Flagler College president William T. Abare, Jr., Ed.D., has been elected as the chairman of the Council of Presidents of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be elected chairman of the Council of Presidents of ICUF, an association that includes 31 private, not-for-profit, educational institutions all based in Florida and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools,” said Abare. “My highest priority will be to ensure that the State Legislature continues to support the ICUF institutions by funding the Florida Resident Access Grant.”

As chairman, Abare will have the responsibility of chairing the meetings of the Council of Presidents; appointing standing committees of the COP; working with the President of ICUF in developing agendas for all COP meetings and the annual retreat of the COP; representing ICUF institutions at state, regional and national meetings; and advocating to the Florida Legislature on behalf of ICUF institutions state funding for student financial aid programs.

“Bill Abare is a recognized higher education leader in Florida and he always places the need for quality access for Florida’s students in the forefront of education policy discussions,” said Dr. Ed Moore, president of ICUF. “His fellow ICUF presidents choose Bill to lead our organization based on his talent, his passion and his heart. The ICUF organization is pleased he will be our chair during these interesting times in Florida.”

ICUF institutions serve more than 150,000 students at over 140 sites around Florida.

Flagler College is an independent, four-year, comprehensive baccalaureate college located in St. Augustine, Fla. The college offers 24 majors, 29 minors and two pre-professional programs, the largest majors being business, education and communication. Small by intent, Flagler College has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, as well as a satellite campus at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla. U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review regularly feature Flagler as a college that offers quality education at a relatively low cost; tuition is $23,690, including room and board. A relatively young institution (founded in 1968), Flagler College is also noted for the historic beauty of its campus. The main building is Ponce de Leon Hall, built in 1887 as a luxury resort by Henry Flagler, who co-founded the Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller. For more on Flagler College, visit www.flagler.edu.

Source: Flagler College