About FGCU
Get to Know Us
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is a big part of Southwest Florida. We are a catalyst for the area's economy and a cultural hub for the community. Our students enjoy a world-class education on a campus that is a living, learning laboratory.
Our Mission
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is a transformative, learner-centered institution dedicated to student success that strategically serves Southwest Florida and beyond.
FGCU, as a regional comprehensive institution, provides academic, economic, and cultural enrichment for our community through impactful partnerships and excellent teaching, learning, scholarship, and public service. We create pathways for our students to thrive as engaged, responsible, global citizens. Through undergraduate and graduate programs, FGCU students receive a distinctive education with experiential learning, community service, and participation in a living laboratory of sustainability practices.
Our Vision
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) aspires for national prominence and global recognition as a community-focused, comprehensive institution driving positive change and shaping the future of higher education.
Our graduates will be exemplars in an ever-changing world, known for their individual successes, dedication to sustainability, ethical leadership, and transformative global impact.
Leadership
Aysegul Timur, Ph.D., was selected to become Florida Gulf Coast University’s fifth president on May 4, 2023, following a unanimous endorsement from the FGCU Board of Trustees. Her presidency was confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors on June 22, 2023.
Timur, an economist by training, is a Naples resident with more than 24 years of experience in higher education. She earned a doctorate from the University of South Florida and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Istanbul.
Campus Features
With restored or preserved nature making up half of our 800 acres, the FGCU campus is a living laboratory for learning, especially as it pertains to sustainability, one of our guiding principles.
- 300 residential and migratory birds and endangered species
- Natural trails winding through pine flatwoods, cypress swamps and other ecosystems
- 15-acre solar energy field
- Food Forest designed and maintained by students as a permaculture botanical garden
FGCU Athletics
FGCU Athletics competes in the ASUN Conference in NCAA Division I. The men's basketball program's "Dunk City" moniker was earned during the 2013 NCAA Tournament when FGCU became the first No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16. The women's basketball program owns the single-season NCAA record for 3-pointers and regularly makes NCAA Tournament appearances by "Raining 3s" on opponents.
Nine FGCU programs have been ranked among the nation's Top 25, and student-athletes regularly produce higher GPAs than the FGCU student body as a whole.
Men's Programs: Baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis
Women's Programs: Basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving (competes in the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association), tennis, volleyball
Accreditation
FGCU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and 18 other professional accrediting agencies.
