Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a, selective[4], coeducationalprivatenon-profit university in Davie, Florida, USA. The university is the largest independent institution of higher education in the Southeastern region of the United States and is the third largest not-for-profit independent university nationwide.[5] Through its undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs, including the Law and Medical schools, Nova Southeastern educated 33,153 students in the 2008-2009 academic year.[6] To date, the institution has produced approximately 94,000 alumni.[5] NSU is ranked as the 203rd best national university and the sixth best university in the state of Florida.[7] NSU is ranked under the National Universities category, which ranks the top 275 universities in the country, by U.S. News and World Report[8] and was listed as one of the best distance learning graduate schools in the country by the Princeton Review.[9] The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[10]
History
Over the decades
1960s
Originally named Nova University of Advanced Technology,[5] the university was chartered by the state of Florida in 1964[11][12] as a graduate institution in the physical and social sciences. The school was renamed Nova University in 1974.[5] After a merger with Southeastern University for Health Sciences in 1994, the university was renamed Nova Southeastern University.[5] The land occupied by the university was previously a naval training airfield during World War II named Forman Field.[13] The remnants of the taxiway surrounding the airfield are still present in the form of roads used on the campus.[14] After World War II, the federal government had promised the Forman family, from whom the land was purchased, that the land would only be used for educational purposes. This led the land to be used for the creation of the South Florida Education Center of which Nova Southeastern University is now a part.[15]
1970s
On June 23, 1970, the board of trustees voted to enter into a federation with the New York Institute of Technology. The president of NYIT, became chancellor of Nova University.[16] Abraham S. Fischler became the second president of the university. Also, the university charter was amended and “of Advanced Technology” was dropped from its corporate name.[17] In 1971, Nova University was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). In 1972, the university introduced its first off-campus course of study in education. As the university began to grow it saw that a name change was inevitable. In 1974 the school changed its name to Nova University. Along with the name change came other changes, on campus, undergraduate evening programs began for adults, while the law school was opened in 1974. Finally, In 1976, the university received a $16 million gift from the estate of Leo Goodwin Sr., and began extensive campus and program expansion. Shortly after this, NSU dissolved its relationship with NYIT[18] and began to create a board of trustees filled by South Florida community leaders, putting the stewardship of Nova back in the hands of its own local board, which is how it remains today.[16]
1980s
The Nova University that emerged in 1985 was committed to incorporating new educational technologies, made possible by computers and telecommunications, into the teaching and learning process and into its delivery of education. In 1989, celebrating its 25th year, Nova University was enrolling more than 8,000 students and had nearly 25,000 graduates, with revenues of nearly $70 million.[12] Over the next five years, three new buildings were constructed and a campus-wide beautification campaign added landscaping that greatly changed the look of the campus.[16]
1990s
In 1994, Nova University merged with Southeastern University of the Health Sciences to form Nova Southeastern University (NSU)[15], adding the Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Pharmacy, Optometry and Allied Health to the university. The university continued its expansion of building projects and added new academic, clinical and community service programs.[5] By 1999, at the 35th anniversary, the university was enjoying an era of sustained growth, facilitated by a healthy infusion of endowment funds and a nearly 1,000-student increase in enrollment between fall 1998 and fall 1999.[12] NSU’s enrollment had increased approximately 42 percent; full-time members of the faculty, staff and administration expanded to almost 2,600; and minority representation among faculty and staff members and students continued to expand.[16]
2000s
Beginning a new century was also a time of change for NSU. It was a time of expansion and the second time for improvement. The William and Norma Horvitz Administration Building, a 62,000-square-foot (5,800 m2) structure that houses the office of the president and
numerous other administration departments for the university was constructed.[5]
The Alvin Sherman Library for Research and Information Technology Center was completed in 2001 and is the largest public library facility in the state of Florida.[19] The Carl DeSantis Building, housing the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship, opened its doors in 2004. This $33-million building is a 261,000-square-foot (24,200 m2), five-story facility, that is also home to the Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences.[20] The state-of-the-art, 366,000-square-foot (34,000 m2) University Center, which opened on August 24, 2006, features three NCAA competition courts in the main arena, as well as two intramural courts, group fitness and instruction rooms, cardio and weight training areas, squash courts, a rock climbing wall, and The Flight Deck.[21] In addition, five residence halls on the main campus serve undergraduate, graduate, health professions, and law students, with a capacity for housing up to 720 students in approximately 207,000 square feet (19,200 m2) of living space. The Commons, a new, 525-bed residence hall, opened for the Fall 2007 semester. [22] For the Fall of 2008, Nova Southeastern field-based programs are located in 32 other Florida cities, 21 other U.S. states, and several international sites. Nova Southeastern has recently been considered as one of the best private universities in country.
Presidents
Ray F. Ferrero Jr. is the third president of Nova Southeastern University. The president is the chief executive officer of the college and is responsible for the success of the college's mission in providing superior academic programs and research.
Nova Southeastern University has three commonwealth campuses that are centrally located to Southern Florida. Specifically in Broward and the Miami-Dade counties. Nova Southeastern University is also known for its long distance education centers, which are located throughout the United States as well as in other countries.
Davie Campus
Davie Campus is the main campus[23] and it is located in the town of Davie, Florida. The campus is also within the postal designation of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The inclusion of Fort Lauderdale on promotional mailings and letterhead, instead of Davie, has been a source of conflict between the University and the Town of Davie. The main campus is over 300 acres (1.2 km2). The main campus includes administrative offices, classroom facilities, library facilities, health clinics, mental health clinics, The University Center, dorms, cafeterias, computer labs, the bookstore, and parking facilities.
Dania Beach Campus is also known as the Oceanographic Center. The Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center is a center for oceanographical research at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. Located on a 10 acre site on the ocean side of Port Everglades, adjacent to the port's entrance, the center has a one-acre boat basin and affords immediate access to the Gulf Stream, the Florida Straits, and the Bahama Banks. The campus comprises three main buildings, including laboratories, conference rooms, and offices.
North Miami Beach Campus
The North Miami Beach Campus is also known as the Southern Campus. The Southern Campus serves as the main location for the Fischler School of Education and Human Services. The campus is 18 acres and serves almost 40% of all NSU students. In 2007-2008 over 14,000 students were served by the North Miami Beach Campus. The North Miami Beach Campus is comprised of five academic buildings, a library, and academic office buildings. Although this is the smallest campus in size, it is one of the most active areas for the Nova Southeastern community.
Student Education Centers
Nova Southeastern operates Student Education Centers in Nassau, Southwest Florida, Jamaica, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach, and Las Vegas. These centers serve students at a distance from the main campus with computer labs and videoconferencing equipment. In addition, the centers are staffed with full-time employees to help with registration, enrollment, and financial aid. At all Student Educational Centers evening and weekend classes are offered. Also, full degree online programs are available to allow for degree completion without ever taking a traditional in classroom class. All Student Education Centers are technologically advanced with the fusion of technology and education being emphasized. All services available at all NSU Student Educational Centers. File:Jim and jan moran family center.jpgJim & Jan Moran Family Center located at the University School.
The University School
The campus also hosts the University School of Nova Southeastern University.[24] The University school is located on the Davie Campus. The University School is a fully accredited, independent, college preparatory school that serves grades Pre-K through grade 12. The school often referred to as just University is broken up into three areas; lower, middle, and upper. Respectively representing elementary, middle and high school divisions within the school.[25]
Nova Southeastern University has the only colleges of optometry and dental medicine in South Florida, and one of only two colleges of pharmacy (the other being Palm Beach Atlantic University). It also has one of the only two doctoral programs for Conflict Analysis and Resolution in the United States. The institution enjoys an excellent reputation for its programs for families offered through the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies and the University School of Nova Southeastern University. These include innovative parenting, preschool, primary education, and secondary education programs.
The Health Professions Division complex, dedicated in June, 1996, is located on 21 acres and encompasses over 900,000 square feet (80,000 m2) of buildings.[26] The Division comprises the:
College of Osteopathic Medicine
The College of Osteopathic Medicine is part of the Health Professions Division of the university, a division that encompasses over 2,000 students. The Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic medicine was the first osteopathic medical school to be established in the southeastern U.S.. Graduates of NSU-COM are awarded the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree.
College of Pharmacy
The College of Pharmacy, led by Dean Andres Malave, has an entry level Doctor of Pharmacy program in three sites, an international program in Davie and a Post-Baccalaureate program for pharmacy graduates. The College also hosts a number of post-graduate residency programs.
The College of Pharmacy admitted its first class in 1987 to become the only College of Pharmacy in South Florida. Because of the profession's demand for greater clinical specialization, the College has since discontinued its baccalaureate degree program. Since admitting its charter class in 1987 the College of Pharmacy has:
Graduated nearly 2,100 students
Led the nation in the level of enrollment of Hispanic doctoral pharmacy students
Developed a postgraduate Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program for bachelor-level students seeking further
Developed, in 1995, a Post baccalaureate Pharm.D. program utilizing interactive Compressed Video. The practicing pharmacists throughout the state of Florida and Puerto Rico who cannot afford to interrupt their careers or relocate to a college campus are enrolled in this innovative and flexible program.
Expanded full time entry-level degree programs to sites in West Palm Beach, Florida and Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Expanded post-baccalaureate Pharm.D. degree programs for students in San Juan and Ponce, Puerto Rico, as well as Fort Myers, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; Miami, Florida; Orlando, Florida; Tampa, Florida; and Boston, Massachusetts
Developed residency programs in Psychiatric Pharmacy Practice, General Pharmacy Practice, Ambulatory Care, and Infectious Diseases
Developed a Drug Information Center to provide area health care providers with current information on pharmaceuticals
Brought the latest American pharmaceutical education to leading institutions of higher learning in Latin America. The program features faculty exchanges, collaboration on research projects, and seminars on advances in patient-oriented pharmacy.
Developed two ambulatory care pharmacies for innovative teaching and testing of pharmacists' expanding roles
Created a medicinal garden to serve as a repository for living medicinal plants for treating human illness and maintaining health. The purpose of the garden is to teach students the properties and roles of medicinal plants
Created, in 2002, a degree program designed for international students who graduated from a pharmacy program in their country of origin
College of Optometry
The Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry is part of the Health Professions Division. Optometry students at Nova Southeastern University receive training in community, pediatric, primary, environmental and rehabilitative optometry, optics and health sciences. The program looks to promote quality optometric care, by preparing students with a combination of lectures and clinical experience. The goal for the program is to give the students as much training as possible, so that when they take the state-board exams for Florida they are adequately prepared.
College of Medical Sciences
The College of Medical Sciences is part of the Health Professions Division. For those students wishing to improve their academic credentials in the medical sciences, the College of Medical Sciences offers a two year program of study leading to a master's degree in Biomedical Sciences. Each student's program is individually tailored to meet the student's needs and aspirations. Those enrolled in this program take basic science courses similar to those offered within the Health Professions Division during their first year. During the second year, students continue their program of general studies.[27] The Master of Biomedical Sciences degree program is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
College of Allied Health and Nursing
The College of Allied Health and Nursing is part of the Health Professions Division. The College of Allied Health and Nursing prepares professionals with the skills necessary for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases, for the support of the populace in maintaining proper health and safety, for the management of rehabilitative processes, and for the education of the community in understanding the interdependency of health, environment, social and political factors. The College of Allied Health endeavors to train both graduate and undergraduate professionals in the arts of improving the quality of life in the community.
The Health Professions Division is the evolution of what was once Southeastern University of the Health Sciences before its merger with Nova University in 1994. The facilities include space for students to participate in clinical work, lecture auditoriums, a library, cafeteria, seminar rooms, and faculty offices. State-of-the-art technology is integrated throughout the facilities. They are affiliated with The Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research.
Shepard Broad Law Center, founded in 1974, is the law school of Nova Southeastern University. The Law Center is housed in Leo Goodwin Sr. Hall, located on Nova Southeastern University's main campus in Davie, Florida and is named after university founder Shepard Broad.The Law Center hosts over 1,000 students in both its day and evening programs. There is a full time faculty of 50, in addition to 65 adjuncts, many of whom are local judges. The Law Center is accredited by the American Bar Association.
According to the 2008 USNWR ranking of law schools, the Law Center's legal skills and values program ("LSV") is among the top 30 such programs in the nation (ranked 22).
Nova Southeastern University Center for Psychological Studies was organized in 1967. It is presently located in the Maltz building on the main campus. It serves to provide the highest-quality educational experience to current and future psychologists and counseling professionals through training experiences that provide individuals with a sophisticated understanding of psychological research and the delivery of the highest-quality mental health care.
The H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship is housed in the Carl DeSantis building on the main campus. The H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship serves over 4,800 bachelors, masters, and doctoral students in a variety of degree programs. The school is named after the local businessman and philanthropic H. Wayne Huizenga. The school is accredited by Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Additionally, the school is accredited internationally by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business - International (AACSB) and the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ).
Its strengths include a distinguished faculty, a cutting edge curriculum, and flexible online and campus-based formats for its five M.S. and four Ph.D. programs as well as for its graduate certificate programs in information security. All programs enable working professionals to earn degrees without interrupting their careers. The school also welcomes full-time students, whether on-campus or online. On-campus evening master’s degree programs are tailored to meet the needs of South Florida residents. Online master’s degree programs require no campus attendance and are available to part-time or full-time students worldwide. A unique online Ph.D. program requires only four weekend or two week-long campus visits each year. The school has online students living in almost every state in the United States and in 20 foreign countries.
Graduate Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences
Exterior of Maltz Building - Home of NSU Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences
The Nova Southeastern University Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences is located on the Main Campus in the Maltz building, which is also shared with the Nova Southeastern University Center for Psychological Studies. The goal of the school is to provide a better understanding of human social relations. It is a multi-disciplinary, multi-professional, and multi-cultural program. The vigorous curricula have deep interdisciplinary roots. The cutting-edge programs employ a variety of creative learning approaches and innovative education technologies.
The Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences currently offers one graduate degree program in the area of writing. Mission Statement: The Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences at Nova Southeastern University provides foundational study in core and emerging disciplines and technologies to prepare students for graduate and professional study, career development, and responsible citizenship.
About the College: Through intensive major programs and strong general education programs, the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences has built a vital and evolving foundation for undergraduate education. The Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences connects students with programs through traditional classroom and laboratory experiences and through innovative educational approaches that reach students far and wide. Programs are supported by an active faculty in three divisions: the Division of Humanities, the Division of Math, Science, and Technology, and the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Campus Life
Student Organizations
The Nova Southeastern's Undergraduate Student Government Association (NSUSGA) is the primary organization for the government of the undergraduate student body. SGA is responsible for a number of activities on campus, including homecoming, and regular extracurricular activities. SGA also allocates funds for other clubs on campus.
The school's student-run newspaper, The Current, is published weekly. There is also a school-sponsored radio station called WNSU RADIO X which broadcasts in the evenings and weekends on 88.5 FM WKPX, a station owned by Broward County Public Schools; Radio X airs from 7pm to 7 am, every night.
NSU Athletics has produced several SSC Players of the Year, NCAA All-Region selections and NCAA All-Americans, and have been nationally ranked in numerous sports since joining the NCAA beginning with the 2002-03 school-year. The Sunshine State Conference has been dubbed the Division II "Conference of National Champions", as member institutions have won 72 national championships since the SSC was founded in 1975. Nova Southeastern University athletics has helped towards the 72 national championships won by the SSC. NSU athletics have won four national championships at the Division II level. When NSU was competing in the NAIA they won six consecutive national championships in softball. In total, NSU has won ten national championships since athletic inception at the university.
NSU baseball has seen a lot of their players make the transition into professional baseball. Since 1991 NSU has seen 24 players make baseball their profession, ranging from MLB to Independent Leagues.[28] NSU athletes have also been successful outside of baseball. Much like many NSU baseball players, these other student-athletes, have also had the chance to pursue professional careers in both soccer and basketball.
Many athletic events at NSU take place at The University Center. In 2005, students voted for a new school mascot, and the student body selected the Sharks. NSU's athletic teams had previously been known as the Knights.[29]
Although Nova Southeastern University was only established in 1964 the school has quickly grown an active alumni base of over 89,000 alumni. Many of these alumni have made many contributions to their fields of expertise. The List includes alumni ranging from government officials to professional athletes.
