Biscayne Bay Campus celebrates accomplishments, looks toward future

When Biscayne Bay Campus (BBC) was first founded in 1977, FIU’s second president, Harold B. Crosby, foresaw that the campus on the bay would be a pivotal piece in increasing FIU’s impact across the South Florida region and establishing FIU on the global stage.  

BBC is home to the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management; the School of Communication +Journalism in the College of Communication, Architecture +The Arts (CARTA); the Institute of Water and Environment —a university pre-eminent program; and the university's marine sciences and creative writing programs, all a part of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education (CASE). 

These college and programs are training the top hospitality executives across the globe; producing Pulitzer prize-winning authors; and leading the way on bay restoration, ocean conservation and shark research.

The campus is undergoing a period of renewed investment and excitement. On Aug. 22, for the first time ever, the campus leadership brought together more than 300 employees for a one-of-a-kind kick-off where they announced a new campus-wide initiative aimed at developing a new campus experience based on “Three E's"— Experience, Enrollment and Engagement. 

“Experience, and how everyone feels when they step foot on this campus drives our enrollment,  which affects how much students and visitors are engaged,” said Pablo Ortiz, vice provost for the campus. “The right mindset is so important. If our entire campus focuses on these three fundamental, principals, BBC will continue to flourish.”

The campus recently has undergone several upgrades and investments. This fall, FIU Business Services will be inaugurating a new dining hall with new food options and will welcome Vicky Bakery to the Academic Center One building later this year. In addition, the Aquatic Center is being refurbished, a new recreation center is in the process of being built and Miami-Dade County Public Schools will soon break ground on their new MAST@FIU campus, the first of its kind in the region. 

As part of the kick-off, new programs and investments in the campus were announced by Michael Cheng, interim dean of the Chaplin School; Brian Schriner, dean of CARTA; Mike Heithaus, dean of CASE; Anthony DeSantis, assistant vice president of Academic and Student Affairs; and Michael Hearon, assistant vice president of Biscayne Bay Campus Operations. 

Provost Kenneth G. Furton announced that as part of FIU’s 2025 Next Horizon Strategic Plan, BBC will serve as FIU’s World campus and the central location for FIU’s new world strategy. 

“Today, we have the unique opportunity to change how we view ourselves as a campus and connect ourselves into the bloodstream of this university,” said Ortiz at the kick-off event. "We reaffirm that every student matters, every program cares and every experience can help lift the university closer to its intended goals."