March 29, 2024

Higher Ed

A Watchful Eye: Lawmakers restrict public spending by university foundations

Amy Martinez | 5/29/2018

University News

University of North Florida
David Szymanski, formerly the business dean at the University of Cincinnati, joined the University of North Florida as its sixth president, replacing John Delaney. The university renamed its student union building in honor of Delaney, who retired at the end of May after 15 years as UNF president.

University of Florida
UF aims to raise $3 billion by fall 2022 as part of its “Go Greater” campaign. UF unveiled the campaign last fall after raising $1.3 billion in donor commitments. The university plans to use the money for more faculty endowments, student scholarships and infrastructure investments.

University of South Florida
USF has become one of only three public universities founded since 1956 to raise $1 billion in a single campaign, joining the University of California San Diego and the University of California Irvine. USF’s “Unstoppable” campaign reached its $1-billion goal seven months early thanks to a $15-million donation from Tampa philanthropists Les and Pam Muma.

Florida International University
FIU received $2 million from philanthropists Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer to create a Muslim studies center at FIU. The new Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies will be housed in the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. Mohiaddin Mesbahi, director of the Middle East studies program at FIU, will head the center. Mohsin Jaffer is a physician and founding board member of the Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations. His wife, Fauzia, leads the couple’s charitable foundation and is a real estate developer.

Florida State University
FSU has raised $25 million of the $88 million it needs to fund construction of a new business school building. In 2012, Dollar Tree CEO Bob Sasser and his wife, Pam, donated $1 million to launch the fundraising campaign. FSU plans to raise half of the money from private donors and the rest from state sources. The business school’s new home, Legacy Hall, will be next to the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center as part of a mixeduse development called the Arena District. Meanwhile, the FSU Foundation plans to move into its new home on 1.5 acres on West College Avenue in Tallahassee. The building will house both the foundation’s development personnel and support staff.

New College of Florida
New College has created the John Jakes Endowed Writing Scholarship for students interested in pursuing a writing career. Jakes, the author of nearly 100 books, including the “North and South” trilogy, became familiar with New College through his admiration of Sarasota author John D. MacDonald. Private donors contributed $200,000 to the new scholarship fund.

Florida Polytechnic University
Florida Poly sent a group of professors to Brazil to form education and research alliances. The delegation met with engineering students, educators and research officials.

Florida Atlantic University
FAU’s Brain Institute received $780,000 from the Stiles-Nicholson Foundation to launch a four-year program to expose middle and high school students in Palm Beach County to neuroscience studies.

University of West Florida
UWF received $250,000 from the Earl Hutto Foundation to name its master’s nursing program after former eightterm Congressman Earl Hutto and his wife, Nancy.

Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Gulf Coast ended its 2014- 17 fundraising campaign with $127 million, surpassing its goal of $100 million. The campaign helped Florida Gulf Coast University increase its endowment to about $85 million, up from $63 million in 2013-14. FGCU says the money has enabled it to award more scholarships, expand Alico Arena, enhance programming at WGCU Public Media and broaden programs at the Bower School for Music & the Arts.

Bethune-Cookman University
Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach is one of four historically black colleges nationwide chosen by pop singer Beyoncé to receive a total of $100,000 through her BeyGOOD initiative. One student from each school will get $25,000 in scholarship money.

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