In 1989, the Florida Legislature designated
FAU as the lead state university serving Broward County. The university
also reached $10 million in sponsored research activity for the first
time. Fall semester enrollment was 13,148. In 1993, FAU was elected to
the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges,
the nation’s oldest higher education professional association. FAU's
intercollegiate teams also joined the Atlantic Sun Conference and moved
to NCAA Division I. In 1995, FAU purchased Barry University’s Port St.
Lucie facility to establish a campus on the Treasure Coast, in
partnership with Indian River Community College. By 1997, sponsored
research funding exceeded $24 million.
In 1999, Howard Schnellenberger, a legendary figure in college football,
was named FAU’s first head football coach. The Barry and Florence
Friedberg Lifelong Learning Center opened on the Boca Raton campus. The
Center serves the educational interests of senior citizens. FAU’s
Lifelong Learning Society ranks as the largest in the country. The
Jupiter campus opened and was formally named for the late John D.
MacArthur. Sponsored research funding exceeded $36 million. By 2003,
fall semester enrollment was 24,961. FAU also has maintained the most
diverse student body in the State University System, with minority
enrollment of 34.6 percent.
In 2003, the State of Florida awarded FAU $10 million to establish the
Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology, a research
facility that searches the waters off Florida's coastline for drugs from
natural sources that could be used to treat cancer, heart disease and
other serious illnesses. The Lady Owls softball team won the Atlantic
Sun Conference championship for the seventh time and was listed among
the all-time greatest teams in college softball history by the National
Fastpitch Coaches Association. In 2004, FAU admitted its first students
to the University of Miami/Florida Atlantic University medical school
partnership.
