FAU aims to attract best and brightest

Bigger Student Union, new science building part of plan

Florida Atlantic University plans to build new space for students and researchers, a move that it hopes will also help build its reputation.

The university just announced plans to expand the Student Union on the Boca Raton campus, the latest step in an effort to transition from a commuter college to one with a more traditional atmosphere.

In addition, FAU is asking the state for $33 million for a science building on the Jupiter campus, a move to give it more of a science focus. The campus shares space with two bio-tech powerhouses — The Scripps Research Institute and the Max Planck Society.

FAU officials say these and other efforts will assist in attracting top-quality students and faculty to a school that once had a near-open admission policy. The university also has raised the admissions criteria to attract better-prepared students and increased sala--

ries to recruit top faculty.

“It’s all about raising the quality of students and the value of an FAU degree,” said Corey King, vice president for student affairs at FAU.

The Student Union project, which is being funded largely through student fees, adds 25,000 square feet to its 101,000-square foot facility. The plans include adding meeting rooms, a 1,000-seat banquet hall, a renovated, tech-friendly lobby, an expanded game room and a new roof.

“We reached out to student organizations and the big thing was meeting space. They don’t have enough space to meet,” said Kyle MacDonald, 19, the chief financial officer for the FAU Student Government. “The Student Union has been around a while and needs some updating.”

The Student Union was first built in 1972 and has gone through several renovations and expansions since then, the most recent in 2001 when new dining facilities were added.

Construction is expected to start in October 2017 and be completed by December 2018.

President John Kelly said the expanded facility could help the university attract more conferences and symposiums, such as one hosted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

The extra space is also part of the university’s efforts to help more students succeed.

“Research tells us that students who engage in a student union are more likely to be successful,” King said. “The more a student feels connected to a university, the more likely they will be to stay.”

The 52-year-old FAU has taken steps to change its commuter-school image. It’s added resident halls and luxury apartments, a recreation center, a stadium and shops and restaurants on campus. An athletic and academic center is also under construction.

Student unions are often the first building that prospective students see during visits to campus, officials said, and they’re a key focus at several South Florida schools.

Florida International University in Miami recently announced a $24 million expansion to its student union, adding a ballroom, extra meeting rooms, two student lounges and tutoring and study space.

Lynn University, a small private college in Boca Raton, received a $15 million gift last year to build its first student union, which will include student meeting and activity rooms, a career center, dining facilities, a campus store, mail room, student government offices and a late-night brew pub.

FAU also wants a new science building for the Jupiter campus, complete with research and teaching labs, classrooms and offices. The university already has received $3 million in planning money and is trying to better leverage its partnerships Scripps and Max Planck.

Scripps received millions in state incentives to locate at FAU in 2004 and Max Planck followed suit in 2007. Kelly said the partnerships should have put FAU on the map years ago, but the former Clemson University administrator said he’d never heard about them until he interviewed for the president’s job in early 2014.

Nearly three years later, Kelly says the partnerships “have never been stronger,” with much joint research and teaching. The bio-tech efforts have impressed the State University System’s Board of Governors, which is supporting FAU’s efforts to secure funding.

“It’s an opportunity that’s been missed until now,” said Wendy Link, of Palm Beach Gardens, a member of the Board of Governors. “It’s really exciting what’s happening now. The whole community is talking about it.”

The Student Union was built in 1972 and has gone through several renovations and expansions since then.

PHOTOS BY SUSAN STOCKER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER FAU students on the Boca Raton campus play ping pong in the Student Union, which is slated for an expansion.

“Research tells us that students who engage in a student union are more likely to be successful,” said Corey King, vice president of Student Affairs.