Achieving the University's Vision
1986 to the present

In August 1986, the Board of Regents unanimously approved Modesto A. "Mitch" Maidique as FIU's fourth president. The former Harvard Business School professor and high-tech entrepreneur, had a clear vision and goals for the University. He sought to enlarge the institution; increase sponsored research and add doctoral programs and professional schools; enhance academic quality and achievement; and increase local and national recognition and support.

During the Maidique years, growth has been significant in all vital areas. Enrollment increased from 16,400 to more than 34,000. There are more than 2,800 full-time employees, making FIU one of the largest employers in Miami-Dade County. Sponsored research and contracts, a key indicator of institutional quality, has increased to more than $75 million. There has been tremendous programmatic growth; there are now more than 190 degree programs in 19 colleges and schools. In 1997, the University launched its first professional program when the School of Architecture was established. I\ In 2000, FIU was admitted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the nation. FIU became the youngest member of the society and one of only five in the state of Florida. In 2002, the FIU College of Law – the first public law school in South Florida – opened its doors. The Honors College, which offers an interdisciplinary program taught by the finest faculty to the best students, was established and grew to an enrollment of 1,100.

Back in 1986 when President Maidique was appointed, FIU was ranked by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a Master's university; today it is classified as a Doctoral / Research University-Extensive - the highest, most prestigious ranking. The University has been ranked among the top 100 public national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In 1998, Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine ranked FIU as the country's 18th best value in public higher education. FIU was named one of the top 10 public commuter colleges in the U.S. in the 1995 edition of Money Guide, an annual report published by Money magazine, and has been cited in several other of the country's leading college guides.

There have been numerous other achievements during the Maidique years. The University opened a 38-acre satellite campus, the Engineering Center one-half mile from the main University campus. The face of FIU's campuses has also changed dramatically under President Maidique's leadership. More than $600 million was spent on construction of new facilities or renovation and expansion of existing facilities, including the $40 million eight-story Green Library at University Park, one of the largest in the state system. Other major construction projects included new residence halls; dedicated buildings for the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Hospitality Management, Engineering, Architecture and the departments of Chemistry and Physics; the Wertheim Performing Arts Center, Kovens Conference Center, Health Sciences Building, and support facilities and classrooms. By fall 2003, construction or planning was underway on a second Health Sciences Building, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum, a College of Law facility, and a Marine Sciences Building at Biscayne Bay Campus.

In early 1996, in order to secure resources for faculty endowed chairs, scholarships and facilities, the University launched its first major capital campaign, the $65 million Campaign for FIU. After raising twice its original goal two years before its closing date -- and to meet the ever-growing needs of the University -- the Campaign for FIU tripled its goal to $200 million. This goal that was achieved in early 2001, more than one year ahead ahead of schedule.

In recent years, FIU has become one of our community's major cultural centers. In 1994, the Martin Z. Margulies Family Collection, one of the world's finest private collections of modern outdoor sculpture, was relocated to FIU. The long-term loan of the 50 works elevated FIU's ArtPark - "a museum without walls" - on the list of the nation's finest university outdoor collections. In 1997, thanks to a gift from Mitchell "Micky" Wolfson Jr., the University acquired the Wolfsonian Museum on Miami Beach and its collection of more than 70,000 artifacts, worth an estimated $75 million. This was the largest philanthropic gift in the history of FIU and the entire State University System and the fifth largest gift in the history of public higher education in America. The Wolfsonian-FIU's unique collection includes objects ranging from high art to ephemeral examples of popular culture from 1885 through 1945.

Athletics have been playing a growing role in the University's development. In 1987, the University elevated its entire intercollegiate athletic program from NCAA Division II to Division I. There are now 16 intercollegiate athletic programs – and a new era in FIU sports was launched in fall 2002, when the Golden Panthers began competing in intercollegiate football (Division I-AA). The school is part of the Sun Belt Conference and the Atlantic Soccer Conference.

Some 30 years after opening its doors, FIU is within reach of attaining its foremost goal - to become one of the nation's top, urban, public research universities. What began as an institution to provide teaching to Miami's exploding population has evolved into a world-class university that mirrors Miami's growing role as a global city.