As the presidents of the two institutions of higher education that have established one of the most effective working relationships in the nation, we want to speak with one voice to affirm the continuation of the partnership between Florida Atlantic University and Broward College.

While FAU will vacate its two buildings in downtown Fort Lauderdale over the course of the coming year, none of the academic programs based at that location will be discontinued. Instead, they will be moved to other FAU locations, and the 569 degree-seeking students enrolled in them will be assisted by advisors to stay on track toward graduation.

BC’s downtown Fort Lauderdale center is currently serving more than 3,000 students and training thousands more through the college’s continuing education and workforce training center. Additionally, both FAU and BC are focused on the rapid development of online programs that offer special benefits to students in mid-career by facilitating accessibility to degree programs.

In Davie, FAU and BC stand at the heart of the South Florida Educational Center, where they occupy adjoining campuses and offer students the opportunity to move seamlessly from lower-division to upper-division work in more than 40 degree programs in fields that include business, education, nursing, social work and criminal justice. Together, the two campuses are now serving about 27,000 students.

The bottom line is that the FAU-BC partnership is as strong as ever. The mission of our long-standing partnership goal remains the same: To offer a wide variety of higher educational opportunities to Broward students, who will take their skills into the workplace for the betterment of our entire community.

Mary Jane Saunders, president, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton

J. David Armstrong, Jr., president, Broward College, Fort Lauderdale