FEATURE

With seven months under her belt, Mary Jane Saunders has been a very busy woman. Since June 7, she has been hard at work making visits to all of FAU’s campuses.

“We must never lose sight of the fact that serving local students and communities is an essential part of our mission,” Saunders said at her inauguration.

Here is a look at Saunders’ presidency thus far:

Timeline

March 3: Saunders is selected to be the sixth university president by FAU’s top officials.

April 4 to 17: Saunders visits FAU for the first time and gets acquainted with the campus.

May 26: Saunders’ contract is approved by the Board of Trustees. Not only did it grant her an annual base salary of $345,000, but it also entitled her to a brand new car of her choice, free of charge.

June 7: Saunders starts her first day on the job with a controversial closed breakfast with the Board of Trustees. Florida statute 286.011 states that all meetings of any board like the BOT must be public. However, trustee Ayden Maher, also the student body president, denied that any FAU business was discussed.

Sept. 1: Saunders delivers her first State of the University Address.

Oct. 29: Although actively working at FAU for five months, Saunders is officially inaugurated as FAU’s sixth president. “My goal will always be to grow this university in a way that serves students and generates funding to create and support top-quality programs,” said Saunders in her inaugural address.

Oct. 30: At the end of the homecoming game, Saunders hands the Shula Bowl trophy to the Owls football team after they defeat rival Florida International University 21-9.