Great Colleges to Work for Survey

Dear Colleagues,

At FGCU, we are committed to building a workplace where our people can truly thrive. Guided by our strategic plan, Innovating for Student Success: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence, we are listening, learning and taking action – together.

In 2024, we partnered with ModernThink to launch our first-ever Great Colleges to Work For survey, giving every employee a voice in shaping our campus culture. Since receiving the results, our focus has been simple: we implemented changes not to raise a score, but because they reflect who we are and the institution we aspire to be.

With a 48% response rate, the survey showed that 86% of employees find their work meaningful, 85% understand how their role supports FGCU’s mission and 84% see our positive impact on Southwest Florida. The results also identified opportunities for growth – in the effectiveness of leadership, campus communication, professional development, employee recognition and benefits. Your honest feedback has guided our efforts over the past year, and we are grateful for your dedication.

After hosting a town hall and conducting deeper data dialogues, our leadership team identified four priority areas. Thanks to your engagement, we have already made meaningful progress:

Develop and Embrace Our Core Institutional Values
After gathering broad input through campuswide listening sessions, surveys and focus groups, we launched FGCU’s core values – Curiosity, Commitment and Collaboration – at the August 2025 Fall Kickoff to guide how we lead, serve and work together. We are now evaluating how these values can be reflected in job postings, position descriptions and performance conversations, reinforcing the culture we are building.

Build Trust, Connection and Supportive Pathways
The Employee Engagement Collective and the Internal Communications Committee are strengthening how information is shared and fostering a more connected workforce. Events like last week’s Community Engagement Showcase brought colleagues together across divisions, helping us break down silos, build relationships and celebrate the great work happening across campus.

Enhance Shared Governance
To strengthen our organization culture and commitment to employees, the President’s Cabinet worked in consultation with Faculty Senate to ensure in-unit faculty members are represented on all university-wide committees, such as the Institutional Effectiveness and Accountability Council (IEAC), which is involved in providing recommendations for resource allocation. We also worked together to establish the Taskforce on FGCU Governance in August to build on the successful work of the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Shared Governance Work Group, while increasing the scope of the effort to include the staff and faculty perspective. This taskforce has analyzed the existing ways FGCU has memorialized the definition of  “shared governance” and has engaged in a review of best practices and existing modes of governance. The taskforce is making recommendations on how to improve our university’s governance model to best allow faculty and staff to participate in university-wide decision-making, and a final report will be presented to the President’s Cabinet in January 2026.

Invest in People
We invested in our people by launching new leadership-development programs for faculty and staff, expanding professional development opportunities, introducing a refreshed milestone recognition program and piloting a 360-degree feedback program that will soon be taken campus-wide. We are creating – and will launch in the fall 2026 semester – an employee mentorship program, which was a recommendation from our Leadership Academy graduates. Looking ahead, our employee housing initiative will further support the well-being of future members of the Eagle Family. Site work on that project has already begun, and we expect the project to be ready to rent in January 2027. 

These efforts are possible because of you. Thank you for all you do for our students, our community and one another.

Your voice remains essential as we build on the progress we have made. From January 20 to February 3, FGCU will again participate in the Great Colleges to Work For survey. Each response will help us learn, grow and strengthen the culture that makes FGCU a great place to work.

We will share updates as we start ​a new year at FGCU, and updates can be found on our Great Colleges webpage. Thank you for your partnership and your commitment to our shared future. 

Wings Up & Go Eagles!

Good afternoon, Eagle Family! 

As we continue our momentum of strengthening our workplace culture at FGCU, we are excited to share the formation of the Employee Engagement Collective. This working group will help us build a better sense of community among our staff and faculty by bolstering efforts to support our employees with recognition, professional growth and a united sense of purpose.  

The collective will focus on improving how FGCU recognizes employee contributions, encourages professional growth and supports the well-being and work-life balance of our staff and faculty. To address these goals, the collective will work with stakeholders across campus and existing university committees, such as the Internal Communications Committee.  

The Employee Engagement Collective is led by Sara Stensrud, the chief Human Resource officer at FGCU. Other members include: 

• Shannon Acosta: Director of Graduate Programs, Academic Programs and Curriculum Development 
• Dr. George Alexakis: Professor, Department of Integrated Studies
• Teri Bigos: Assistant Director of Campus Reservations & Records Management 
• Dr. Amy Dudley: Assistant Professor of Nursing 
• Julie Gleason: Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, Campus Life 
• Amy Hall: Payroll Manager 
• Jessica Hendrick: Career Services Advisor, Career Advising 
• Amanda Jobes: Associate Controller, General Ledger & Treasury 
• Melissa Pind: Assistant Director of Board Operations, Office of FGCU Board Relations 
• Dr. Caren Polk: Instructor I of Anatomy & Physiology, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences  
• Patricia Rice: Core Skills Program Manager 
• Suzanne Ries: Senior Director of University Recreation & Wellness, Student Engagement  
• Lianet Escandell Rodriquez: Senior Admissions Systems Analyst, University Admissions 
• John Roth: Coordinator of Adjunct Faculty, Lucas Center for Faculty Development  
• Tami Tassler: Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions/Sugden Welcome Center 
• Caroline Vives-Vietri: Assistant Director of Alumni Relations 
• Rosario Welle: Marketing & Communication Coordinator, Office of the Provost  
• George Williams: Director of College of Education Advising, University Advising 

As a reminder, the work of these volunteers aligns with the feedback we received from recent surveys, including the Great Colleges to Work For and Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE). Similar to the Taskforce on FGCU Values and the Taskforce on Governance, the work of the Employee Engagement Collective will help FGCU build a thriving, more empowered FGCU community.

We look forward to sharing updates and inviting your input as the collective begins its work.

Wings Up & Go Eagles!

Good afternoon, Eagle Family!

As part of our continued effort to strengthen FGCU’s workplace culture, we are excited to share the formation of the Taskforce on Governance. This group will help us take another step forward in building a more connected, collaborative campus by focusing on shared responsibility and accountability across our university community.

This new taskforce builds on the strong foundation laid by the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Shared Governance Work Group. By taking a broader approach that includes staff and faculty voices, we are working to align our values, improve communication and make FGCU an even better place to work and grow.

The Taskforce on Governance is led by Dr. Eileen DeLuca, the vice president of Strategic Initiatives and chief of staff. Please join us in welcoming the following members to the taskforce:

• Dr. Derek Lura – Faculty Senate President, Professor of Engineering
• Amy Craig – Research and Instruction Librarian
• Dr. Anita Rose – Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship
• Dr. Ann Cary – Associate Director for Community Partnerships in The Water School
• Dr. Christina Kreiger – Director of Retention & Engagement Programs
• Georgia Willis – Testing Coordinator
• Jarvis Judge-Barnes – Director of Community Engagement & Outreach
• Larry Bender – Associate Vice President of University Marketing & Communications
• Keith Davidson – Director of the U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering Advising
• Kathleen Crawford – Environmental and Sustainability Coordinator II
• Dr. Jenny Manegold – Chair of Management
• Lindsay Schofield – Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Early Childhood Education
• Lisa Banks – Assistant Director of Management Information Resources
• Maggie Hohne – Coordinator II of First Year Experience
• Dr. Melodie Eichbauer – Professor of History and Co-Director of the Gulf Scholars Program
• Dr. Jennifer Sughrue – Professor and Program Coordinator
• Dr. Arie van Duijn – Professor of Physical Therapy
• Dr. Peter Ndiang’ui – Assistant Professor and Child and Youth Studies Program Coordinator
• Vonetta Hardy – Director of Advising in the College of Arts & Sciences / The Water School

The taskforce will begin meeting this month, and we will keep you posted on the group’s next steps.

We were thrilled by how many of you raised your hands to be part of this effort – and our other efforts to improve our workplace, including the Taskforce on FGCU Values. More information will be announced soon on the Employee Engagement Collective, which will help our university take a more intentional approach to supporting our people. We look forward to sharing more information about these efforts in the coming weeks.

Thanks again to everyone who continues to invest in this important work.

Wings Up & Go Eagles!

Good morning,

FGCU employees have until Friday to fill out a quick, anonymous survey that will help define the core beliefs that guide how we work, grow and thrive together. The online survey was launched May 6.

The questions in the survey are the same ones used in campus-wide listening sessions, and this survey serves as another opportunity for staff and faculty to share feedback in the process.

Visit the Employee Experience website for more information.

Wings Up & Go Eagles!