Angela Garcia Falconetti has returned to the University of North Florida as interim president, bringing decades of higher education leadership to her alma mater while prioritizing enrollment growth, student engagement and the university’s strategic goals.

Falconetti was born in Jacksonville, earned two degrees on campus, and credits UNF faculty with launching her career in higher education. Now, after decades of working across multiple states and the District of Columbia, she’s back as the university’s interim president.

“The University of North Florida is my home,” Falconetti said in an interview with Spinnaker. “It’s coming home for me, and I’m just so blessed to be back here.”

Falconetti’s ties to UNF

Falconetti is the daughter of Cuban exiles who settled in Jacksonville. She first enrolled at UNF in 1993 before transferring to New York University. She returned to complete both her master’s degree and doctorate at UNF, and subsequently pursued postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Texas at Austin and the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.

Falconetti’s mother also graduated from UNF, she said, sometime in the early 1970’s.

Falconetti said returning to UNF “is a dream come true,” and when she walks around campus now, memories come back from when she was a student.

“It’s very rewarding from so, so many different aspects,” Falconetti said.

After finishing her master’s degree at UNF in 2001, Falconetti worked on campus first as an academic advisor, then in Student Affairs, according to her resume. 

Enrollment and rankings

Falconetti assumed the interim role as UNF pursues two of its most ambitious strategic goals: growing enrollment to 25,000 students by 2028 and ranking in the top 100 in U.S. News & World Report’s national university rankings. 

The university currently sits just over 1,000 students ahead of its yield targets for the fall semester, Falconetti said, but anticipates needing to enroll approximately 3,700 additional students by that point.

“The question becomes, how do we move to ensure that we have 25,000 students by 2028 and yet ensure that the student experience is so strong that the quality is not compromised,” she said.

Falconetti described her approach to hitting the enrollment target as “data-informed and collaborative.” She said that her team reviews enrollment numbers on a weekly basis and that all corners of the university need to work together toward the shared goal.

“All of us need to collaborate and work as one team, one university,” Falconetti said.

Her contract runs through February 2027 — just a year before the 2028 enrollment deadline — and she said she intends to lay the groundwork that a permanent president can carry forward. 

Polk State scrutiny addressed

Falconetti also addressed scrutiny from her time at Polk State College, where the Lakeland Ledger reported that a board of trustees member accused her of falsifying enrollment data. 

Falconetti said an outside review was brought in, and the claims were found to be unsubstantiated.

“I said, ‘Bring whoever in you need,’” Falconetti said. “Everything came out the way I knew it would.”

On reports of faculty attempting a no-confidence vote, Falconetti disputed the characterization, saying only two of approximately 152 full-time faculty members expressed a lack of confidence in her leadership and that no formal vote took place.

“Oftentimes what we read in the media isn’t necessarily the reality,” Falconetti said. 

“It’s a great message for our students…People are always going to try to bring you down,” she said. 

Students at the center

Since arriving at UNF, Falconetti has made visible outreach to students a centerpiece of her early tenure. 

Falconetti said she has attended campus events, including Market Days, and has made a point of staying in direct contact with Student Government President Amelia Dyal. 

Falconetti said her orientation toward students dates back to her own early career. After earning her master’s degree at UNF, she worked as an academic advisor in the College of Education, where she won an outstanding academic advising award in 2003 at the age of 24. 

Falconetti said a colleague at the time asked how she earned the recognition.

“I said, ‘I care,’” Falconetti said. “If a student came to me and they were having an issue, I might walk them over to the counseling center…When you really care, and you’re passionate, it shows.”

Falconetti said the number one reason students remain engaged at a university comes down to relationships with faculty and with academic advisors. 

“I want to make sure people feel valued,” Falconetti said.

Permanent presidency position

Falconetti confirmed she will not plan to apply for the currently vacant permanent presidency of UNF.

She said the Board of Trustees will lead the selection process, with Board Chair Steve Moore overseeing the effort.

“I won’t be involved in the search at all,” Falconetti said. “My focus is on leading the institution forward during this time.”

While she acknowledged that many leaders might want to permanently lead their alma mater, Falconetti said she accepted the interim position knowing it would be temporary.

“Who doesn’t want to be [the president of the University of North Florida]?” she said. “But I understand that my time here is temporary, and that was very clear to me before I came over.”

Advice for new students

Falconetti said she understands the nerves many incoming freshmen feel because she experienced them herself when she first arrived at UNF in 1993.

“I was really nervous,” Falconetti said. “I remember the feeling of driving here and thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I hope I meet people. I hope I make friends.’”

As a student, Falconetti said she worked three jobs to pay tuition while navigating the uncertainty of choosing a major and adjusting to college life. She encouraged new students to embrace that period of exploration and take advantage of campus resources when challenges arise.

“Turn to the specialists,” Falconetti said. “Come to the people who are experienced to help you.”

Ultimately, Falconetti said she hopes students know they are supported throughout their time at the university.

“PS– the president cares about our students,” she said. “So come say hello.”

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