Dr. Modesto Maidique reflects on the evolution he has shepherded Florida International University through as he prepares to leave his post as president after 22 years.
When Dr. Modesto “Mitch” Maidique was tapped to be president of Florida International University in 1986, the public commuter school in Miami- Dade County wasn’t much of a head-turner. It had 15,000 students and offered eight doctoral degree programs. The young university, which opened its doors in 1972, had a $3 million endowment by 1986 and was spending just $6 million a year on research.
But the ever-ambitious Maidique had plans to remake the university. Big plans.
Today, as the Cuban-born president prepares to step down after a 22-year tenure, he presides over an institution that now offers 30 doctoral degrees; more master’s degree programs (89) than undergraduate programs; and a law school that he lobbied for throughout much of his presidency. Furthermore, this fall, 40 students — from more than 3,000 applicants — will become FIU’s first class at its new medical school.
FIU spends about $110 million annually on research today.
“That growth in research expenditures is extraordinary,” says David Shulenburger, vice president for academic affairs at the National Association of State Universities and Land- Grant Colleges.
“It really means they’ve gone from not being a research university to being among the 100 or so research universities that are making a real difference in the country.” That makes the university a rarity as a Hispanic- serving institution (HSI) — those with student enrollments that are 25 percent or more Hispanic. FIU’s enrollment is 59 percent Hispanic, and it is the nation’s top producer of Hispanic baccalaureate and master’s degree recipients. It is one of just 12 HSIs nationwide that are research institutions, according to John Moder, chief operating officer for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
