Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University is a private university with its main campus in Davie, Florida. The university consists of 18 total colleges, centers, and schools offering over 150 programs of study. The university offers professional degrees in the social sciences, law, business, osteopathic medicine, allopathic medicine, allied health, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, education, occupational therapy, and nursing. As of 2019, 20,793 students were enrolled at Nova Southeastern University enrolled, with a total of 185,000 alumni. With a main campus located on 314 acres in Davie, Florida, NSU operates additional campuses in Dania Beach, North Miami Beach, Tampa Bay, and centers throughout the state of Florida.
The university was founded as the Nova University of Advanced Technology on a former naval outlying landing field built during World War II, and first offered graduate degrees in the physical and social sciences. In 1994, the university merged with the Southeastern University of the Health Sciences and assumed its current name.
NSU is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity;" it also classified as a "community engaged" university by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and also has numerous additional specialized accreditations for its colleges and programs.
The NSU Sharks compete in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as members of the Sunshine State Conference.
History
1960s
The university, originally named Nova University of Advanced Technology, was chartered by the state of Florida on December 4, 1964. With an inaugural class of 17 students, the university opened as a graduate school for the social and physical sciences. The university was originally located on a campus in downtown Fort Lauderdale but later moved to its current campus in Davie, Florida. A portion of the site of this campus was once a naval training airfield during World War II, called the "Naval Outlying Landing Field Forman". The remnants of the taxiway surrounding the airfield are still present in the form of roads used on the campus. After World War II, the federal government made a commitment to the Forman family, from whom the land was purchased, that the land would only be used for educational purposes. This led the land to be used for the creation of the South Florida Education Center, which includes Nova Southeastern University, as well as Broward College, McFatter Technical College, and satellite campuses of Florida Atlantic University and the University of Florida.1970s
On June 23, 1970, the board of trustees voted to enter into a federation with the New York Institute of Technology. The president of NYIT, Alexander Schure, Ph.D., became chancellor of Nova University, and Abraham S. Fischler became the president of the university. The university charter was amended and "of Advanced Technology" was dropped from its corporate name. In 1971, Nova University received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.In 1972, the university introduced its first off-campus course of study in education. In 1974, NSU opened a law school, with an inaugural class of 175 students. The law school was named after one of the university's founders, Shepard Broad. The same year, the university began offering evening courses on campus for undergraduates, and changed its name to Nova University. The following year, in 1975, the law school received approval from the American Bar Association.
1980s
In the early 1980s, the university received a $16 million gift from the Leo Goodwin Sr. Trust. In 1985, NSU ended its collaboration with New York Institute of Technology, and began offering its first online classes. In 1989, enrollment reached 8,000 students, with nearly 25,000 alumni.1990s
In 1994, Nova University merged with Southeastern University of the Health Sciences to form Nova Southeastern University, adding the Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Pharmacy, Optometry and Allied Health to the university. The College of Osteopathic Medicine was the first osteopathic medical school to be established in the southeastern United States.2000s
The William and Norma Horvitz Administration Building, a two-story postmodern structure, was built at a cost of $3 million, which houses the office of the president and numerous other administration departments. In 2001, the Alvin Sherman Library for Research and Information Technology Center was completed and also serves as the largest public library facility in the state of Florida. In 2004, the Carl DeSantis Building opened, which houses the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship and the Nova Southeastern University College of Engineering and Computing. The building is a, five-story facility, and cost about $33 million.In 2006, the University Center opened, which includes a 5,400 seat area, a fitness center, a performance theater, art gallery, a food court, and a student lounge. Five residence halls on the main campus serve undergraduate, graduate, health professions, and law students, with a capacity for housing 720 students in approximately of living space. In 2007, a 525-bed residence hall opened, called "The Commons".
In 2008, NSU, in partnership with the National Coral Reef Institute and the International Coral Reef Symposium, held the largest coral reef symposium in the world, which included representation from 75 different countries in attendance. In 2008, the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale joined the university. Originally founded in 1986 and located in downtown Fort Lauderdale, the museum and focuses on contemporary art work, particularly of the cultures of South Florida and Latin America. The NSU Art Museum is based in a 83,000 square-foot building, with a 256 seat auditorium and permanent collection of more than 7,000 works.
2010s
In 2014, NSU opened a new campus in Puerto Rico, with master and doctoral programs. In April 2015, NSU announced a significant restructuring of its schools and colleges, adopting an all college framework, to take effect the following July. Two new colleges were established: the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine and the Farquhar Honors College. The inaugural class of the medical school consistented of 53 students, with courses commencing on July 30, 2018.In January 2018, the university opened the NSU Write from the Start Writing and Communication Center in the Alvin Sherman Library on the main campus in Davie. The center offers writing and communication assistance to all NSU students as part of the university's Quality Enhancement Plan, which is part of reaccreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
George L. Hanbury II is the sixth and current president of Nova Southeastern University, and assumed the position of president in January 2010.
Campuses
Nova Southeastern University has a main campus located in Davie, Florida, with several branch campuses throughout the state, and one in Puerto Rico.Fort Lauderdale/Davie campus
The main campus consists of 314 acres and is located in Davie, Florida. The main campus includes administrative offices, classroom facilities, library facilities, health clinics, mental health clinics, Don Taft University Center, residence halls, cafeterias, computer labs, the bookstore, athletic facilities, and parking facilities. The Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center is the largest library building in the state of Florida. The library was opened to the public in December 2001, and offers workshops on a variety of topics each semester online and at NSU campuses. The Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography operates at both the main campus and an additional campus at the entrance to Port Everglades.The campus is home to the College of Allopathic Medicine, which confers the Doctor of Medicine degree. The new college makes Nova Southeastern the first institution in the Southeast to grant both MD and DO medical degrees. The college became South Florida's fourth traditional medical school. In 2016, the Collaborative Research opened in a 215,000 square foot facility. In 2018, construction began on a 500-600 unit undergraduate residence with an additional parkade structure on campus. The College of Psychology and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences are based in the Maltz building on the Davie campus.
HCA East Florida Division is collaborating with NSU to construct a new hospital, medical center, medical office building, and a new parking structure adjacent to NSU's main campus. Initial plans included transferring Plantation General Hospital, an HCA facility, to the new location on NSU's main campus; however, on February 2020, that decision was reversed following the repeal of much of the Certificate of Need regulation on hospitals in the state of Florida.
NSU University School
The main campus hosts the NSU University School. The University School is a fully accredited, independent, college preparatory school that serves grades Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12, and is located on the Davie campus. This school, often referred to as just the "University School", is organized into three academic sections: lower, middle, and upper schools. These represent, respectively, elementary, middle and high school divisions within the school.Dania Beach campus
The Dania Beach campus is located on 10 acres in the Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park and houses the Oceanographic Center. The Dania Beach campus includes the Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems Research. Completed in 2012 at a cost of $50 million USD, the Center is the largest research facility dedicated to studying coral reefs in the United States.North Miami Beach campus
The North Miami Beach campus, also known as the Southern campus, is located on and serves as the main location for the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. The College of Education is named after Abraham S. Fischler, who served as the second president of Nova University. The Special Needs Dentistry Clinic moved to the North Miami Beach campus in 2013.Tampa Bay regional campus
The Tampa Bay regional campus is a newly constructed 27-acre, 325,000 square foot campus located in Clearwater, FL. Construction began in March 2018 and was completed in August 2019. The Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel Family Foundation committed to a $200 million donation to support the development of the campus. The former Tampa Bay regional campus was previously located in Brandon, Florida. Approximately 1,200 students will be registered for classes during the Fall 2019 semester. The university expressed plans to offer additional programs at the Tampa Bay campus, including osteopathic medicine, anesthesiologist assistant, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and nursing.Student education centers
Nova Southeastern operates student education centers and satellite campuses in Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Kendall, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach Gardens, Tampa, and Puerto Rico. These centers provide computer labs, videoconferencing equipment, and other resources for distance students, who are not located near the main campus.Academics
Through its 15 colleges, the university awards associate, bachelor's, master's, specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. The university offers 33 degrees at the doctoral level and Master's degrees are offered in 52 subjects. A total of 56 undergraduate majors are offered. Additional programs of study include engineering and computing, arts, humanities and social sciences. Several degrees are offered online.NSU maintains a Health Professions Division, currently composed of eight colleges, including two accredited medical schools, The College of Osteopathic Medicine operates the Center for Bioterrorism and All-Hazards Preparedness, which is one of six training centers in the US funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. Through the respective colleges, residency training is offered in medicine, dentistry and optometry.
Institutes and Centers
In addition to its colleges, NSU has various other centers and institutes. NSU offers programs for families on parenting, preschool, primary education, and secondary education, which are provided through the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies. The Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine is located on both the main campus in Ft. Lauderdale and on the Kendall campus. This center aims to advance the science of treatment for individuals with neuro-inflammatory diseases via integration of education, research, and patient care.Accreditation
The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and also has numerous additional specialized accreditations for its colleges and programs. The Center for Psychological Studies is accredited by the American Psychological Association and recognized by the Florida Department of Education. The NSU University School is accredited by AdvancED. and recognized by the Florida Kindergarten Council and the Florida Council of Independent Schools. The College of Allopathic Medicine received Preliminary Accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education on October 10, 2017, becoming the eighth M.D. degree granting medical school in Florida. The business school is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.Rankings
NSU is ranked by the Washington Monthly as the 391th best national university. In 2015, NSU was ranked by The Economist at 290 of 1,275 colleges based on income of graduate, compared to expected income. In 2015, NSU was ranked 9th for diversity by U.S. News & World Report. In 2016, NSU was selected as one of 20 global universities by the Times Higher Education and World University that could challenge the elite and become a world renowned university by 2030. In 2019, NSU ranked 22nd in number of professional doctoral degrees awarded to minorities in the US. In 2000, and again in 2014, Nova Southeastern University was ranked 3rd for highest total debt burden amongst its students. In 2014, students at NSU carried the #1 highest debt load compared to all other students at non-profit universities.Student life
In Fall 2018, 20,435 students were attending Nova Southeastern University, including undergraduates, graduate students, and professional programs. About 71% of undergraduate students are female, and 29% are male. The average student age is 22 years, and 25% are from out-of-state, while the remaining 75% of students are from Florida. About 34% of students are Hispanic/Latino, 29% are White/non-Hispanic, 14% are black/African American, 10% are Asian, 4% identify as two or more races/ethnicities, and 3% of students are of unknown ethnicity. About 49% of students attend classes at the Davie Campus, whereas 30% attend class at other campuses and 21% take courses online. The North Miami Beach Campus accounts for about 5% of the student population.Organizations
There are over 100 clubs and organizations on campus for students. There are a total of 20 student government associations that form PanSGA with the addition of the College of Allopathic Medicine. The Nova Southeastern's Undergraduate Student Government Association is the primary organization for the government of the undergraduate student body. The Office of Student Activities is responsible for a number of activities on campus, including homecoming, and regular extracurricular activities. About 7-8% of students are involved in Greek Life system, through either a fraternity or sorority. There are a total of five fraternities on the campus and six sororities on the campus.The school's student-run newspaper, The Current, is published weekly. There is also a school-sponsored radio station called WNSU RADIO X which broadcasts in the evenings and weekends on 88.5 FM WKPX, a station owned by Broward County Public Schools; Radio X airs from 6pm to midnight every night, and around the clock on Live365.com. Sharks United Television —is the newest student-run media outlet at NSU. Students can watch in the NSU Residence Halls on Channel 96 and online at any of NSU's campuses.
Housing
About 26% of students at NSU live in university owned or operated housing. The newest residence hall is the Rolling Hills Apartments, which opened in 2008. Rolling Hills Apartments is a renovated residence hall that was originally the "Best Western Rolling Hills Resort." This residence hall is for graduate and doctoral students. The oldest dorms, Farquhar, Founders, and Vettel, each house 55 students.Athletics
The NSU Sharks compete in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as members of the Sunshine State Conference. Nova Southeastern University offers 17 intercollegiate athletic programs consisting of ten women's and seven men's teams. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track, and volleyball. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, track and field, soccer, swimming, and diving.Since joining the NCAA in 2002, the NSU Sharks have produced several NCAA All-Region selections and NCAA All-Americans, and have been nationally ranked in numerous sports. The NSU Sharks have won four straight championships in women's golf from 2009 to 2012. In 2016, for the first time in school history, the NSU baseball team won the Division II National Championship.
Many athletic events at NSU take place at University Center Arena. In 2005, students voted for a new school mascot, and the student body selected the Sharks. NSU's athletic teams had previously been known as the Knights.
Student series
Several projects have been established that allow students to voluntarily listen to speakers brought in from outside the campus. The Farquhar Honors College hosts the Distinguished Speakers Series, which brings experts and notable persons from diverse fields to the campus. Past speakers have included Salman Rushdie, Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Film Maker Spike Lee, Maziar Bahari, Bob Woodward, Elie Wiesel, Paul Bremer, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, Desmond Tutu, and Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama.The Life 101 series brings leaders from business, entertainment, politics and athletics to Nova Southeastern University to share their life accomplishments and "life lessons" learned. Past speakers have included Dwayne Johnson, Wayne Huizenga, Vanessa L. Williams, Dan Abrams, Jason Taylor, Michael Phelps, James Earl Jones, Janet Reno, Alyssa Milano, and Ivanka Trump.
The Power Lunch series brings in local professionals and companies for a formal lunch and learn setting, which is supported by the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship. The series is for all students of the Huizenga College and is promoted to help learn about working in the corporate setting as well as a networking tool for the students. Past speakers and companies have included Geico, BankAtlantic, Miami Heat, Florida Panthers, Miami Dolphins, T. Boone Pickens, Wayne Huizenga, DHL, Samuel DiPiazza, Frederick Henderson, and other local South Florida companies.