out the Emergency Outreach Form (maxient.com). Students can also stop by Student Care Services from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in Cohen Student Union, Room 288, or call (239) 590-7900 during normal office hours. The team can also be reached by email at care@fgcu.edu.

If you have not done so already, please check Canvas for updates about your individual classes, as there could be changes in assignments or syllabi due to the academic days lost between Hurricanes Helene and Milton. For an overview of the many resources available to you on campus, check out the Canvas course called “Student Success Resources.” Also, please share with your instructors any obstacles you are facing related to the storms. Please do not hesitate to ask for help.

Lastly, I want to thank you for your patience, care, support and kindness to one another in these difficult times. I also want to extend my deepest appreciation to the dedicated university personnel who stayed on campus during the storm to keep our FGCU community safe as well as everyone who worked post-hurricane to ensure the safety and operability of our campus. Their work helped FGCU get back to normal operations as quickly as possible. I am so proud of our FGCU Family, and you truly make FGCU so special.

We are the Eagle Family, and we are better together.

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October 21, 2024

Dear Students,

FGCU is moving forward with national searches for the positions of Executive Vice President and Provost as well as Vice President and Vice Provost, Student Success & Enrollment Management.

To assist executive search firm Greenwood Asher & Associates, I have formed two search committees. Committee membership represents all facets of our campus community, ensuring voices of students, faculty and staff are part of the decision process. Committee rosters are attached to this email.

Committee kickoff meetings and listening sessions for both searches have been scheduled, and we have launched websites for each search. Please see below for more information:

Executive Vice President and Provost: Serves as the chief academic officer for FGCU, providing academic leadership for the colleges and schools. The person hired for this role will be the second-highest ranking officer at FGCU, behind the university president. Search website: fgcu.edu/provostsearch Kickoff meeting: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, November 1, in Academic Building 9, Room 138 Committee support staff: Julie Echo, jeacho@fgcu.edu

Vice President and Vice Provost, Student Success & Enrollment Management (SSEM): Serves as the chief student affairs officer, directing all student-related functions of the university. Search website: fgcu.edu/vicepresidentsearch Kickoff meeting: 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, November 1, in Academic Building 9, Room 138 Committee support staff: Jenn Culver, jculver@fgcu.edu

Listening Sessions: Vice President Searches
You are invited to attend listening sessions with Greenwood Asher & Associates, where consultants will lead the discussion and prompt the audience with questions about both positions, as they will work closely together.

• Session 1: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday, October 31, Academic Building 9, Room 106
• Session 2: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday, November 1, Academic Building 9, Room 138

I encourage you to stay informed as we conduct searches for these critical positions that directly impact our operations and efforts in supporting FGCU students. 

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October 22, 2024

Dear Students, 

Eagle EXPO was this past Saturday, and I want to thank our employees and students who took part in planning and bringing to life this action-packed open house. The event showcased everything we love about our university to 440 prospective students. 

We are now heading into the final stretch of the fall semester.  

As we approach the term’s final weeks and the upcoming holiday breaks, it is critical for you to be attending class, completing assignments and seeking out help when you need it. Your best resource will always be your instructors, but I want you to know where else you can go to for help: 

• The ITS Help Desk is located on the first floor of the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library and is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. You can also call (239) 590-1188 or email the Help Desk team at helpdesk@fgcu.edu. 

• Center for Academic Achievement (CAA) offers tutoring, the writing lab and supplemental instruction. Visit the CAA in Library West, Room 202, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. 

Finally, for an overview of all student resources, check out the Canvas course called “Student Success Resources.”  

Please do not hesitate to ask for help. All of us at FGCU are here to support you in your journey. 

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October 28, 2024

Dear Students,

As I wrote last week, the end of the fall term is coming up quickly. As we look toward the start of a new month, please note the following days off from classes:

• November 5: Study day
• November 11: Veteran’s Day observed
• November 27-30: Thanksgiving observed

The last day of fall classes is December 9 and finals beginning on the 10^th.

Please stay on top of your course assignments and other deadlines. It is critical for you to attend class, complete assignments and seek help when you need it. As I have said before, our FGCU faculty and staff are here to support you in your journey, so please don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. 

November 4, 2024

Good morning, FGCU Students!

Last week, FGCU was honored with a visit from our founding president, Dr. Roy McTarnaghan. He was appointed president of our university in 1993, long before it even had a name, and he was critical to building the university, opening it in 1997 and leading it through 1999. It is such a gift that our previous leaders have a passion and true love for this institution.

During his visit, Dr. McTarnaghan shared his wisdom with staff, faculty and campus leaders. He and I discussed FGCU’s new Student Success Plan. His message to me: We’re on the right path, and we have his support!

I carried his words of wisdom with me to Friday’s outstanding President’s Scholarship Luncheon, a truly wonderful event that pairs our FGCU donors with the students who have benefited from their scholarships. Many of you were in the room. I am energized and inspired by the FGCU community for collaborating to make such an incredible difference in the lives of our students.

As I have said many times, I encourage you to take full advantage of the resources and opportunities available to you – and that means taking full advantage of the events happening across campus.

From the performances through the Bower School of Music & the Arts, FGCU Athletics and the various activities planned by our registered student organizations, I can tell you there is a lot to do! Stay up to date on the offerings with the weekly events listing prepared by University Communications & Media Relations, or visit FGCU’s Calendar of Events and Eagle Link websites.

Other Announcements

• Do you have a great instructor, advisor or other employee worthy of recognition? Students, please nominate them for an Advising, Librarianship, Scholarship, Service and Teaching Excellence Awards. Nominations are due November 15. Contact Julie Eacho at jeacho@fgcu.edu for details.
• Students have until November 12 to participate in the HealthyMinds Study, which is a comprehensive research project from the University of Michigan that will help us better understand the challenges and needs related to mental health among our students. Look for emails from healthyminds-FGCU@umich.edu for more information.
• In partnership with Lee Health, FGCU is participating in the 2025 Lee County Heart Walk at 8 a.m. December 14 at Centennial Park in Downtown Fort Myers. The event is in benefit of the American Heart Association. This year, every walker who registers on the Heart Walk website has the opportunity to learn hands-only CPR and spread that education to their family, colleagues and friends.

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November 12, 2024

Good morning, Eagle Family.

Yesterday, our campus was closed in observance of Veterans Day – a time in which we share our gratitude and appreciation for the courage, dedication and sacrifices made by those who have served in the U.S. military. We are so honored to have veterans among us on campus – as students, faculty and staff. On behalf of the university, I thank you for your service.

FGCU offers various veteran-related services and resources to students, employees and the broader community. Here are a few I would like to highlight for you today:

• To better meet the needs of Southwest Florida veterans and their families, FGCU plans to expand veteran services by creating a privately funded Veterans Center for Student Success on campus. The center will also enhance the university’s direct support for enrolled veterans, their benefited families and FGCU faculty and staff.
• The Office of Military & Veterans Success serves as a hub for academic resources for military-connected students. It understands veteran-specific issues that impact performance and academic success and, in turn, provides resources and guidance for servicing the unique educational needs of veterans.
• Home Base of Southwest Florida’s Warrior Health & Fitness Program, located at the Kleist Health Education Center, provides a free, 90-day program designed to help veterans improve their physical health and well-being through supervised physical exercise, nutrition, stress management and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
• The Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program at FGCU offers a comprehensive, tuition-free training experience designed specifically for military veterans and their families. It supports participants at all stages of their entrepreneurial journey.  

It is our desire to continue to amplify these efforts to ensure these key services and resources grow.

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November 15, 2024

Dear FGCU Students,

I am thrilled to announce that Kristi M. Carman, Esq., has accepted our employment offer to serve as FGCU’s new Vice President & General Counsel. She will begin her role at the university in May 2025.

For the remainder of the academic year, Lisa Jones, Esq., will continue to serve the university as Interim Vice President & General Counsel. Lisa has done a phenomenal job in this role, and I am so pleased to have her assistance during this transition.

I extend my sincere gratitude to all who were engaged with this search effort.

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November 18, 2024

Dear Eagle Family,

Today I write you from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)’s annual conference for presidents and chancellors. All of our discussions have been focused on collaboration and how we, as leaders in higher education, can build bridges to uplift our communities by working together.

Collaboration is a word we frequently use at FGCU, and I am thrilled to share with my colleagues all the ways our units, departments and colleges are embracing the power of collaboration in their day-to-day work.

Certainly, collaboration was on display last Friday as over 600 individuals came together from across our campus and outside organizations to participate in the largest-ever Disaster Day Interprofessional Simulation event in Southwest Florida. At the heart of the event were hands-on training exercises for 317 students from the Marieb College of Health & Human Services, who worked together, across majors, to care for “patients.”

I use quotes because it was a drill with very convincing actors! Some of those patients were life-like manikins, brought in from various organizations in the community. Others were fellow students, FGCU employees and members of the Florida State Guard who donned makeup, prosthetics and acted as though they were injured, ill or experiencing mental health-related trauma from an emergency situation.

This event is an example of the power of partnership. Not only did we connect students and employees from across campus, but we engaged the public to assist with our mission of student success. Experts in public health and safety sectors from about 20 outside organizations were on hand to offer the assistance during the full-day event. Everyone was there to support our students as they prepare for their future careers, and that is a collaboration we should all be proud of!

I send my sincere thanks to the FGCU students and employees who helped make this event possible. Well done!

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November 25, 2024

Hello, Eagle Family!  

In honor of Thanksgiving, I have prepared a video to share my gratitude and appreciation for all of our FGCU students, faculty and staff. To watch, please click the video below or visit FGCU’s YouTube channel. 

Happy Thanksgiving! I look forward to seeing you back on campus in December! 

December 2, 2024

Good morning, Eagles!

I hope you had a great time with your loved ones during the Thanksgiving break and have returned to campus feeling recharged and ready to complete the final days of the fall term.  

The last day of fall term classes is December 9 (one week from today!), and finals week begins on the 10th. I wish you all the best as we approach the end of the semester.  

Study and sleep well! We know this time of year comes with extra stress and responsibilities, and your wellbeing is important. As I have said before, our FGCU faculty and staff are here to support you in your journey, so please don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. 

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December 4, 2024

Dear FGCU Students,

It is with sadness that I share that one of our faculty members from the Bower School of Music & the Arts – Dr. Patricia “Ticia” Gingras – recently passed away. You knew her as Dr. G.

As the head of music education at FGCU, Dr. G. taught music methods courses, placed and supervised student teachers, and served as the faculty liaison to the College of Education and area schools. She joined FGCU in 2016 as a program coordinator and assistant professor and became an associate professor in 2021. During her time at FGCU, she also picked up additional roles teaching within University Colloquium.

The FGCU community is invited to attend Winterfest at 6:30 p.m. today on the Bower School of Music Lawn. The event will serve as a meaningful tribute to Dr. G.’s life and legacy while bringing our community together during this season of reflection and gratitude.

I also want you to be aware of the following resources available to students through FGCU:

• Mental health support and therapy services are available through Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Walk-ins are welcome (no appointments necessary), and the CAPS team can be reached at (239) 590-7950 or caps@fgcu.edu. The 24/7 CAPS Crisis Line is available at (239) 745-EARS (3277). For more information, visit www.fgcu.edu/counseling-and-psychological-services. 
• Student CARE Services is available to assist with resources and referrals. Contact the team at care@fgcu.edu. For more information, visit www.fgcu.edu/eaglescare.
• Togetherall is a safe, anonymous, peer-to-peer community for mental health support that is free to all FGCU students. Sign up using your FGCU email: https://account.v2.togetherall.com/register/student. 
• UBYou is a free student wellness and success app for students that offers a one-stop shop to FGCU campus resources as well as mental and physical health exercises. Sign up using your FGCU email: https://link-to.app/ubyou.

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December 9, 2024

Dear Students,

Today is the last day of fall classes and end-of-semester finals begin tomorrow. The semester will culminate this weekend with our fall commencement ceremonies, in which approximately 1,800 students will celebrate the completion of their academic journey at FGCU.

To our Eagle graduates: I look forward to this weekend’s celebrations, where we will honor the work you have put into your classwork, extracurricular activities and service to the broader community. I am so proud of all you have achieved during your time as an FGCU Eagle. I know I will be hearing great things about you in the years to come!

To all other FGCU students: I wish you a wonderful and relaxing winter break, and I look forward to seeing you back on campus in January 2025.

January 6, 2025

Hello, Eagle Family, and happy New Year!

Because of all of you – our outstanding students, faculty and staff – I know it is going to be a great year. I have prepared a video to share my appreciation as we continue our collective Journey to Excellence.

Please click the video below or visit FGCU’s YouTube channel to watch the video.

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January 10, 2025 

Dear Eagle Family,

We are now in Year 2 of our strategic plan, Innovating for Student Success: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. As we move forward in operationalizing this plan, I am thrilled to see Dr. Eileen DeLuca shift into her new role as vice president of strategic initiatives and chief of staff. Much of her focus will be coordinating with offices and academic units across campus to make sure we are meeting our goals, objectives and key performance indicators.

As she leaves behind her leadership role in Strategy & Program Innovation, her direct reports have shifted into Academic Affairs, where they report to Interim Provost Tony Barringer. This includes:

• Kristen Vanselow, the assistant vice president for Innovative Education & Partnerships. Kristen remains at the helm of Continuing Education, FGCU Complete, and Micro-Credentials and Digital Badges, and will now take on leadership of the Hendry and Glades County Regional Partnerships, Professional and Cultural Education, and 2+2 articulation agreements with the Florida College System.
  
• Becky Jones, the director of Early College Programs. She leads the Accelerated Collegiate Experience (ACE) program, a full-time, on-campus, dual enrollment experience for eligible high school students. She is also involved with the development and support of collegiate academies and oversight of part-time dual enrollment programs within school districts in our regional service area.
  
• David Jaeger, the director of Digital Learning. He oversees both the instructional design team that provides support to the faculty within the colleges and schools, as well as the instructional technologists who provide support with software and the Learning Management System. Through interactions with all divisions and participation in Faculty Senate committees, he provides leadership for the adoption of quality digital learning practices across all instructional modalities that use technology.

As part of her new role, Eileen reports directly to me, serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet and oversees the Office of Board Relations in coordination with Tiffany Reynolds, the director of Board Relations, associate corporate secretary and deputy chief of staff.

For the time being, Eileen will wear multiple hats at the university. Until the search for the role of vice president and vice provost of Student Success & Enrollment Management (SSEM) is complete, Eileen will continue serving as this division’s acting vice president. Details about this search process can be found online at fgcu.edu/vicepresidentsearch.

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January 13, 2025 

Good morning, Students! 

We are a week into the new semester, and I hope you are finding your groove as you balance your studies, classes, work schedules and extracurricular activities. We have so much happening on campus, and I want to encourage you to keep an eye out for our Weeks of Welcome events. 

FGCU hosts these student-focused activities at the start of every term, and they provide you with great opportunities to connect with one another and the broader campus community. As Weeks of Welcome events are organized, they are posted on Eagle Link. Access this website with your FGCU credentials.  

You can count on seeing me at as many of these WOW events as possible. 

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January 21, 2025 

Good morning, Students!

I am traveling to Tallahassee to speak with elected officials this week about FGCU’s strategic priorities and explain how our 2025-26 budget requests support the strategic plan – Innovating for Student Success: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence.

Each year, FGCU submits a legislative budget request, or LBR, that shows how state funding can advance our work. Our focus is supporting programs and initiatives that help you find success – both in and out of the classroom.

FGCU is requesting $21.8 million in operational support to provide you with accelerated education options, entrepreneurial endeavors and employer-partnered micro-credentials that align with an ever-evolving workforce. Funding will also help us advance FGCU’s community partnerships, so you have more opportunities to engage in real-world experiences and gain valuable career and transferrable skills.

FGCU is also requesting funds to support five capital requests. Three of these projects help with reimagining existing student space on campus so they can better meet your needs, including: 

• Updating Reed Hall, one of our original academic buildings from 1997
  
• The creation of post-pandemic learning spaces in the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library and Annex  
  
• Reconfiguring the Cohen Student Union so it meets the unique needs of current and future students 

Throughout the semester, I will offer updates about this process as Florida officials shape the state budget. To learn more about FGCU’s Eagle Advocacy efforts, visit fgcueagleadvocacy.com. 

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January 27, 2025 

Dear Students,

Last week, my planned trip to Tallahassee was cancelled due to the winter weather that impacted business and operations in northern Florida. I am working with the Government Relations team to reschedule these important meetings with elected officials for early February.

These meetings are an opportunity to showcase the incredible things happening every day on our campus and why we need our legislators’ support. Throughout the semester, I will offer updates about how FGCU’s legislative budget requests are being factored into the state’s annual budget process.

Over the weekend, FGCU welcomed our admitted students for the upcoming academic year to campus for our annual Say Yes to the Nest event. This is an opportunity to show off our campus and provide future Eagles with more information about our academic programs, colleges, schools and campus life. 

Although it was quite chilly, it proved to be a beautiful day on campus. I know many of our current students contributed to the success of this annual event, and I want to thank you for showcasing your university so proudly.

Have a great week on campus, Eagles!

February 3, 2025

Dear Eagle Family,

Last week, the Florida Board of Governors (BOG) approved a new strategic plan for the State University System of Florida. Called SUS 30: Extraordinary Impact, the plan outlines the bold vision forward for Florida’s public universities as they advance efforts around student success. The document defines our system’s mission, vision, values and priority areas.

The strategic plan was presented during Thursday’s BOG meeting, which I attended alongside many of our leaders across campus. It was incredible to see how much of our own strategic plan, FGCU’s Journey to Excellence, is reflected in this document. Knowing that our goals and objectives align to the BOG’s priorities tells us we are on the right path for student success.

As part of the system’s new strategic plan, new metrics and targets have been announced. Many of them will highlight our successes at FGCU, including evaluating licensure pass rates and connecting students to experiential learning/internships. These are areas we already excel. Other metrics include more students graduating without debt and improving the success rates of transfer and Pell Grant students. There are also new metrics in operational excellence, world-class talent, innovative research and economic developments. All of these are areas we are committed to improving as part of FGCU’s strategic plan, which, again, I am very proud to say is aligned with the system’s vision of achieving an extraordinary impact across the state.

I encourage you to spend some time reading through the SUS 30 document, which can be found online at www.flbog.edu/board/strategic-plan.