Florida International University

Florida International University
Motto:	Spes Scientia Facultas (Latin: "Hope, Knowledge, Opportunity")
Established:	1965
Type:	Public
Endowment:	$110 million[1]
President:	Modesto A. Maidique
Faculty:	2,974
Staff:	4,800
Students:	38,614
Undergraduates:	29,695
Postgraduates:	8,919
Location:	Miami, Florida, USA
Campus:	Suburban 573.4 acres (2.32 km²)
Athletics:	NCAA Division I, SBC 17 varsity teams
Colors:	Blue and Gold
Nickname:	Golden Panthers
Mascot:	Roary the Panther
Affiliations:	AACSB, ORAU, ΦΒΚS, SACS
Website:	www.fiu.edu

Florida International University, commonly referred to as FIU or Florida International, is a public research university located west of Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus at University Park. Florida International University is a Comprehensive Doctoral Research University with high research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation.^[2] Florida International University is also the youngest university to be awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter by the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the country's oldest academic honor society.^[3] FIU is one of 78 universities nationwide to hold both designations.^[4]

The university is comprised of 16 colleges and schools offering over 200 programs of study with more than 280 majors.^[5] Florida International University is also the 5th-largest university in Florida and the 15th-largest university in the United States in terms of enrollment.^[1] For Fall 2007, total enrollment was 38,614 students and 2,974 full-time faculty with more than 150,500 alumni around the world.^[6]

The U.S. News and World Report currently ranks FIU as a fourth tier postsecondary institution in the National Universities category. U.S. News & World Report (2008) also ranks the Landon Undergraduate School of Business 7th in the nation and ranks the Chapman Graduate School of Business 11th amongst business schools in the United States for international business.^[6] BusinessWeek (2006) ranks the College of Business among the top 15% of graduate business schools in the U.S., 1st in South Florida, and in the top 25 among public business schools in the U.S.^[7]

In 2007, the Florida International University College of Law ranked 1st in the state of Florida with a bar passing rate of 94%, and 1st in the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam at 96%.^[8]

As of 2007, Florida International University attracts more valedictorians from South Florida than any other university in the country. ^[9] Admission standards have also increased with acceptance rates dropping from 63.2% for Fall 2005 to 44% for Fall 2007, making FIU the second-most selective university in Florida.^[10] For Fall 2008, the average incoming freshmen had a SAT score of 1176, a 24 ACT score and a 3.7 high school GPA.^[6][11]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Founding: 1943–1969 1.2 Opening of the doors: 1969–1975 1.3 Crosby and Wolfe: 1976–1986 1.4 FIU today 2 Academics 2.1 Colleges and schools 2.2 University presidents 3 Enrollment and admissions 4 Rankings 4.1 College of Business Administration 4.2 College of Law 4.3 Other 5 Campus 5.1 University Park 5.2 Biscayne Bay Campus 5.3 Regional campuses 5.4 International campuses 6 Facilities 6.1 Student housing 6.2 Libraries 6.3 International Hurricane Research Center 6.4 Construction and expansion 7 Student life 7.1 Greek Life 7.2 Student Media 7.3 Arts and culture 7.4 Student organizations 7.5 Traditions 7.5.1 Spirit traditions 7.5.2 Superstitions and legends 8 Athletics 9 Notable Alumni 10 References 11 External links 11.1 Maps

History

Founding: 1943–1969

The story of Florida International University's founding began in 1943, when state Senator Ernest 'Cap' Graham (father of future Florida governor and U.S. senator Bob Graham) presented the state legislature with the initial proposal for the establishment of a public university in South Florida. While his bill did not pass, Graham persisted in presenting his proposal to colleagues, advising them of Miami's need for a state university. He felt the establishment of a public university was necessary to serve the city's growing population.^[12]

In 1964, Senate Bill 711 was introduced by Florida Senator Robert M. Haverfield. It instructed the state Board of Education and the Board of Regents (BOR), to begin planning for the development of a state university in Miami. The bill was signed into law by then-governor W. Haydon Burns in June 1965, marking FIU's official founding.

FIU's founding president Charles "Chuck" Perry was appointed by the Board of Regents in July 1969 after a nationwide search. At 31 years old, the new president was the youngest in the history of the State University System and, at the time, the youngest university president in the country. Perry recruited three co-founders - Butler Waugh, Donald McDowell and Nick Sileo - who came to the abandoned Tamiami Airport in the summer of 1969 and launched the monumental task of creating a new university. Alvah Chapman, former Miami Herald publisher and Knight Ridder chairman, used his civic standing and media power to assist the effort. In the 1980s, Chapman became chair of the FIU Foundation Board of Trustees.^[12]

Opening of the doors: 1969–1975

In September 1972, 5,667 students finally entered the new state university. Previously, Miami had been the largest city in the country lacking a public baccalaureate-granting institution. Eighty percent of the student body had just graduated from Dade County Junior College (now Miami-Dade College). A typical student entering FIU was 25 years old and attending school full-time while holding down a full-time job. Forty-three percent were married. Negotiations with the University of Miami and Dade County Junior College led FIU to open as an upper-division only school. It would be 9 years before lower-division classes were added.^[12]

The first commencement, held in June 1973, was held in the reading room of the ground floor of Primera Casa (today called the Perry Building) - the only place large enough on campus for the ceremony. More than 1,500 family members and friends watched FIU's first class of 191 graduates receive their diplomas.^[12]

By late 1975, after seven years at the helm, Charles Perry felt he had accomplished his goal and left the University to become president and publisher of the Sunday newspaper magazine Family Weekly (now USA Weekend), one of the country's largest magazines. When he left, there were over 10,000 students attending classes and a campus with five major buildings and a sixth being planned.^[12]

Crosby and Wolfe: 1976–1986

Harold Crosby, the University's second president and the founding president of the University of West Florida in Pensacola, agreed in 1976 to serve a three-year "interim" term. Under his leadership, the North Miami Campus (which was officially renamed the Bay Vista Campus in 1980, the North Miami Campus in 1987, the North Campus in 1994, and the Biscayne Bay Campus in 2000) - located on the former Interama site on Biscayne Bay - was opened in 1977. State Senator Jack Gordon was instrumental in securing funding for the development of the campus. President Crosby emphasized the university's international character, which prompted the launching of new programs with an international focus and the recruitment of faculty from the Caribbean and Latin America. President Crosby's resignation in January 1979, triggered the search for a "permanent" president.^[13]

Gregory Baker Wolfe, a former United States diplomat and then-president of Portland State University became FIU's third president, from 1979 to 1986. After stepping down as president, Wolfe went on to teach in the university's International Relations department. The student union on the Biscayne Bay Campus is named in his honor.^[13]

FIU today

In 1986, Modesto Maidique became FIU's fourth president and is the longest-serving university president in the State of Florida.^[14] Under Modesto Maidique, FIU has grown into the largest university in South Florida, with a student enrollment of 38,614, and a budget of over $1 billion, creating an economic impact of more than $1.7 billion on the South Florida economy.^[4][6][12]

Having begun as a two-year upper division university serving the Miami area, FIU has grown into a traditional university serving students from all over the world. To strengthen this growth, more than $600 million have been invested in construction, with the addition of new residence halls, the on-campus FIU Stadium, recreation center, student center, and Greek Life mansions, as well as the fielding of the Division I-A Golden Panthers football team.^[15] FIU has also increased its academic prestige with the founding of the Florida International University School of Architecture, Florida International University College of Law and the Florida International University College of Medicine, as well as the acquisition of the historical Wolfsonian-FIU Museum in Miami Beach.^[16][6]

Florida International University also emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and sponsored research funding (grants and contracts) from external sources for the year 2007-2008 totaled $110 million.^[1] FIU is ranked as a Research University in the High Research Activity category of the Carnegie Foundation’s prestigious classification system.^[4][6] FIU's School of Hospitality & Tourism Management collaborated with China's Ministry of Education to work on preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics. FIU was the only school in the United States invited to do so.^[17][18]

Academics

FIU offers 205 academic programs, 85 baccalaureate programs, 87 master's programs, 3 specialist programs, 29 doctoral programs, and 1 professional program in 26 colleges and schools. In addition, 95% of the faculty have terminal degrees, and 57% currently have tenure at the university with a student/teacher ratio of 17:1.^[6]

Colleges and schools

• College of Architecture and the Arts
  • School of Architecture
  • School of Art and Art History
  • School of Music
  • School of Theatre and Speech Communication
• College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Business Administration
  • Alvah H. Chapman, Jr. Graduate School of Business
  • R. Kirk Landon Undergraduate School of Business
  • School of Accounting
• College of Education
• College of Engineering and Computing
  • School of Computing and Information Sciences
• College of Law
• College of Medicine
• College of Nursing and Health Sciences
• School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
• School of Journalism and Mass Communication
• Robert Stempel School of Public Health
  • School of Social Work
• Honors College
• University Graduate School
• Continuing and Professional Studies^[19][6]

University presidents

President [20]	Tenure
Charles Perry	1965–1976
Harold Crosby	1976–1979
Gregory Baker Wolfe	1979–1986
Modesto A. Maidique	1986–present

Enrollment and admissions

Ethnic enrollment, 2007[22]	Percentage	Total number
African American	12%	4,838
Asian American	4%	1,474
Hispanic	59%	22,872
Native American	1%	68
White (non-Hispanic)	17%	6,611
International, Other	7%	2,751
Total	100%	38,614

Enrollment for Fall 2007 consists of 38,614 students, 29,695 undergraduates and 8,919 graduate students, including students enrolled in professional programs.^[23] For Fall 2007, women accounted for 56% of student enrollment and minorities made up 68% of total undergraduate enrollment. Fall 2007 enrollment included students from all 50 U.S. states and over 119 countries.^[24] The most popular College by enrollment is the Florida International University College of Arts and Sciences.^[25]

The incoming freshman class had an average SAT score of 1176, a 24 ACT score and a 3.7 high school GPA. The freshmen acceptance rate for the first 2007 semester was 44%, dropping greatly from 63.2% from 2005. 15,868 prospective freshmen applied and 7,098 were accepted. The average freshman in the Honors College had an SAT score of 1236 with the highest SAT at 1540 and an average high school GPA of 3.68.^[26] This increase in selectivity is due to both a 64% increase in undergraduate applications since 2005 and as the university's academic recognition increases.^[6]

University Park accounted for 87% of the student population and 94% of housing students. The Biscayne Bay Campus accounted for about 13% of the student population, mostly of lower division undergraduates and students of the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. Fall 2007, the average age for undergraduates was 22 and 29 for graduate students.^[27][28]

Rankings

In 2000, Florida International University received the highest research university ranking conferred by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.^[29] That same year, FIU became the youngest university to be awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, the country's oldest and most distinguished academic honor society.^[3] FIU is one of only 78 universities nationwide to hold both designations.^[30]

Florida International University is ranked among the top 100 public national universities in the U.S. News & World Report annual guide to "America's Best Colleges." FIU was the youngest institution in that group.^[30] The magazine also reported that FIU students are among the least indebted college students in the nation, and recognized the university as a "best buy" in higher education. In 1998, Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine ranked FIU as the country's 18th best value in public higher education.

FIU recently ranked among the best values in public higher education in the country, according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s 2006 survey, "100 Best Values in Public Colleges." FIU is ranked among the top 50 nationally for in-state students and among the top 100 nationally for out-of-state and international students.

FIU is ranked 3rd in granting bachelor's degrees to minorities and 9th in granting master's degrees to minorities (among the top 100 degree producing colleges and universities), according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education, (June 2006).

College of Business Administration

The College of Business Administration is among the top 15% of elite business schools worldwide accredited by the AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" (2007) ranks the undergraduate international business program 7th in the nation and ranks the Chapman Graduate School of Business 11th in the nation. The Executive MBA program is ranked 1st in Florida by Financial Times (2008) and 35th in the United States.^[31]

América Economía ranks the Chapman Graduate School of Business 22nd in the world.^[32]

The Financial Times (October 2007) ranks the Executive MBA 78th in the world, and 37th among U.S. Executive MBAs. ^{[33] [34]} BusinessWeek (2006) ranks the College of Business among the top 15% of graduate business schools in the U.S., the only one in South Florida, and in the top 25 among public business schools.

BusinessWeek ranked the College of Business 80th —in the top 20% among AACSB International-accredited business schools and in the top 5% among the 1,400 undergraduate business programs in the U.S. The College of Business ranked 3rd best among Florida’s public business schools. The Landon Undergraduate School of Business was ranked 8th in the country in the area of "Operations Management."

Hispanic Business (since 1998) and Hispanic Trends (since 2003) have placed the College of Business among the top 25 business schools for Hispanics and most recently in the top 10 business schools.

Fortune Small Business (March 8, 2006) cited the College of Business as among the "Ten Cool Colleges for Entrepreneurs," offering "some of the most innovative programs for fledgling business owners."

The 1999 National CPA Examination Report noted that FIU Accounting graduates ranked first in the nation in passing the CPA exam on the first try and are consistently (last 5 years) ranked in the top 5 in their exam scores. In January 2001, the Academy of Management Journal ranked the College of Business Administration's Management Information Systems (MIS) unit the 11th best in the U.S.

Hispanic Trends ranks the Executive MBA program 8th in its list of the best Executive MBA programs for Hispanics.

College of Law

In the Spring of 2007, the Florida International University College of Law achieved a 94.4% passing rate, the highest in the state of Florida.^[8] U.S. News & World Report ranks the College of Law in the third tier of American law schools. The College of Law was also ranked 1st in Florida in the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam at 96%.^[8][35]

Other

FIU is ranked #2 amongst Florida public universities for best paid graduates.^[36]

The Journal of Criminal Justice ranks the Criminal Justice program 10th in the U.S. (November 2007) ^[37]

The Creative Writing program is ranked among the top ten in the country by "Who Runs American Literature?" in the Dictionary of Literary Biography.

The School of Hospitality & Tourism Management is one of the nation’s top programs. The School of Hospitality Management is recognized by industry leaders as one of the nation's top five hospitality management programs.^[4]

Faculty of the Ph.D. program in social welfare rank 4th in the United States in their scholarly accomplishment, according to Academic Analytics. FIU faculty were the only social work faculty in Florida to rank in the Top 10. (December 2007)^[38]

Campus

Florida International University has two major campuses in Miami, the main campus, University Park and the Biscayne Bay Campus, as well as several minor campuses and research facilities around South Florida, China, and Italy.^[6]

University Park

The main campus, University Park, encompasses 344 acres (1.4 km²) in University Park, (from which the area derives its name). Florida International University was built from around 1965 onwards, with the complete destruction of Tamiami Airport in 1969. At the time, very little was located around FIU, and the campus was referred to as University Park. As Miami grew west, the area came to be known as University Park after the university's campus name.

University Park houses all of the university's colleges and schools as well as all the administrative offices and main university facilities. University Park is also home to the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential House, the home of FIU's president, the Wertheim Performing Arts Center, the Frost Art Museum, the International Hurricane Research Center, and the university's athletic facilities such as FIU Stadium, University Park Stadium, and the Pharmed Arena.

Until the early-1990s, aerial pictures of the campus clearly revealed the features of the airport that used to occupy the land until 1969. Construction has obliterated all of these features, and only the University Tower remains as memory of the university's past.^[39] Today, University Park is home to about 87% of the student population and 94% of housing students. University Park is a lush, heavily-vegetated campus, with many lakes and nature preserves, as well as an arboretum and has 92 buildings. Current construction at University Park includes a Nursing and Health Sciences Building, an International Studies Building, and an expansion to FIU Stadium for a seating capacity of 45,000.^[40]

Located five blocks north of University Park, is the 38 acre (145,000m²) Engineering Center which houses a part of the College of Engineering and Computing and is the home of FIU's Motorola Nanofabrication Research Facility. The Engineering Center is also serviced by the Golden Panther Express, FIU's student buses, which run throughout the day on weekdays connecting the two parts of campus.^[41]

Biscayne Bay Campus

The Biscayne Bay Campus in North Miami is the University's second largest campus. It was opened in 1977 by Harold Crosby and is about 200 acres (809,000 m²), directly on the bay and adjacent to the Oleta River State Park, with which FIU has a research partnership. Access to these resources inspired the creation of a marine biology program on the Biscayne Bay Campus, which has become one of the university's most recognized programs.^{[citation needed]} The Biscayne Bay Campus also houses the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, one of the nation's top programs^[42], the Aquatic Center, and the Kovens Conference Center. The Golden Panther Express, FIU's student buses, connect the main campus and the Biscayne Bay Campus throughout the day on weekdays.^[43]

Regional campuses

Florida International University also has other smaller regional campuses located throughout South Florida in both Miami-Dade County and Broward County, serving the local communities in research, continuing studies, and in culture. In Broward County there are two FIU facilities, the FIU-Pines Center in Pembroke Pines, opened to satisfy the demand from Broward County residents continuing studies, and a research tower in Fort Lauderdale. In Miami-Dade County, there are four regional FIU facilities, the Metropolitan Center in Downtown Miami, a part of the Chapman Graduate School of Business, the Wolfsonian-FIU Museum in Miami Beach, the FIU-Florida Memorial research center in Miami Gardens, and a research site in Homestead.

International campuses

Florida International University also has international campuses throughout Asia and Europe. The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum has a regional facility in Nervi, Italy, the School of Architecture has facilities in Genoa, Italy for FIU's upper-division and graduate Architecture students, and the Florida International University Tianjin Center in Tianjin, China, from which a branch of the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management operates. The Tianjin Center was constructed as a cooperative venture with the local municipal government and was opened in the Summer of 2006.^[18]

Facilities

Student housing

Florida International University's student housing facilities are managed by the Office of Housing and Residential Life and is available on both the main campus and the Biscayne Bay Campus. Currently, there are 3,300 beds distributed throughout 10 apartment buildings and 6 residence halls. At University Park these are the University Park Apartments, Panther Hall, the University Park Towers, Everglades Hall, Lakeview Hall North, and Lakeview Hall South. At the Biscayne Bay Campus, housing is available in Bay Vista Hall.^[44][6] Together, approximately 14% of FIU's student population lives on-campus in student housing.

FIU residence halls[45]	Year built	Room capacity
Bay Vista Hall	1984	300
University Park Apartments	1986	584
Panther Hall	1996	400
University Park Towers	2000	500
Everglades Hall	2002	400
Lakeview Hall North	2006	400
Lakeview Hall South	2006	425

The Office of Housing and Residential Life also offers optional communities in the residence halls. These communities include the Architecture and Arts Community, for students majoring in Architecture or art-related majors, Honors Place for Honors College students, F.Y.R.S.T. (First Year Residents Succeeding Together) for all freshmen in any major, F.Y.R.S.T. Explore, for undecided freshmen, Leader's in Residence for students interested in civic service and leadership opportunities and the Law Community for College of Law students.^[46]

As the university continues to grow, the demand for housing from out-of-state and local students continues to rise. Thus, there is a main push for on-campus housing. Between 2002 and 2006, three new residence halls were constructed increasing student capacity by 1,250. By Fall 2010, Parkview Housing, a 820-bed housing complex will be built in between Panther Hall and the FIU Nature Preserve and will include a new parking garage east of FIU Stadium as well as shops.^[47] Construction of Parkview Housing, and 3 fraternity mansions are expected to commence within the next few years.^[48]

Plans are also underway for land acquisition of the Miami Fairgrounds for a housing/entertainment mini-city, with 4 to 5 housing towers, a shopping center, and two new parking garages in between FIU Stadium and the Wertheim Performing Arts Center. Currently, this is under the planning stage and is co-related with the current expansions underway at FIU Stadium for 45,000 seats, expected to be finished in stages by Fall 2010.

Libraries

The eight-story Green Library, is Florida International University's main library, the largest building on-campus, and the largest library in the Southeastern United States.^[49] Other libraries at FIU include the Biscayne Bay Campus Library, College of Law Library in Balart Hall, the Pines Center Library, the Wolfsonian-FIU Museum Library, the Engineering Center Library and the future College of Medicine Library. The entire university-wide Library holdings include over 1,973,612 volumes, 40,813 current serials, 3,997,890 microform units, and 159,978 audio visual units.^[50]

International Hurricane Research Center

The International Hurricane Research Center (IHRC) is the nation’s only university-based research facility dedicated to mitigating the damage tropical storms inflict on people, the economy, and the environment. The IHRC is home to four institutes: the Laboratory for Coastal Research; the Laboratory for Social Science Research; the Laboratory for Insurance, Financial & Economic Research; and the Laboratory for Wind Engineering Research, as well as the FIU Wall of Wind. This first-of-its-kind testing system consists of a series of large industrial fans powered by race car engines. It produces a wind field equivalent to a Category Four hurricane.^[51] Not to be confused with the National Hurricane Center (also located at University Park), the IHRC is located on the western side of the campus.

Construction and expansion

Currently, Florida International University is undergoing a great period of growth. With an annual increase in student enrollment, a move to NCAA Division I football, and with the addition of the College of Law, and the College of Medicine, the demand for facilities and classroom space has greatly increased.^[52]

Future projects and/or buildings under construction include:

• Frost Art Museum - finished in September 2007 and opening to the public in November 2008^[53]
• Expansion to FIU Stadium - Expansion to capacitate 45,000 fans to be done in two separate phases (Phase I completed in September 2008 and Phase II to be completed by Fall 2011)^[40]
• College of Nursing and Health Sciences Building - broke ground in July 2008 and to be finished by 2010
• Student Academic Center - to house undergraduate admissions, visitor's center, academic advising and career services expected to be finished by 2010^{[54] [6][55]}
• Parking Garage V (East of Football Stadium) and VI (Across from Red Garage)
• International Studies Building - to break ground in February 2009 and finish by 2010^{[56] [57]}
• Graduate Housing- 400-bed residence hall to be finished by 2011 ^[58]
• Graduate Classroom Complex- to be completed by Fall 2011^[59]
• Main Street- finished by 2011

Student life

Greek Life

Florida International University has over 30 fraternities and sororities divided into four governing councils: the Interfraternity Council (IFC), the Panhellenic Council (PC), the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC).^[60]

The Interfraternity Council governs over Beta Theta Pi, Delta Lambda Phi, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Sigma Kappa, Pi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Mu, Sigma Beta Rho, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and Tau Kappa Epsilon.^[61]

The Panhellenic Council governs over Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Phi Epsilon, Phi Mu, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Kappa, and Sigma Sigma Sigma.^[62]

The National Pan-Hellenic Council governs over Alpha Phi Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Zeta Phi Beta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi and Phi Beta Sigma.^[60]

The Multicultural Greek Council is newly formed at FIU and governs over five traditionally Latin or Multicultural organizations. The fraternities and sororities governed by the MGC are Lambda Theta Phi, Lambda Theta Alpha, Delta Phi Omega, Sigma Lambda Gamma, and Lambda Upsilon Lambda.^[63]

Student Media

Main articles: The Beacon and Radiate FM

Student Media is the umbrella organization for The Beacon, the student-run newspaper; FIUSM.com, the student-run news and media website; and Radiate FM, the student-run radio station. Each organization's directors are selected by the Student Media board on a yearly basis.

The Beacon is the FIU student newspaper since 1965. The Beacon is published thrice weekly in a compact format during the Fall and Spring semesters (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and once a week on Wednesday during the Summer. It is split into five unique sections, News, reporting a mix of university, local and national events, At the Bay for news on the Biscayne Bay Campus, Sports, Opinion and Life! The Beacon is available free campus-wide in the residence halls, the Graham Center and all campus buildings.^[64]

FIUSM.com is the FIU student-run media website since 2008. FIUSM.com publishes content generated by the Student Media team, including text, audio, and video.^[65]

Radiate FM is FIU's student-run radio station since 1984.^[66] It broadcasts on 95.3 MHz at the University Park Campus and on 96.9 MHz at the Biscayne Bay Campus. The signal originates in Homestead on 88.1 MHz and a broadcast translator rebroadcasts Radiate FM's signal to the University Park Campus and later again translated to the Biscayne Bay Campus.^[67]

Arts and culture

FIU has two museums, the Frost Art Museum and the historic Wolfsonian-FIU Museum. The Frost Art Museum is located on campus and was opened in 1977 as The Art Museum at Florida International University as a student gallery. Today, the Frost Art Museum features collections of both Latin American and 20th century American art.^[68] The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum is located in Miami Beach and promotes the collection, preservation and understanding of decorative art and design from the period from 1885 to 1945.^[69][70] FIU also has the country's largest university sculpture collection, named the Martin Z. Margulies Family Collection, with over 80 such sculptures around campus. Many different art structures, statues, paintings and mosaics can be seen throughout campus in gardens, buildings, walkways, and on walls.^[71]

The School of Theatre and Dance produces a wide variety of live student performances, and the School of Music presents an annual fall series of concerts that showcase talent in a variety of genres. The festival features FIU musicians as well as distinguished visiting performers. Many plays, musicals, concerts, operas, and dance shows are produced each year, through the School of Theatre, Dance, & Speech Communication at FIU's Wertheim Performing Arts Center.^[72]

FIU annually hosts the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival on campus through the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The festival is one of the major culinary events in the nation and an event that showcases the talents of the world's most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities.^[73]

Student organizations

The Student Government Association presides over and funds the over 300 student clubs and organizations and honor societies at the university and has an operating budget of over $10 million.^[74] The Student Government Association is split into three branches, with the Executive, a Legislative Student Senate, and Judicial Body. Due to the unique nature of a multi-campus university, the President of University Park serves as the Student Representative on the University's Board of Trustees, while Biscayne Bay Campus' president serves as a member of the Foundation Board. However, this may change as an on-going debate continues on a possible restructuring of the FIU SGA.^[75]

The Student Government contains five separate organizations- the Student Programming Council, the Council of Student Organizations, which represents the over 300 student clubs and organizations, the Homecoming Council, Panther Power and Panther Rage, the student spirit groups.^[76] The Panther Power and Panther Rage groups can be seen in all Golden Panthers athletic events along with the Golden Panthers Band, the Golden Dazzlers dance team and the Golden Panthers cheerleaders .^[77] In 2004, thanks to the Student Government Association, MTV's Campus Invasion Tour was held at FIU.

Traditions

Spirit traditions

Florida International University has many traditions from student spirit groups, alumni association events and student spirit events. Panther Rage, one of FIU's largest student spirit groups are seen at all the athletics events painted in blue and gold paint.^[78] FIU also holds many Golden Panther spirit events throughout the year. Some of these include, Panther Camp held in the Summer prior to the Fall term for incoming freshmen, where students spend a weekend in a retreat center learning all the traditional Golden Panther cheers, chants, traditions meeting other incoming students. Started in 2006, Panther Camp has grown quickly in popularity from only 25 participants in 2006 to over 120 participants in 2007. In 2008, Panther Camp expanded to two camps with a combined total of 240 freshman participants.^[79]

Week of Welcome, usually held the first or second week of the Fall semester holds many spirit events, such as Trail of the Torch. Trail of the Torch is another university tradition that has continued to grow annually, where a pep rally is held in the Housing Quad with music, food, giveaways and dancing. After the pep rally, the torch of knowledge is lit and blue and gold candles are distributed to the crowd for the procession around the campus, trailing the torch from the Housing Quad to the torch in front of the Primera Casa building. Rage Week and Homecoming Week are other major back-to-back spirit weeks held in the Fall semester. They include the Homecoming Parade, Greek Row parties, Homecoming football game, Blue/Gold Party, pep rallies and other Panther Rage events.^[80]

Superstitions and legends

There are many other traditions at FIU that are not spirit-related. The large cube in front of Deuxieme Maison is said to give good luck in exams and tests and thus is spun by hundreds of students every semester. During final exams, a line forms around the cube with people waiting to be able to spin the cube for good luck on their exams. The "Kissing Bridge" tradition in Turtle Pond in between the Ryder Business Building and Green Library. The tradition is that if you kiss someone on the bridge you will stay with them forever. The top floor of Green Library is said to be haunted; people have reported a friendly ghost that wanders the halls minutes before the library closes at night^{[citation needed]}. Another tradition is that if a student steps on the seal engraved in front of the Graham Center, the university's student union, it is said that they will delay their graduation for many years, or never graduate at all, and thus even on crowded days, students go around the seal to avoid stepping on it, as a superstition.^[81]

Athletics

Main article: FIU Golden Panthers

See also: FIU Golden Panthers football

Florida International University has seventeen varsity sports teams, named the Golden Panthers. The Golden Panthers' athletic colors are blue and gold, and compete in the NCAA's Division I as part of the Sun Belt Conference in all sports except for men's soccer (which competes in Conference USA as an affiliate member). Three main sports facilities serve as home venues for Golden Panther athletics. The Golden Panthers football team plays at FIU Stadium ("The Cage"), the men and women's basketball and volleyball teams play at the FIU Arena, and the men's baseball team plays at University Park Stadium. Other athletics venues include the Aquatic Center, Tennis Complex, softball fields, and various other recreational fields.^[83]

Traditional rivals of the FIU Golden Panthers include Florida Atlantic University and the University of Miami. The Golden Panthers football team competes in the annual Shula Bowl, a yearly football game played for the Don Shula Award against in-state rival Florida Atlantic University. Due to this competition in the Shula Bowl, the rivalry between the two schools has grown, with the rivalry extending into the men's baseball and basketball teams as well.^[84]

The Golden Panthers football team plays home games at FIU Stadium nicknamed "The Cage" and are currently coached by Mario Cristobal. In 2005, the Golden Panthers moved to the Sun Belt Conference, making their transition from Division-1AA to Division-1A complete. In their first season in the conference, the Golden Panthers began by winning (5-6).^[85] FIU's athletics department has produced many professional and Olympic athletes, including current players in Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, National Basketball Association, National Football League and the Women's National Basketball Association.

Notable Alumni

Main article: List of Florida International University people

With more than 150,500 alumni around the world, the Florida International Golden Panthers constitute one of the fastest-growing university alumni groups in the state of Florida. FIU graduates more than 8,000 students a year and confers more than half of all degrees awarded by universities in Miami.^[86][6]

References