Nova Southeastern University Information

Nova Southeastern University (NSU or, informally, "Nova") is a private university with its main campus in Davie, Florida. The university consists of 18 colleges 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. Nova Southeastern University enrolled 20,793 students as of 2019, and has produced 185,000 alumni.

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 as a high research and 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 accreditation for its colleges and programs.

The NSU Sharks compete in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Sunshine State Conference.

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, Florida Atlantic University, McFatter Technical College, and the University of Florida.

On June 23, 1970, the board of trustees voted to enter into a federation with the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). The president of NYIT, Alexander Schure, Ph.D., became chancellor of Nova University.Abraham S. Fischler became the second 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 (SACS).

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 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.

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 (NYIT), and began offering its first online classes. In 1989, enrollment reached 8,000 students, with nearly 25,000 alumni. Revenue approached $70 million.

In 1994, Nova University merged with Southeastern University of the Health Sciences to form Nova Southeastern University (NSU), adding the Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Pharmacy, Optometry and Allied Health to the university.

The William and Norma Horvitz Administration Building, a two-story 62,000-square-foot (5,800 m2) postmodern structure, was built at a cost of $3 million, which now 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 is 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 261,000-square-foot (24,200 m2), five-story facility, and cost about $33 million.

In 2006, the 344,600-square-foot (32,010 m2) 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 207,000 square feet (19,200 m2) 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 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. The revised structure included program realignment and two new colleges; Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine and Farquhar Honors College.

In January 2018, the university opened the NSU Write from the Start Writing and Communication Center, located in the Alvin Sherman Library, 430, on the main campus in Davie, FL. The center offers writing and communication assistance to all NSU students as part of the universitys 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.

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