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= = Transport = =
Skye is linked to the mainland by the Skye Bridge , while ferries sail from Armadale on the island to Mallaig , and from Kylerhea to Glenelg . Ferries also run from Uig to Tarbert on Harris and Lochmaddy on North Uist , and from Sconser to Raasay .
The Skye Bridge opened in 1995 under a private finance initiative and the high tolls charged ( £ 5 @.@ 70 each way for summer visitors ) met with widespread opposition , spearheaded by the pressure group SKAT ( Skye and Kyle Against Tolls ) . On 21 December 2004 it was announced that the Scottish Executive had purchas...
Bus services run to Inverness and Glasgow , and there are local services on the island , mainly starting from Portree or Broadford . Train services run from Kyle of Lochalsh at the mainland end of the Skye Bridge to Inverness , as well as from Glasgow to Mallaig from where the ferry can be caught to Armadale .
The Isle of Skye Airfield at Ashaig , near Broadford , is used by private aircraft and occasionally by NHS Highland and the Scottish Ambulance Service for transferring patients to hospitals on the mainland .
The A87 trunk road traverses the island from the Skye Bridge to Uig , linking most of the major settlements . Many of the island 's roads have been widened in the past forty years although there are still substantial sections of single track road .
= = Culture , media and the arts = =
Students of Scottish Gaelic travel from all over the world to attend Sabhal Mòr Ostaig , the Scottish Gaelic college based near Kilmore in Sleat . In addition to members of the Church of Scotland and a smaller number of Roman Catholics many residents of Skye belong to the Free Church of Scotland , known for its strict...
Skye has a strong folk music tradition , although in recent years dance and rock music have been growing in popularity on the island . Gaelic folk rock band Runrig started in Skye and former singer Donnie Munro still works on the island . Runrig 's second single and a concert staple is entitled Skye , the lyrics being...
The poet Sorley MacLean , a native of the Isle of Raasay , which lies off the island 's east coast , lived much of his life on Skye . The island has been immortalised in the traditional song " The Skye Boat Song " and is the notional setting for the novel To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf , although the Skye of the ...
Skye has been used as a location for a number of feature films . The Ashaig aerodrome was used for the opening scenes of the 1980 film Flash Gordon . Stardust , released in 2007 and starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer , featured scenes near Uig , Loch Coruisk and the Quiraing . Another 2007 film , Seachd : T...
The West Highland Free Press is published at Broadford . This weekly newspaper takes as its motto " An Tìr , an Cànan ' s na Daoine " ( " The Land , the Language and the People " ) , which reflects its radical , campaigning priorities . The Free Press was founded in 1972 and circulates in Skye , Wester Ross and the Ou...
= = Wildlife = =
The Hebrides generally lack the biodiversity of mainland Britain , but like most of the larger islands , Skye still has a wide variety of species . Observing the abundance of game birds Martin wrote :
There is plenty of land and water fowl in this isle - as hawks , eagles of two kinds ( the one grey and of a larger size , the other much less and black , but more destructive to young cattle ) , black cock , heath @-@ hen , plovers , pigeons , wild geese , ptarmigan , and cranes . Of this latter sort I have seen sixt...
Similarly , Samuel Johnson noted that :
At the tables where a stranger is received , neither plenty nor delicacy is wanting . A tract of land so thinly inhabited , must have much wild @-@ fowl ; and I scarcely remember to have seen a dinner without them . The moor @-@ game is every where to be had . That the sea abounds with fish , needs not be told , for i...
In the modern era avian life includes the corncrake , red @-@ throated diver , kittiwake , tystie , Atlantic puffin , goldeneye and golden eagle . The eggs of the last breeding pair of white @-@ tailed sea eagle in the UK were taken by an egg collector on Skye in 1916 but the species has recently been re @-@ introduce...
Heather moor containing ling , bell heather , cross @-@ leaved heath , bog myrtle and fescues is everywhere abundant . The high Black Cuillins weather too slowly to produce a soil that sustains a rich plant life , but each of the main peninsulas has an individual flora . The basalt underpinnings of Trotternish produce...
The local Biodiversity Action Plan recommends land management measures to control the spread of ragwort and bracken and identifies four non @-@ native , invasive species as threatening native biodiversity : Japanese knotweed , rhododendron , New Zealand flatworm and mink . It also identifies problems of over @-@ grazi...
= Florida Atlantic University =
Florida Atlantic University ( also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic ) is a public university located in Boca Raton , Florida , with five satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach , Davie , Fort Lauderdale , Jupiter , and in Fort Pierce at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution . FAU be...
Florida Atlantic opened in 1964 as the first public university in southeast Florida , offering only upper @-@ division and graduate level courses . Initial enrollment was only 867 students , increasing in 1984 when the university admitted its first lower @-@ division undergraduate students . As of 2012 , enrollment ha...
In recent years , FAU has undertaken an effort to increase its academic and research standings while also evolving into a more traditional university . The university has raised admissions standards , increased research funding , built new facilities , and established notable partnerships with major research instituti...
= = History = =
= = = Establishment = = =
On July 15 , 1961 , to meet the burgeoning educational demands of South Florida , the state legislature passed an act authorizing the establishment of a new university in the City of Boca Raton . Florida Atlantic University was built on Boca Raton Army Airfield , a 1940s @-@ era army airbase . During World War II , th...
The airbase was used for radar training , anti @-@ submarine patrols along the coast , and as a stop @-@ over point for planes being ferried to Africa and Europe via South America . The airfield was composed of four runways , still visible on the Boca Campus today and mainly used for parking .
By early 1947 , the military decided to transfer future radar training operations to Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi . The departure of the air force in 1947 would leave Boca Raton Army Airfield essentially abandoned .
= = = Expansion and growth = = =
Florida Atlantic University opened on September 14 , 1964 , with an initial student body of 867 students in five colleges . The first degree awarded was an honorary doctorate given to President Lyndon B. Johnson on October 25 , 1964 , at the dedication and opening of the university . At the time of its opening , there...
Florida Atlantic 's history is one of continuing expansion as the university 's service population has grown . The university originally served only upper @-@ division and graduate level students , because Florida intended the institution " to complement the state 's community college system , accepting students who h...
Florida Atlantic began its expansion beyond a one @-@ campus university in 1971 , when it opened its Commercial Boulevard campus in Fort Lauderdale . Due to a rapidly expanding population in South Florida , in 1984 Florida Atlantic opened its doors to lower @-@ division undergraduate students . The following year , th...
= = = Recent history = = =
In 1989 , the Florida Legislature recognized demands for higher education in South Florida by designating Florida Atlantic as the lead state university serving Broward County . To fill this role , the university would establish a campus in Dania Beach in 1997 and another campus in the City of Davie in western Broward ...
Florida Atlantic University and the University of Miami 's Miller School of Medicine established a medical training program within the Charles E. Schmidt College of Biomedical Science in 2004 . Plans originally called for the construction of a new teaching hospital in coordination with Boca Raton Community Hospital on...
Florida Atlantic has changed dramatically since its opening in 1964 . As of 2013 , there are more than 30 @,@ 000 students attending classes on seven campuses spread across 120 miles ( 193 km ) . The university consists of ten colleges and employs more than 3 @,@ 200 faculty and staff . The university 's endowment dec...
Since its founding , the university has been led by seven presidents . The university 's immediate past president is Dr. Mary Jane Saunders . She was named president on March 3 , 2010 , then resigned on May 15 , 2013 . Her appointment followed the resignation of Frank Brogan . Brogan , a former Lieutenant Governor of ...
= = Academics = =
= = = Profile = = =
As of fall 2013 , the university 's student body consists of 24 @,@ 686 undergraduates , 4 @,@ 666 graduate and professional students , 64 medical students , and 1 @,@ 451 unclassified students . As of 2013 , the undergraduate student body contains 47 % ethnic minorities and includes students from more than 180 countr...
The university has ten colleges which altogether offer over 180 different bachelor 's , master 's and doctoral degree programs : the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science , Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine , Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing , College for Design and Social Inquiry , College of Business , Coll...
The university offers two honors options : the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College and a University Scholars Program . The Wilkes Honors College is located on the John D. MacArthur campus in Jupiter , Florida . It offers a liberal arts education in the platform of a public university , yet is comparable to a private libe...
In recent years , FAU has increased its admission requirements for prospective freshmen . The fall 2013 freshmen profile for the mid @-@ 50 % includes 3 @.@ 38 @-@ 3 @.@ 98 high school GPA , a 22 @-@ 26 ACT composite score , and a 1520 @-@ 1740 SAT total score . Following a surge in the university 's popularity , in e...
The average class size at FAU for undergraduates is 33 students , and for graduate classes , 12 students . The student @-@ to @-@ faculty ratio is 20 : 1 . The top three undergraduate majors by enrollment are elementary education , accounting , and management , respectively . The top three graduate majors by enrollmen...
Florida Atlantic University has long ranked as the most racially , ethnically and culturally diverse institution in Florida 's State University System . U.S. News & World Report has ranked FAU the 27th most diverse university in the nation . Florida Atlantic University students come from all 50 states , every county i...
The Lifelong Learning Society operates programs that serve the educational interests of more than 19 @,@ 000 senior citizens by providing classes focusing on subjects of specific interest , and audit options for regular university classes . Under the university 's Commercial Music Program , Hoot / Wisdom Recordings wa...
= = = Research = = =
Florida Atlantic is classified by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a research university with high research activity . The university has established notable partnerships with major research institutions such as The Scripps Research Institute , the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies...
The university is the home of two centers of excellence : The Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology and The Center for Ocean Energy Technology . These centers have been selected by Florida 's Emerging Technology Commission to receive grants to continue and increase their operations . Florida Atla...
Since receiving its startup funding , Florida Atlantic has secured additional funds from other sources , including federal and private research grants . As a result , both centers have engaged in academic and industry partnerships , combining expertise in ocean engineering , marine biotechnology , functional genomics ...
In 2010 , the United States Department of Energy designated FAU as one of three national centers for ocean energy research and development . The Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center joins centers in the Pacific Northwest ( University of Washington and Oregon State University ) and in Hawaii ( University o...
The university houses both an Imaging Technology Center and a NASA Imaging Technology Space Center . Located in the College of Engineering and Computer Science , the centers specialize in digital imaging research and development for use in both government and commercial applications in the areas of medical technology ...
Florida Atlantic is affiliated to the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University , with properties in Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton . The Research Park provides outside research facilities for companies which enable them to interact with the university community and its facilities , resources , and expertise . The ...
= = = Rankings = = =
For 2013 , Florida Atlantic University was classified as a second @-@ tier university by the U.S. News & World Report 's rankings of " Best Colleges . " U.S. News ranks universities into one of two tiers , with one being the highest , based on how they compare with other colleges in a peer assessment , retention rates...
= = Campus = =
Florida Atlantic University is a distributed university located on seven campuses spread across Palm Beach , Broward , and St. Lucie counties . The region is home to more than three million people . The university 's main campus is located in the City of Boca Raton in Palm Beach County . The county is also home to the...
Florida Atlantic is a signatory of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education . This commits the institution to ensuring all new construction projects meet the U.S. Green Building Council 's Leadership in Energy and Environmenta...
= = = Palm Beach County campuses = = =
= = = = Boca Raton = = = =
Florida Atlantic University 's main campus in Boca Raton was established on the remnants of a World War II American Army airbase in 1964 . Spanning 850 acres ( 3 @.@ 5 km ² ) , the site is located between the cities of Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale . The campus was designated a burrowing owl sanctuary in 1971 by the ...
The Boca Raton campus is home to a wide variety of university programs and facilities . These facilities are labs and classrooms , housing for students , a 6 @,@ 000 @-@ gallon shark tank for aquatic research , a movie theater , athletic and recreational facilities , and the student @-@ run record label Hoot / Wisdom ...
The Boca Raton campus also houses a number of other institutions , including the A. D. Henderson University School , FAU High School , one of two Florida Atlantic University Research Parks , and the Lifelong Learning Society .
= = = = Jupiter – John D. MacArthur Campus = = = =
In addition to the Boca Raton campus in southern Palm Beach County , Florida Atlantic University operates a campus in northern Palm Beach County , in Jupiter . The John D. MacArthur Campus , named after businessman and philanthropist John D. MacArthur , was established in 1999 to serve residents of central and norther...
= = = Broward County campuses = = =