30 COMMUNITY BUILDING 60TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE Ray Ferrero, Jr., coined the term “Communiversity” to describe NSU’s role as a catalyst for addressing critical community needs and driving innovation. This vision is evident in its integration of the Baudhuin Oral School, the Florida School of Professional Psychology, and NSU Art Museum | Fort Lauderdale. NSU also created transformative community assets, including the Miami Dolphins Training Facility and the Alvin Sherman Library—a rare public-private university library. The Alan B. Levan|NSU Broward Center of Innovation further underscores the university’s commitment to fostering progress. Through these efforts, NSU has redefined what it means to be a university deeply embedded in its community. BAUDHUIN PRESCHOOL (1983–Present) The Fort Lauderdale Oral School, founded in 1958, aimed to teach deaf children to speak using an oral approach rather than sign language. This controversial method faced resistance, resulting in low enrollment and financial struggles. In 1983, the school relocated to Nova’s campus as part of an early childhood center created by Nova alumna Marilyn (Mickey) Segal to serve as a teaching and research facility. Renamed in honor of its advocate Ralph Baudhuin, the preschool blossomed at Nova, earning accreditation and expanding to include students with autism and other communication challenges. Now operated by NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice, it continues to bridge education, research, and care. DOLPHINS TRAINING FACILITY (1993–2021) In 1988, Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino attended a Baudhuin Oral School board meeting at NSU, where chairman Jack LaBonte asked how the school could return the favor for his recent donation. Marino mentioned the team’s need for a new training facility, sparking fast-tracked discussions. NSU sold bonds to fund construction, repurposed the Rolling Hills Hotel as a dormitory, and leased the facility to the Dolphins in a win-win deal. The state-of-the-art, air-conditioned bubble allowed for all-weather practice, attracted 1,500–2,500 spectators to summer camps, and hosted youth football clinics—further cementing NSU’s community impact.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDE4MDg=