FGCU trustees approve Student Success Plan after presenters report gains in key graduation metrics

The Florida Gulf Coast University Board of Trustees on Feb. 13 unanimously approved the 2024 FGCU Student Success Plan — Final Report, a package of strategies university leaders say has produced preliminary improvements in four Board of Governors Performance Based Funding (PBF) metrics and will be forwarded to the Board of Governors for approval in March.

Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff Eileen DeLuca presented the plan, saying the Student Success Pathways model, targeted funding to the College of Arts & Sciences and the Lutgert College of Business, a Faculty Workload Plan, campuswide CRM implementation (Wings Up!), and a contract for 24/7 online tutoring with Brainfuse are among the steps intended to raise graduation and academic progress measures.

DeLuca reported preliminary metric changes she described as early, positive outcomes: the four-year FTIC graduation rate (Metric 4) increased to 45.4 percent after three consecutive years at 42 percent; the Academic Progress Rate (Metric 5) rose to 80.4 percent; the three-year graduation rate for Florida College System AA transfers (Metric 9a) increased to 59.5 percent; and the six-year graduation rate for Pell students (Metric 9b) rose to 52.7 percent. FGCU’s preliminary PBF composite score for 2025 was presented as 67, with projections for further gains through 2027.

DeLuca described operational steps supporting those numbers: expanded course sections and seat availability, a senior director for Retention & Graduation Services, a director of learning assistance, gateway-course coordination that reduced high DFW rates, and increased CRM use and faculty access to predictive analytics and scorecards.

Trustee Paul Applegarth asked how students’ voices and other stakeholders had been incorporated into the plan. President Aysegul Timur said informal student focus groups are being organized and students already participate in classroom evaluations through the Lucas Center; she said FGCU is working to broaden student input across campus.

Trustee Richard Eide and Trustee Robbie Roepstorff both praised the decision to consult with Dr. Ralph Wilcox, a retired vice president and provost in the State University System whose work at USF was cited by trustees as producing large gains in graduation rates. Trustees said they were encouraged by the combination of administrative changes and an ongoing executive search for an executive vice president and provost.

Trustee Lyndsay Rhodes moved to approve the SSP Final Report; Trustee Robbie Roepstorff seconded. With no public comment or further discussion, the board voted by voice and the motion carried unanimously.

The plan’s authors said the work is ongoing and that the report documents short-term improvements, continued interventions and follow-up steps to sustain and accelerate progress ahead of the Board of Governors’ March review.