As the 2003-04 academic year gets underway, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to Florida Atlantic University. If you’re new to FAU, I share your sense of wonder at its size and scope. I am proud to say that I am a 1981 graduate of this fine university, and the education I received here provided a superb foundation for my career in public service. In a number of important ways, however, the FAU I attended was a very different school from the one in which you are enrolled.

The FAU of the early ’80s was a community of about 8,000 students who took courses on the Boca Raton campus and at several small satellite locations. Today’s FAU serves some 25,000 students on seven modern campuses stretching from Dania Beach to Port St. Lucie. Housing to accommodate more than 2,200 students is currently available on the Boca Raton and Jupiter campuses, and more is on the way. Things that FAU students in my generation could only dream of, such as a football team to call our own, are part of your everyday reality.

Of course, some aspects of the FAU experience remain the same, most notably the dedication and skill of our fine faculty, which has always been known for its excellence. This year and in the years ahead, I hope you will take full advantage of everything FAU has to offer you, both in and out of the classroom. I look forward to the day when I will have the privilege of presenting you with your degree and welcoming you to FAU’s ever-growing family of alumni.

Sincerely,

Frank T. Brogan ’81

President