FOCUS ON STUDENTS
Using words such as “transformative,” “lifechanging” and “inspirational” in describing their university experience, FGCU students are the personification of what is known as The FGCU Effect. FGCU is among the top Florida state universities when it comes to graduates obtaining jobs or entering graduate school within a year of graduating. University Colloquium is a required course for undergraduates that teaches students to look outside themselves and explore the concept of sustainability so they develop an ecological perspective of society. A three-credit-hour course, it brings together students and faculty from all schools in an interdisciplinary learning experience unique to FGCU. FGCU’s guiding principles and values are key discussion points in University Colloquium, and critical thinking and writing skills are major components, as are 10 hours of service-learning related to the environment.
SERVICE-LEARNING
A core component of student life at FGCU is commitment to service. Service-learning is a key element of the FGCU experience, with all undergraduates required to complete 80 hours. Since the university opened its doors in 1997, FGCU students have performed more than 2 million hours on campus, in the region and have even traveled beyond the U.S. borders to improve the lives of others.
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Among these efforts is the Dominican Republic Outreach Project, begun by former Professor Ingrid Martinez-Rico. After she was critically injured in a car accident, her students vowed to continue the project that meant so much to her. Now in its 16th year, this program takes students to the Dominican Republic for an alternative spring break each year during which they serve thousands of underprivileged people by helping to plant gardens, build playgrounds, deliver medical supplies, construct safe housing, offer literacy education and provide many more much-needed services.