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In the next quarter century, the world will be changing faster than ever before. Some scholars of world history believe we are now experiencing a time of turbulence and a change greater than that of any other time since the 1848 Revolutions and the 1917 Russian Revolution. It is within that context that we are developing and growing as a university. The world continues to be a smaller place through technology and through our shared and interactive ecosystem. Poverty continues to present a challenge in this continent, in the hemisphere, and in Africa and Asia. With a population that is expected to double in 40 years, we in the Americas are governed by fragile democracies that look to the United States, and in particular Florida and Miami, for assistance, help, and support. The United States, too, is witnessing radical changes in the foundations of its society. The demographics of South Florida, with its aging and increasingly diverse population, bring new challenges and opportunities to the nation and to the University. The challenge of adapting to these changes has become more difficult as, according to some observers, the United States public has become increasingly bitter, frustrated, cynical, and distrustful of public institutions.
Geography is a key determinant of destiny. As the economy globalizes, Florida is poised to leap ahead into the twenty-first century. In December 1994, Florida hosted the single most significant event in its state history --the Summit of the Americas. Thirty-four democratically elected heads of state converged in Miami. Given its advantages of climate, location, diverse population, and tremendous communications and transportation infrastructure, Miami was portrayed in best light, thus pointing the way to future opportunities. Miami is at the crossroads of the Hemisphere-- and FIU is at the epicenter of that crossroads.
In higher education, rising tuition is distancing private universities from the reach of the middle class. In this state, public universities have seen education's share of the state budget and funding per student FTE decline in many recent years. At the same time the public is demanding greater accountability, leading to increased monitoring of the use of our resources. The legislature is further asking us to do everything we were doing before yet direct more of our time to instruction. Even though higher education is in transition nationally, with many institutions facing declining enrollments, budget cuts, department eliminations and reduction in the number of faculty, the long-range prospects for public education in Florida, particularly higher education, are favorable no matter which party is in power. This is because there is a growing understanding on the part of our leaders that education, in particular higher education, will be the determining and differentiating characteristic of the successful geographic regions of the next century.
This document chronicles the dramatic growth and development of Florida International University. As portrayed in the opening comments, there will be a continuation of the globalization of world economies, thus adding to the importance of our international mission. Globalization, combined with North and South American trade agreements, will strengthen South Florida's role as a gateway for these new commercial and political developments.
In the face of radically changing assumptions about the world's direction, we need to engage the faculty in a full-scale re-examination of our current plans, strategies, goals and traditions. Although much discussion is needed on these trends and the consequences, as well as important considerations we have surely overlooked, the outline of a possible overarching strategy can be sketched.
Fortunately, we are not without considerable strengths relevant to the trends discussed above. We need to promote broad interdisciplinary faculty discussion on the strategic themes, and incorporate them into future efforts of departments, colleges, and schools. Similarly, we need to initiate or refocus research centers which can obtain major federal, state and corporate support based on these University strategic themes. FIU will be formally collaborating with major federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Two mutually reinforcing trends, international economic integration and a worldwide green movement, could form the backbone of FIU's strategic design for the 21st century. This strategy must be carried out in a manner that takes into account the new demands for performance by institutions such as ours. All of this is to say that we must not only choose the right direction, but we must also execute with the quality and efficiency that will insure that we continue to maintain the public trust under new and more challenging circumstances.
FIU, then, is poised to continue to grow and to gain increased status and recognition. We must, however, take firm control of FIU's destiny before the whirlwind of changes within which we are developing engulfs us. If we do not take steps to determine our future direction, others will. And those others do not understand as much about our institution, higher education, and the needs of our students as we do. Our goal is nothing less than becoming one of the great national, public universities in America, which, given the prestige of American higher education internationally, will make FIU truly one of the great universities of the world.
The current circumstances provide a young and, hence, adaptable institution, with the opportunity to adjust and refine its strategy so that it is in tune with a world focused on peaceful economic competition, environmental protection, and the improvement of the way in which we manage our lives and our political institutions.
Our unique location and diverse populations, affords the University an opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the diversity among people of different genders, ages, races, economic backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, creeds, philosophies, and preferences, as well as those with varying mental and physical abilities. The unique characteristics of location and diversity, combined with watershed world events of the 1990s will determine the destiny of Florida International University as it becomes not only one of America's top urban research universities, but also one of the leading institutions of higher learning in the Western hemisphere and the rest of the world. There is much to think about, even more to do. The 21st century will not arrive without a formidable wake.
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