2017 Fact Book

N ova Southeastern University (NSU) is a private, not-for-profit, accredited, coeducational university Carnegie-classified as both “high research activity” and “community engaged” university. It was founded in 1964 as Nova University of Advanced Technology. In 1974, the board of trustees changed the university’s name to Nova University. In 1994, Nova University merged with Southeastern University of the Health Sciences to form Nova Southeastern University. Using 2014 fall-term enrollment as a measure, Nova Southeastern University is the largest private, nonprofit institution of higher education in Florida and the 15th largest nationally. However, NSU is the 10th largest four-year, not-for-profit, private Carnegie research university in the United States. The university awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including the humanities, biological and environmental science, business, counseling, computer and information sciences, conflict resolution, education, family therapy, medicine, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, performing and visual arts, psychology, and other social sciences. Nova Southeastern University has the only college of optometry in Florida, and one of only two colleges of pharmacy in South Florida. The institution also enjoys an excellent reputation for its programs for families offered through the Mailman Segal Center for Human Development and the NSU University School. These include innovative parenting, preschool, primary, and secondary education programs, and programs across the life span for people with autism. The university’s programs are administered through colleges that offer courses at the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus as well as at locations throughout Florida, in Puerto Rico, nationally, and in four countries. Despite the geographic diversity of sites where classes are offered, Nova Southeastern University is a major provider of educational programs for Florida residents. Forty-four percent of the student body attends classes in Fort Lauderdale/Davie, Florida. Thirty-seven percent of all students were enrolled in exclusively online courses, and 14 percent attended courses at one of NSU’s regional campuses in Florida or Puerto Rico. Through its undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs, NSU educated more than 15,000 Florida students in fall 2016. With an annual budget in excess of $570 million, Nova Southeastern University also has a significant economic impact on the surrounding community. A recent NSU study revealed that the university and its students and employees contributed approximately $3.2 billion to the Florida economy during fiscal year 2015. University Libraries The university library system is composed of the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center; the Health Professions Division Library; the Panza Maurer Law Library; the Oceanographic Campus Library; and the NSU University School Media Center. The 325,000-square-foot Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center is a joint-use facility with the Broward County Board of County Commissioners. It serves students, faculty, and staff members of NSU, as well as anyone who works, lives, or goes to school in Broward County. The five-story, state-of-the-art facility contains electronic classrooms, group-study rooms, a large collaborative study room, a café, and service desks with librarians and staff trained and ready to serve library users. The library experience is enhanced by a premier collection of art including the NSU Glass Garden , created by glass artist Dale Chihuly specifically for the Sherman Library, The Craig and Barbara Weiner Holocaust Reflections and Resource Room, as well as a gallery which offers exhibits throughout the year. At the second-floor reference desk, patrons can receive various services in person, online, or by phone. Adjacent to the Library is the 500-seat Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center, which enriches university curricular support and the quality of life in South Florida. Overall, the university’s libraries house more than 1 million items augmented by Interlibrary loan/agreements, which provide access to a wide range of materials from other libraries nationally and internationally. 2 Institutional Description