Camila Fernandez/Assistant News Director
The University continues to broaden its presence in higher education and the community as it embarks on new missions this year.
During a full board meeting on Thursday, June 12, the University’s Board of Trustees approved 3 partnership ventures.
These include a partnership with the National Tropical Botanical Garden, a partnership with the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum, and a partnership with Shorelight Education.
Also approved are a new PhD program in International Crime and Justice and the tenure of 29 faculty members.
The National Tropical Botanical Garden offered the University plots of land adjacent to the Kampong garden in Coconut Grove.
The project is funded $5 million from two separate grant donations.
According to the Board’s agenda, the partnership’s mission is to study tropical plants and develop sustainable solutions to preserve tropical plant diversity.
FIU students and faculty will have access to the Kampong garden and four other gardens located in Hawaii.
Along with the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, the University will build a joint-use facility at the Biscayne Bay Campus.
The Board’s agenda states that FIU students will gain hands-on experience with exotic, large marine animals and birds. Also, classroom spaces will be provided for 4 new Professional Science Masters.
A grant of $5 million will be used to build the facility.
A 15-year agreement with Shorelight Education establishes a 12-month undergraduate program for international students, along with their out-of-state tuition.
With hopes of attracting more international students, the program provides specialized English-language instruction in addition to their academic coursework.
According to the Board’s agenda, FIU has one of the largest criminal justice departments in the state.
The approved PhD program in International Crime and Justice has made FIU the first minority classified institution to offer a PhD in criminal justice.
The program will be available at FIU’s Modesto Maidique Campus and online.
Finally, of the tenure’s 29 faculty members, 18 fall under the College of Arts and Sciences.
“We’ve never been stronger as it relates to our primary mission of having a world’s ahead education for students,” said President Rosenberg at the full board meeting. “And providing incredible value for them at an incredibly affordable tuition.”
-news@fiusm.com