Faculty as Intellectual Partners,
Guiding Student Success

Florida Southern is nationally known for providing a profoundly personal education marked by close connections between students and their faculty.

Students forge lifelong relationships with our expert faculty through intimate, discussion-based courses and one-on-one advising. That student-faculty bond grows stronger while working side-by-side on everything from collaborative research and life-changing service projects to adventures across the globe.

Florida Southern is a top producer of Fulbright Students. Through the College's collaborative research initiative, students work alongside faculty to formulate and test hypotheses that often lead to conference presentations and publications.

Florida Southern is a top producer of Fulbright Students. Through the College's collaborative research initiative, students work alongside faculty to formulate and test hypotheses that often lead to conference presentations and publications.

There is a growing appreciation of the innumerable ways teachers impact student outcomes. Traditionally, their role was understood and evaluated in the context of how they delivered content. More recently, it has become evident that their methods of guiding and assisting students in learning for themselves have an equal, if not even more significant, impact on student success. Faculty are no longer the sage on the stage but facilitators of learning processes.

For 140 years, Florida Southern has prepared students to succeed as leaders in business, government, education, healthcare, science and technology, and the arts. We have thrived as the oldest private college in Florida because of our capacity to respond to the needs of our students.

Faculty are at the heart of the Florida Southern experience providing a distinctive synthesis of liberal and professional learning. Delivered through an engaged learning model, they are true partners dedicated to helping students unlock their unique path and develop the multidimensional skills required to achieve it.

Through intimate, discussion-based classes, one-on-one advising sessions, collaborative research, and even impromptu conversations over lunches in the "caf," faculty engage their students. Approachable, supportive, and responsive, they challenge students to engage in their disciplines, encourage them to take risks, and make the whole world their classroom, ensuring they graduate ready to make a positive and consequential difference.

Providing a road map

More than reviewing academic procedures and degree requirements, faculty advisors help students better understand the opportunities available to them and the steps they need to take to achieve their post-graduation goals. Together, they craft a four-year plan that includes challenging coursework, research opportunities or internships, study abroad, and extracurricular activities. When Florida Southern students graduate, they have a resume full of real-world experience, ensuring they stand out when applying for a first job or graduate school.

Santino Mizzoli '21 was looking to put his coding skills to work. Dr. Jennifer Dapko needed a programmer to create a web feature encouraging pet adoptions. Together, the pair developed a narrative chatbot, the ASPCA found homes for more pups, and Santino landed a job as a full-stack developer with FedEx.

Encouraging connections

At Florida Southern, making connections is the overarching goal: connecting students with professional practice, organizations outside the institution, and each other. Co-curricular experiences allow students to put into practice what they've only theorized about. Students travel with faculty to provide much-needed healthcare to patients in Costa Rica. They develop new product ideas and pitch them to local entrepreneurs, often earning seed-to-scale funding. The result is a student-centric experience that fosters personal and social development. Students report having higher levels of motivation and recalling course material more quickly. Moreover, these experiences inspire students to dive deeper into their field of interest. 

Marine biology majors Abby Smith and Morgan Jarrett examined the impact of pH levels on the Tampa Bay area's stone crab population and presented their research at the Bay Area Scientific Information Symposium.

Facilitating real-world experiences

Because experience is the best teacher, faculty use their networks to provide students opportunities to apply what they've learned in real-world settings, developing practical abilities employers seek, such as analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills, along with the flexibility to work on a team.

100% of Florida Southern Students participate in one or more high-impact learning practices:

• Complete an internship

• Display and/or publish creative work

• Engage in collaborative research

• Have a culminating senior capstone experience

• Hold a leadership position

• Participate in a learning community

• Perform in dance, music, or theatrical production

• Study abroad

FSC Faculty: Intellectual Partners

Supporting professional growth 

Our faculty never allow a student to walk alone. They serve as mentors, engaging students in ongoing conversations, providing encouragement, helping to devise after-college plans, and fostering relationships with alums, industry professionals, or other students in their discipline. They provide students with valuable insights, advice, and connections to help them in their careers.

"From day one, my professors cared about my interests; they cared about me as a person. They encouraged me to reach out and explore, get outside my comfort zone, which helped me develop technical, communication, problem-solving, and people skills. Because of this, I became a leader both in my major and beyond."
— Grace Sill '22, Fulbright Student to Taiwan

The mission of Florida Southern is to empower students to make a positive and consequential impact on the world. Providing a holistic, integrated experience, they do just that; the outstanding achievements of our alums offer living proof.

This sponsored content is provided by Florida Southern College and developed by Inside Higher Ed's sponsored content team. The editorial staff of Inside Higher Ed had no role in its creation.