Florida Senate - 2012 (NP) SR 1260 By Senator Benacquisto 27-01298-12 20121260__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing the students, alumni, 3 faculty, and administration of Edison State College as 4 it celebrates its 50th Anniversary as an institution 5 of higher learning in Florida. 6 7 WHEREAS, in 1962, Edison State College offered its first 8 classes in the Andrew D. Gwynne Institute and at a second center 9 at Dunbar High School in Fort Myers, and, with the generous 10 support of community donors, opened its first permanent campus 11 in 1965, and 12 WHEREAS, Edison State College began offering classes in 13 Charlotte County in 1974 and opened a permanent campus there in 14 1997, and 15 WHEREAS, Edison State College began offering classes in 16 Collier County in 1974 and moved to a permanent campus there in 17 1992, and 18 WHEREAS, Edison State College has recently opened a 19 permanent center in LaBelle, which serves Glades and Hendry 20 Counties, and 21 WHEREAS, Edison State College has continuously adapted to 22 the needs of the students and employers in Southwest Florida by 23 staying at the forefront of innovative education programming and 24 offering college baccalaureate degrees, workforce training, and 25 continuing education, and 26 WHEREAS, Edison State College began offering baccalaureate 27 degrees in 2007 and currently offers 10 baccalaureate degrees in 28 the fields of education, nursing, cardiovascular technology, 29 public safety management, and supervision and management, and 30 WHEREAS, Edison State College has maintained a strong 31 commitment to providing open access to the most relevant and 32 technologically advanced education available at the certificate, 33 associate’s degree, and bachelor’s degree levels using 34 traditional classroom, blended-online, and online program 35 delivery, and 36 WHEREAS, Edison State College continues to seek new ways to 37 increase student success and address barriers to completing a 38 higher education credential, and 39 WHEREAS, Edison State College continues to explore new 40 partnerships with institutions in the State University System to 41 increase access to higher education, and has begun operating 42 collegiate charter high schools in order to provide more 43 opportunity for parental choice in public education, and 44 WHEREAS, Edison State College is home to many community 45 cultural resources such as the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery, which 46 hosts numerous art exhibits, and the Barbara B. Mann Performing 47 Arts Hall, which has hosted many Broadway-caliber live 48 performances, and 49 WHEREAS, as a proud member of the “Great 28” in the Florida 50 College System, Edison State College in 2012 is celebrating 50 51 years of excellence as an institution of higher education in 52 Southwest Florida, NOW, THEREFORE, 53 54 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 55 56 That the members of the Senate recognize the students, 57 alumni, faculty, and administration of Edison State College as 58 it celebrates its 50th Anniversary as an institution of higher 59 learning in Florida.