Florida Gulf Coast University
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

The FGCU Board of Trustees (BOT) serves as the governing body of Florida Gulf Coast University. It selects the FGCU president and holds the president responsible for the university’s operation and management, performance, fiscal accountability, and compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, including those of the Board of Governors. The FGCU BOT is comprised of 13 trustees — six appointed by Florida's Governor and five appointed by the State University System Board of Governors, along with the current presidents of the university's Faculty Senate and Student Government.

FGCU's Staff Advisory Council (SAC) engages in collegial dialog with the President of the University, Vice Presidents and others in positions of administrative leadership in order to pursue and refine the mission of the University. Collaborative and shared leadership among all University constituents is critical to creating a campus environment conducive to advancing student, faculty, and staff achievement. Fairness, mutual respect, continuous improvement, an informed staff, and collegial decision-making are the hallmarks of the governance structure.

FGCU’s Student Government provides equal representation for all students at Florida Gulf Coast University. Student Government works in the best interest of the student body when determining priorities for academic planning, policies, and programs. FGCU’s Student Government officials are committed to maintaining high levels of communication between the student body, faculty, staff, and the community.

The purpose of FGCU's Faculty Senate is to safeguard academic quality, promote effective and open communication, insist upon academic integrity, emphasize rights and shared responsibilities of students, staff, community, faculty, and administration, and sustain a dynamic learning environment. This mission is accomplished through a system of collegial faculty self-governance ensuring that the rights of faculty are supported and faculty responsibilities in fulfilling the mission of the university are properly executed.

FGCU's Town & Gown boast a long and rich tradition of supporting Southwest Florida’s regional comprehensive university, Florida Gulf Coast University. Our mission is to provide service, to advance understanding, and to promote friendship between FGCU and the Community. Town & Gown supports student scholarship, food insecurity and other faculty projects. Members attend two signature meetings which feature faculty speakers and campus updates from FGCU administration. Town & Gown actively participates and attends University events such as concerts, art shows, athletics, lectures, and more. Members are from Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties.

FGCU Shared Governance Policy: https://www.fgcu.edu/generalcounsel/policies/approved/Policy_2_012_SharedGovernance_06132014_ada.pdf

FGCU Student Government: https://www.fgcu.edu/sg/

FGCU Staff Advisory Council Charter: https://www.fgcu.edu/sac/files/about/charter.pdf

FGCU Faculty Senate: https://www.fgcu.edu/facultysenate/