FGCU continues to make progress toward excellence through student success initiatives.
The university has implemented new strategies, launched cross-campus teams to review
and track data, and rewritten strategy when it comes to student retention, persistence
and graduation. Through this collaborative, data-informed approach, FGCU’s faculty and staff efforts
led to a 10-point increase over the last two years in its total score on the State
University System of Florida’s metrics. This progress was made possible by an institution
wide commitment to the mission of student success and to creating a culture of care.
With the assistance of technology, the university proactively identifies students
in need of support, providing early targeted interventions. The campus environment contributes to student success and well-being, and students
helped drive a bold and spacious makeover for the Cohen Student Union. The second
of three phases of interior and exterior renovations, the project also included an
expanded lawn area where students can gather. Learning assistants are undergraduates trained in peer educator roles to facilitate
group discussions, lead study sessions and actively participate in guiding students
to a better understanding of course materials. They exemplify our commitment to student-centric
learning and collaborative academic excellence. The College of Arts & Sciences’ Student Experiential Learning Fund (SELF) supports
hands-on learning activities for students that allow them to connect the knowledge
learned in their courses and majors to practical real-world situations. The Student
Experiential Learning Fund is supported by the President’s Circle of Excellence in
Student Success, a donor-funded strategic initiative to strengthen student outcomes.
Among the activities the fund made possible this year, eight students from various
disciplines attended the Florida College English Association annual conference. They
participated in a panel discussion where they shared experiences working on FGCU’s
literary magazine, Mangrove Review. The college’s Seidler Undergraduate Research Fellowship also funded 12 faculty-student
projects that provided paid, hands-on research experience for 18 students from last
summer through this spring. The fields involved included biological science, chemistry,
language and literature, mathematics, music, physics and psychology. FGCU instituted a transformational shift in its approach to internships, driven by
its investment in student success and the introduction of a performance-based funding
metric for the percentage of bachelor’s graduates who complete an internship prior
to graduation. Two students joined the exclusive ranks of FGCU Fulbright recipients this year. The
internationally competitive program gives select students and scholars the opportunity
to teach or conduct research in more than 160 participating countries. Destiny Lowe, who graduated this spring with an environmental geology degree and a
climate change minor, will conduct research in the Philippines to create a coastal
vulnerability index mapping the risks of erosion, flooding and sea-level rise. Lowe
gained invaluable experience as an undergraduate working on research projects with
two professors in The Water School. Priscilla Chambers, an Honors College graduate who earned a psychology degree with
a neuroscience concentration this spring, was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching
Assistantship to work in South Korea. She previously had received a Gilman Scholarship
that enabled her to teach at Korea University in Seoul during summer 2025. She served
as a research assistant in two labs at FGCU, gaining hands-on experience in psychological
research and evidence-based practices. The FGCU scorecard provides snapshots of key performance indicators within our strategic
plan to show progress. Employees across campus use this real-time dashboard to make
data-driven decisions to improve outcomes. The Hall of Fame honors students who demonstrate superior leadership, integrity and
achievement through service, scholarship, academic excellence and campus involvement.
New inductees (front): Olivia Black, Christina Colin, Stevenson Destrat, Noah Drebing,
Benji Gans; (back) Boaz Ginns, Madison Hanson, Hannah Mathis, Samanique McIntosh,
Kevin Roblejo. Chauntel Brown (’13, ’19), Olivia Grissinger (’25), Kyara Gutierrez (’20), James Evans
(’99, ’11), Ian Schmoyer (’04), Sarah Harrington (’24), Jasmine Pagano (’20), Madison
Franz (’23) and Kaitlin Danks (’19) were honored at the annual Alumni Awards for their
professional achievements and dedication to their communities. The College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Education recognize graduate students
and alumni for their contributions to local school districts. *College of Arts and Sciences graduate
Making the Best Nest
Mentoring Eagles
Learning Assistants
Advancing Opportunities for Experiential Learning
Evolving Internships for Better Career-Readiness
Fulbrights Extend FGCU’s Global Reach
FGCU Scorecard Dashboard
2026 Hall of Fame Inductees
2026 Alumni Awards
FGCU’s Award-Winning Teachers
**College of Education graduate
The Whitaker Institute’s first cohort of Gulf Scholars went to work this year on a
combination of coursework, internship opportunities and research projects with regional
focus. Funded by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the
initiative prepares undergraduates to address pressing issues of resilience, including
problems related to environmental protection and community health, through research
and experiential learning along the Gulf Coast. FGCU joined the program as part of
the fourth national cohort.
Enhance Student Success and Well-being
Supporting Regional Research
