by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney was the guest speaker at Friday’s meeting of the Downtown Council of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce.
After two terms in office, Delaney became the fifth president of the University of North Florida in 2003. Under his leadership, the university has grown to 16,500 enrolled students and become one of Florida’s most recognized institutions of higher education.
Delaney said UNF students rank third in the state for freshman performance with a 1210 average SAT score and a 3.7 grade point average. The school also ranks third in percentage of students who attend classes full time.
Another highlight is the school’s transportation and logistics program’s 14th in the nation ranking.
“The other 13 have doctoral programs,” said Delaney.
To frame the conversation, Delaney explained the three types of colleges and universities to Downtown Council members.
Some, like the University of Florida and the University of Georgia, are mainly focused on research. The faculty teaches fewer classes than colleagues at other schools and are focused mainly on research and advancing in their fields.
Other institutions have more of a teaching mission, allowing faculty to teach eight or more classes per year with the goal to engage students. Delaney presented Jacksonville University, Rollins College and Stetson University as examples.
The third type of institution, said Delaney, are the “comprehensive universities.” They began enrolling students after World War II when thousands of military personnel returned home and began attending college under the GI Bill of Rights. The students want a diversified curriculum which gave them a wide range of career opportunities. That’s the philosophy at UNF, said Delaney.
“All schools try to find their niche,” he said. “What we’re good at is teaching in smaller classes where the instructors know the students’ names. It’s an intimate environment and we’re able to offer many majors.”
One aspect of an education at UNF is the chance to study abroad and Delaney said it has become popular and an important part of the UNF educational experience.
“It changes a student’s life and gives their degree a new dimension,” said Delaney.
Since Delaney became president, the university has constructed 1.3 million square feet of classrooms, research facilities and other buildings, a growth of almost 50 percent.
“When I first got there, I felt like I was driving into a strip mall. We decided we should never build a second-rate building because we’re going to be here for a long time,” said Delaney.
UNF is also “investing in making an attractive campus,” he added.
Delaney hired the landscape designer from the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens to revitalize the 1,500-acre campus.
Despite the down economy, Delaney also touts UNF as one of the few universities in the nation that hasn’t laid off faculty.
“It takes years to develop quality departments,” said Delaney. “The degrees we offer are the ones North Florida needs and we’re committed to providing a quality education.”
The Downtown Council, in association with the North Florida Land Trust’s “Paint Up Downtown,” is hosting an all-councils networking reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday at the NFLT Gallery at the Landing. Registration is $10 per person.
Call Joe Snowberger at 476-7831 for more information.
356-2466