Florida Atlantic University – Profile, Academic, Cost & Ranking

FAU has approximately 300 registered student organizations. Among the groups are academic organizations, honor societies, spiritual/religious organizations, diversity-appreciation organizations, service organizations, personal interest organizations, sports clubs, and student government agencies.

These clubs and organizations run the gamut from sailing to Ultimate Frisbee, from varsity and club sports and a jazz group to a pottery guild, from political organizations to chess and video game clubs. These organizations are funded by student tuition, from which $12.32 per credit hour goes toward an activities and service fee fund.^] This generates approximately $10 million per year that is then given to student government for allocation to student clubs and organizations. The student government also finances other student life programs, including career fairs, the University Press, OWL TV and Owl Radio, and Homecoming.

Florida Atlantic’s homecoming, also known as the “Owl Prowl,” is celebrated annually in the fall semester. Events occur mainly on the Boca Raton Campus, but a number of other campuses host their own events as well. In the past, homecoming has had kickoff parties, costumed dances, bonfires, comedy shows, alumni events and dinners, a golf cart parade, and tailgating. Florida Atlantic students have an organized football tailgating area known as the Rat’s Mouth. The name references the Spanish translation of Boca Raton.

FAU completed an $18.6 million Recreation and Wellness Center in spring 2010. The facility houses an outdoor leisure and lap pool, a cardio equipment and free weight room, two multipurpose rooms, three indoor courts and health club-style locker rooms. In 2011, the facility won the NIRSA Outstanding Sports Facilities Award. Other recreation facilities include a $4.2 million track and field complex, with synthetic turf (opened January 2007), a ropes challenge course and the 6.5 acre Henderson Fields, utilized most often by the FAU Intramural Sports and Club Sports programs.

FAU is home to approximately 28 chapters of national fraternities and sororities, encompassing approximately 1,077 members or 5% of the undergraduate population. The highpoint of Greek life at Florida Atlantic is “Greek Week”. This event is held annually during the spring semester and showcases a number of themed competitions between the university’s Greek organizations. There are currently no on-campus Greek houses. However, a Greek Life Housing task force has been formed to explore various housing models, including the cost of construction, “and make recommendations on how to improve the overall quality of the Greek housing….”

Since its opening in 1964, Florida Atlantic has awarded degrees to over 185,000 alumni. The most influential include: