Guest Editorial
Land and a grand plan, a bright future ahead
On Aug. 25, 1997, Florida Gulf Coast University welcomed its first students. On that date 10 years later, the FGCU board of trustees unanimously voted to name me the university’s third president. In this, our 20th year of offering a high-quality and affordable educational experience to students from Southwest Florida and beyond, I will have conferred the 25,000th degree at the graduation ceremony in May.
Through our five colleges―the U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering, the Lutgert College of Business, the Marieb College of Health and Human Services, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Education―we offer baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Our [NCAA] Division I athletics program is stellar, by any measure. The FGCU Foundation has a very impressive $80 million endowment that allows us to recruit distinguished scholars/researchers, to sponsor interesting and provocative lecture series, to invest in faculty development and award more than $2 million annually in scholarships to welldeserving students. The Foundation is in the final stage of a fundraising campaign that had $100 million as its goal, one that we’ve already exceeded!
The tremendous success FGCU has experienced in 20 short years is unmatched in higher education. Thanks in part to the visionary leadership of my president predecessors―Dr. Roy McTarnaghan and the late Dr. Bill Merwin―the generosity of our donors, the persistent advocacy of citizens from within our region, the hard work of our legislative delegations and the commitment of our faculty and staff, our FGCU students enjoy a living and learning environment that is challenging and rewarding. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, I am confident we will continue to improve in all that we do for our students and the economic, social and cultural vitality of this region.
FGCU trustees recently developed a comprehensive and forward-thinking strategic plan. This plan is both aspirational and inspirational. It provides a road map for the future development of FGCU. With the unwavering support we have enjoyed from so many of you over the past 20 years, Southwest Florida’s comprehensive public university will continue to serve this region and its students with distinction and in new and improved ways.
It has been a privilege to serve this fine institution as its president. My wife, Jo Anna, and I also have had unique opportunities to be part of the community at large. Her work with the Harry Chapin Food Bank and establishing a Campus Food Bank at FGCU were labors of love. My service on the boards of the Horizon Council, the Foundation for Lee County Schools, Imagine Solutions, the Alliance of Educational Leaders and the Naples Botanical Garden has permitted me to be involved in the communities beyond the boundaries of the FGCU campus.
While I will be retiring as president at the end of June, my successor―president-elect Dr. Michael Martin―will find an institution that is vibrant and poised for its next level of excellence. I am leaving FGCU with a great sense of pride and accomplishment and gratitude for the wonderful opportunities and friendships.
FGCU’s future is very bright.
Wilson Wilson G. Bradshaw, Ph.D. President, Florida Gulf Coast University