Everyone is welcome
One of your first stops on campus should be the Margaret S. Sugden Welcome Center.
Located just past the parking information booth at the main entrance, the university’s “living room” awaits you. The Welcome Center team can provide you with supplemental information regarding the university and direct you to specific buildings on campus. Our team will be happy to provide you with brochures, maps, admissions information, interesting university trivia and tips on the best places to eat and shop in our area.
All of our scheduled guided campus tours leave from the Welcome Center. Our tour guides are all current students who are eager to share their experiences with you. They’ve been through the steps you’re working on and can give you tips on how to make your admission process as smooth as possible. If you want a guided campus tour, be sure to schedule it as soon as you know the date you’ll be here and at least 48 hours in advance. Guided tours are offered Monday–Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Large groups should contact us well in advance to ensure we have proper tour guide availability. Watch for a confirmation from us before coming to campus as we have some space limitations on our guided tours.
If you’re visiting only the Welcome Center, you will not need a parking pass. However, if you plan to park on the main campus while you visit, stop at the information booth for a visitor’s pass; vehicles in campus lots and garages that do not display proper parking permits or passes are subject to ticketing.
The Welcome Center is open Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. and most Saturdays 9 a.m.–1 p.m. The Welcome Center is closed on all university holidays.
We are a proud member of the Collegiate Information and Visitor Services Association, which promotes and enhances the profession nationwide.
Learn About Margaret S. Sugden
The Margaret S. Sugden Welcome Center would not exist without the support of Herb and Peg Sugden, who contributed $1 million in Energizer Stock in 2001 in order to build the facility. In 2002, Herb Sugden asked the university to name the building the Margaret S. Sugden Welcome Center as a birthday present to his wife. He also wanted to show her how proud he was of her exceptional hard work to recover from a stroke. He passed away before her birthday that year, but Margaret Sugden was present at the grand opening and shared her excitement at seeing FGCU’s growth.
The Sugdens’ gift also funded the Sugden Clock Tower atop the Student Union, the Cohen Student Union, one of the signature features of campus. A later gift of $5 million established the Resort and Hospitality Management degree program and was matched by the State of Florida to build Herbert J. Sugden Hall, which houses the School of Resort and Hospitality Management.
The Sugdens have been generous benefactors of the arts, education, libraries, hospitals and churches in Naples. A portrait of them is displayed in the Welcome Center.
