President's Message
In 1964, a progressive group of men and women united to establish an academic institution that would break new ground in educational excellence and community service. Through the years, the pioneering spirit of those founders has remained strong within the university. Today, Nova Southeastern University enters its 44th year of existence from a position of strength as the nation’s sixth largest, not-for-profit, independent institution of higher education, with more than 103,000 alumni and more than 28,000 students enrolled in classes.
Since I began my tenure as president of Nova Southeastern University more than 10 years ago, we have remained steadfast in our goal: to continue to develop and refine quality educational programs that prepare students for leadership positions and the emerging challenges of the 21st century.
With the incredible personal attention and intimate class sizes of a small, private college, and the powerful academic resources of a well-rounded university, NSU helps students explore an almost limitless range of career paths. We offer more than 40 undergraduate programs, encompassing everything from arts and sciences, education, and the health professions to business.
NSU has always been an academic innovator. Our Dual Admission Program allows qualified students to reserve a seat in one of NSU’s graduate schools while working on their undergraduate degrees. And our Honors Program provides a highly personalized and intensely engaging learning environment for NSU’s best and brightest.
NSU’s reputation was built on the strength of our graduate and professional programs. The university confers master’s and doctoral degrees in a wide range of fields, and our graduate school facilities rank among the finest in the world.
This is an especially exciting time for our university, as many of the dreams and projects we have envisioned are coming into reality. In August 2007, The Commons, a new 525-bed residence hall opened its doors to undergraduate students. This year, the Rolling Hills Residence Hall, which houses students in our graduate and professional schools, became a reality.
The Don Taft University Center, which opened in 2006, is home to our NCAA Division II athletic teams; a wellness and fitness center for students to enjoy; NSU’s student union and community center; and finally, the new Performing and Visual Arts Wing. This multi-use facility has redefined NSU’s relationship with our students, distinguished faculty, the NSU administration and staff, and the South Florida community at-large.
The Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center, a state-of-the art joint-use facility located on our campus, is Florida’s largest library and recently celebrated its sixth anniversary. With its high-tech capabilities and its versatility as an educational, research-oriented, and cultural hub, this library has brought NSU and the community to a whole new level of excellence.
As an institution of higher learning, NSU strives to be a valuable part of the communities we serve. In addition to career-specific technical knowledge and skills, we work to instill the qualities of compassion, dedication to service, and commitment to community in all of our students.
Everyone associated with this university can take pride in the excellence we have achieved thus far and look forward to a very exciting future. While we have done so much so quickly, we are still young and growing. We continue to seek and implement ways to better ourselves every day. And we aim to surpass even our own high standards of excellence in academics, research, technology, and community service. Excellence is our standard.
Ray Ferrero, Jr., J.D.
President