Academic Catalog

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is committed to equal opportunity and access for persons with disabilities. The University will comply with all provisions of state and federal laws in this regard and will provide, upon request, reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with a disability. This includes complying with the American with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADA) which covers qualified individuals with a disability and provides for the use of reasonable accommodations and access.

This policy applies to faculty, staff, students and visitors of the University community. The Offices of Institutional Equity and Compliance and Adaptive Services are accountable for compliance of this policy.

Students convicted of any Federal or State offense involving the possession of a control substance or consisting of the distribution of controlled substances may lose their eligibility for federal financial aid programs. The Omnibus Drug Initiative Act of 1988 authorizes the federal courts to suspend eligibility for federal student aid when sentencing an individual convicted of possession or distribution of a controlled substance. A student convicted of illegal drug possession or illegal drug sale may have his or her eligibility for federal student aid suspended for one or more years or may lose his or her eligibility indefinitely for additional convictions. Florida Gulf Coast University students convicted of drug related crimes will also be subject to discipline under the Student Code of Conduct and sanctions may include suspension or expulsion from the University.

A unique attribute of our campus is the over 300 acres of wetland and upland preserves, home to a variety of wildlife - including turkeys, deer, alligators, hogs, bald eagles, indigo snakes, gopher tortoises, raccoons, opossums, and even an occasional panther or bear. The University endeavors to protect all wildlife, but in particular the wildlife species that are designated as endangered or protected by federal and state law and regulations. Warning notices of protected species are posted at various locations throughout campus. Wild animals must not be fed or approached. Unfortunately, some animals have become accustomed to the presence of people and are attracted to waste receptacles, dumpsters, or food spilled or left uneaten at outside tables. Please warn people not to approach wildlife and notify campus police if you observe wildlife approaching people. The University will relocate or remove wild animals if necessary. Finally, please observe all posted speed limits to minimize collisions with wildlife. Thank you for helping keep the University's wildlife healthy and wild - and people safe!

Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to building and maintaining a diverse, accessible, civil, and supportive learning community. It fosters respect and understanding among all cultures and all individuals who work, study, live, and teach within this community. Bigotry, expressions of hatred or prejudice, behaviors that infringe upon the freedom and respect that every individual deserves, and harassment of any kind transgress the university's vision, mission and guiding principles. Just as learning benefits from the interplay of teaching and scholarship in a variety of disciplines, so does the university community learn and profit from diverse cultures and perspectives. Florida Gulf Coast University will continue to pursue its aspirations by fostering a welcoming environment through diversity and inclusion.

FGCU Core Values and Principles – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At FGCU we share the following core values and principles:

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our commitment to excellence.
• We value, embrace, and protect people of all races, ethnicities, genders, religions, abilities, and sexual orientations.
• We collectively stand against any individual or group that practices any form of racism, discrimination, intolerance, hate expressions, or disrespect.
• We expect that as individuals and as an institution we exhibit the highest levels of respect, integrity, fairness, and honesty.
• We have a fundamental responsibility to educate beyond our campus and serve as leaders by modeling our values and principles in our community.
• We serve to be a convener of informed, critical and respectful conversation that leads to diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice as part of social transformation.
• We support other organizations in SWFL who share our values, principles, and commitments.

Endorsed by:
FGCU Faculty Senate
FGCU Staff Advisory Council
FGCU Student Government
FGCU United Faculty of Florida
FGCU United Campus Ministries
FGCU Black Faculty and Staff Association
FGCU President & FGCU Executive Vice President and Provost

Federal regulations require institutions of higher education receiving federal financial assistance to adopt and implement a drug prevention program to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by all students and employees on school premises or as part of its activities. To this end, the University has adopted Policy 3.044, Drug Free Environment, which can be found at https://www.fgcu.edu/generalcounsel/policies/approved/policy3.044.pdf.

FGCU has a number of regulations and policies that affect students, staff, and faculty. These regulations and policies can be found on the FGCU General Counsel website.

Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to ensuring equity and fairness for all University employees, students, visitors, vendors, contractors and other third parties.  Our commitment to these principles is essential to fostering a campus community that values diversity and inclusion. As such, the University does not discriminate on the bases of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sex (including sexual harassment/assault), gender identity/expression, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status or genetic predisposition with regard to admissions, employment, programs or other activities operated by the University.  This prohibition extends to enforcement of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act.

The University’s policies cover access and equity in the administration of education, programs, services and activities throughout all divisions, departments and units of the University.

Questions regarding the University’s nondiscrimination statement or compliance with the laws applicable thereto should be directed to person and office identified below.

Precious Gunter
Director of Equity, Ethics, and Compliance and Title IX Coordinator
Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance
Florida Gulf Coast University
Edwards Hall 114
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, Florida 33965-6565
(239)745-4366 or TTY: 711
email: pgunter@fgcu.edu

The Office of the Ombuds was established by the Florida Legislature to assist students in resolving problems and conflicts. The Ombuds reports directly to the President and provides a prompt, impartial, and confidential means of facilitating dialogue between parties on campus.

The Ombuds will listen to your concern and will work with you to understand your interests and goals.  The Ombuds will explain policies and procedures, help define options, and work with you and others to create strategies to resolve problems.  If the issue is appropriately handled by the Ombuds Office, we will assist in developing strategies to help resolve your concern or conflict.  If another office is better suited to address or resolve the concern, we will advise you of those options.  The Ombuds handles conflicts on a case by case basis, with different strategies used depending on the issues and individuals involved.  The office is firmly committed to maintaining the confidentiality of those who use the services.  To the extent possible, the discussions, issues, concerns, or problems presented to the Ombuds remain in strict confidence.

For more information, refer to our webpage: https://www.fgcu.edu/ombuds/

The Student Right-To-Know Act amended the Higher Education Act of 1963 (HEA) to require all institutions of higher education participating in any program under HEA Title IV to disclose the completion or graduation rate of certificate or degree-seeking, full-time students. Information related to graduation rates is available on the FGCU Institutional Research website under data and reports.

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act (previously the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act (CACSA)), requires that all postsecondary institutions participating in Title IV student financial assistance programs disclose campus crime statistics and other security information to students and the public. The Clery Act requires institutions to develop and implement specific campus safety and crime prevention policies and procedures, and collect, classify and disclose certain crimes and fire statistics. Institutions must publish an Annual Security Report, due October 1, which includes statistics for the three most recently completed calendar years of Clery reportable crimes, including hate crimes, and institutions with on-campus housing must also publish by the same date, a Fire Safety Report.  In addition, the Clery Act requires institutions with on-campus housing maintain a fire log for the most recent 60 days open for public inspection. Institutions must provide emergency response, evacuation notifications, and timely warnings to notify the campus community of a serious and ongoing threat. Institutions with on-campus housing must also establish and maintain a missing student notification policy and include a description of the policy in its Annual Security Report. 

The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, or Campus SaVE Act (SaVE) amended the Clery Act through the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA), which requires colleges and universities to provide increased transparency about the scope of sexual violence on campus, guarantee victims enhanced rights, provide for standards that protect both the accuser and accused in institutional proceedings, and provide campus community wide prevention educational training.  Under VAWA, the Annual Security Report must include statistics on domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual assault. The FGCU Campus Safety Guide is published annually and is available on the FGCU General Counsel website under resources.