Today, Florida Atlantic University received wonderful news. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff, FAU improved its standing in the State University System Florida Board of Governors’ performance-based funding model by 13 points. This is a magnificent achievement.

The university boosted its score more than 50 percent from 24 points in 2014 to 37 points — improving from its previous place as the second-to-last ranked institution. Among Florida’s 11 public universities, FAU tied for 6th place this year. Florida Polytechnic University is not included in the rankings.

Now for the really important part: The increase makes FAU eligible for new budget allocations, pending legislative approval, and takes the university out of the list of schools that will have funding withheld until they present improvement plans.

Our ascent in the rankings is a wonderful achievement — and a just reward for the dedication of so many dedicated people. Everyone associated with FAU should be proud of what we’ve achieved during the last year. I especially want to thank staff in the Provost’s office and in Financial Affairs for pulling out all the stops to provide timely and accurate data. I regularly use the phrase “unbridled ambition” to sum up our approach, and I make no secret of my desire to make FAU the fastest-improving university in America. This ranking shows we’re well on our way.

Go Owls!