Florida Senate - 2017 (NP) SR 1806 By Senator Braynon 35-02774-17 20171806__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing April 4, 2017, as “Florida 3 State University Day” in Florida. 4 5 WHEREAS, the Tallahassee campus of Florida State 6 University, founded in 1851, is the oldest continuous site of 7 higher education in Florida, and 8 WHEREAS, Florida State University is proud to be recognized 9 as a Preeminent University by the State of Florida and as a 10 leader in education, research, student retention, and 11 graduation, and is a nationally recognized institution with many 12 of its colleges and programs ranked within the top ten in the 13 nation, and 14 WHEREAS, in 2016, Florida State University experienced the 15 greatest single-year gain of all the top 50 public research 16 universities in the nation, jumping five places in the U.S. News 17 and World Report rankings to No. 38, and 18 WHEREAS, U.S. News and World Report also recognized Florida 19 State University as the second most efficient university in the 20 nation based on the university’s ability to manage its financial 21 resources while also providing top-quality education, and 22 WHEREAS, Florida State University offers graduate, 23 undergraduate, doctoral, and professional degrees in 341 24 programs within 16 independent colleges and schools, taught by a 25 faculty of 2,409 members, which has included National Academy of 26 Sciences members and six Nobel Laureates, and 27 WHEREAS, for the 2016-2017 academic year, Florida State 28 University has one of the most academically accomplished 29 freshman classes in school history, with an average GPA of 4.1 30 and median SAT scores of 1848, and 31 WHEREAS, Florida State University has a 4-year graduation 32 rate of 62 percent, placing the university in the top 15 among 33 the nation’s public research institutions, and 34 WHEREAS, Florida State University is home to the highly 35 acclaimed College of Motion Picture Arts, and alumnus Barry 36 Jenkin’s film “Moonlight” won the Best Picture award during the 37 89th annual Academy Awards, where he shared the spotlight with 38 seven FSU graduates, including five who earned Oscar 39 nominations, and 40 WHEREAS, the lives of Florida State University students 41 continue to be enriched as a result of the university’s long 42 standing and steadfast promotion of racial, ethnic, and cultural 43 diversity and its commitment to the recruitment of a diverse 44 group of students, NOW, THEREFORE, 45 46 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 47 48 That April 4, 2017, is recognized as “Florida State 49 University Day” in Florida, and the university’s standing as an 50 outstanding institution of higher education is celebrated. 51 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with 52 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to Florida State 53 University President John Thrasher as a tangible token of the 54 sentiments of the Florida Senate.