After several attempts
spanning more than a decade, it has finally become a reality.
Last month, the
state legislature unanimously passed legislation authorizing the establishment
of the FIU College of Law. Governor Jeb Bush will sign the bill creating
the law school in a ceremony at University Park on June 14.
"This is a great
day for Florida International University and for South Florida," said FIU
President Modesto A. Maidique. "The time has come when an affordable legal
education can be provided to all South Floridians here at home."
The bill that established
the law school at FIU also authorizes Florida A&M University in
Tallahassee to re-establish its
law
school. These two
schools will help achieve a greater representation of minorities in the
Florida Bar. Of the 60,000 lawyers practicing law in Florida, only 8 percent
are minorities, while approximately 30 percent of the state's population
is African American or Hispanic.
The bill establishing
the schools was introduced in the Senate by Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Miami)
and in the House by Gaston Cantens (R-Miami).
The FIU College
of Law will play an important role in the economic development of South
Florida, one of the most
ethnically diverse
metropolitan areas of the U.S. and a growing international center for
trade, commerce and finance.
"FIU's College
of Law will deliver a traditional curricular
structure infused with an innovative transnational approach and will be
relevant to the South Florida legal marketplace and the recognized needs
of the legal community in the 21st century," said Maidique.
The University
will move rapidly to hire a dean, faculty, and staff and develop a curriculum
in accordance with the standards of the American Bar Association and
the Florida Board of Regents. The college will be located at University
Park.
The University is not yet accepting applications for its first-year class, which is being planned for the fall of 2003. Regular informational updates will be available on the FIU College of Law web page.
The University is not yet accepting applications for its first-year class, which is being planned for the fall of 2003. Regular informational updates will be available on the FIU College of Law web page.
The following
is an excerpt of Senate Bill 68, authorizing establishment of the FIU
College of Law:
WHEREAS, this state
does not provide adequate access to public colleges of law to meet the
growing demands of its residents for legal education, and WHEREAS, the
residents of this state have not been afforded sufficient opportunities
to obtain a public legal education and a need exists for colleges of law
within the State University System which can serve this demand, and WHEREAS,
minorities are not represented in proper proportion with the practicing
bar of this state, and
FIU
football program approved by Regents
At its May meeting,
the Florida Board of Regents (BOR) unanimously approved the establishment
of a Division I-AA football program at FIU. The team will begin intercollegiate
competition in the fall of 2002.
"The FIU family
is very happy with the BOR decision," said President Modesto A. Maidique.
"We now look forward to fielding the team of student-athletes who will
work hard to earn their education and also represent FIU on the playing
field."
The University
will immediately move to hire a coaching staff, begin the recruiting process,
and expand its stadium. The Community Stadium at University Park will
be expanded from its current capacity of 7,500 to hold 16,000-18,000 fans.
A second phase of expansion could enable it to accommodate 30,000.
"FIU's students
and alumni have wanted a football team for a long time," said Don Strock,
director of football operations at FIU. "I am very happy that we are now
able to bring them one, and we are going to work hard to make sure that
it becomes a team they can be proud of."
As part of the
BOR approval, FIU will add two women's sports to equalize the number of
male and female participants in FIU athletics. Women's rowing will begin
in 2002 and swimming will begin in 2004.
For more than
a year, the University has been preparing financially for football. Private
fund raising and student fees have already raised approximately $6.5 million.
A season ticket campaign, which began last year, has generated support
from hundreds of friends and alumni of the University.
FIU's North Campus
will now officially be known by a name more in tune with its surroundings:
Biscayne Bay Campus.
"Being on the
water's edge gives students a relaxing and unique academic environment,"
said Vice Provost Raul Moncarz, the top administrator on the campus. "The
change of name reflects the direction in which the campus is moving."
The campus is planning
many changes, including the development of graduate and undergraduate programs
in Marine Biology and the addition of another major building.
The Biscayne Bay Campus
The Biscayne Bay Campus
was
established in 1976 under the administration
of Harold Crosby, FIU's second president. When the campus first opened in
the summer of 1977, it consisted of four trailers and the Trade Center Building,
which served as the main building on campus. Through the years the campus
has been known as Bay Vista, North Miami Campus and, most recently, as North
Campus.
Today,
the 195 acres of Biscayne Bay Campus house 11 major structures, including
housing for more than 500 students, the Kovens Conference Center and the
recently dedicated Southern Wine and Spirits Beverage Management Center.
