Florida Senate - 2019 (NP) SR 1228 By Senator Powell 30-01799-19 20191228__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing April 18, 2019, as “FAMU Day” 3 in Florida. 4 5 WHEREAS, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 6 (FAMU) was founded in 1887, named a land-grant institution in 7 1891, and designated a university in 1953, and 8 WHEREAS, FAMU, a historically black college and university 9 offering undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate, and professional 10 degree programs, seeks qualified students from all racial, 11 ethnic, religious, and national groups and has provided 12 immeasurable educational opportunities for young men and women, 13 and 14 WHEREAS, academic components of the university consist of 15 seven colleges and seven schools: the colleges of Agriculture 16 and Food Sciences; Education; Engineering; Law; Pharmacy and 17 Pharmaceutical Sciences; Science and Technology; and Social 18 Sciences, Arts, and Humanities; and the schools of Allied Health 19 Sciences; Architecture and Engineering Technology; Business and 20 Industry; the Environment; Graduate Studies and Research; 21 Journalism and Graphic Communication; and Nursing, and 22 WHEREAS, FAMU is a top 10 institution in awarding 23 baccalaureate degrees in accounting, agriculture, allied health 24 sciences, architecture, biological and biomedical sciences, 25 environmental sciences, and philosophy and religious studies to 26 African Americans, and is a leader in awarding professional 27 doctorate degrees in pharmacy and rehabilitation and therapeutic 28 professions and master’s degrees in architecture to African 29 Americans, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education’s 30 “Top 100 Producers, 2018,” and 31 WHEREAS, nearly 47 percent of FAMU’s student body is 32 pursuing degrees in disciplines related to science, technology, 33 engineering, mathematics, or health care, and 34 WHEREAS, FAMU was recognized among U.S. News & World 35 Report’s “Best Colleges” in the National Universities category, 36 was listed as the top historically black public college or 37 university in the nation for the 2018 ranking, and had the 38 highest ranked College of Engineering among historically black 39 public colleges and universities in the nation, and 40 WHEREAS, FAMU was also recognized as an institution of 41 origin for black scientists and engineers by the National 42 Science Foundation, and 43 WHEREAS, 74 percent of FAMU’s undergraduate students 44 receive Pell Grants, which is a testament to the educational 45 accessibility of the university, and 46 WHEREAS, in 2018, FAMU Athletics earned the Mid-Eastern 47 Athletic Conference title in women’s outdoor track and field and 48 its sixth consecutive title in women’s cross country, and 49 WHEREAS, FAMU has been chosen to lead a National Institutes 50 of Health 5-year, $16 million research partnership, in 51 collaboration with the University of Florida and the University 52 of Southern California, which will address cancer health 53 disparities in black and Latino communities, NOW, THEREFORE, 54 55 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 56 57 That April 18, 2019, is recognized as “FAMU Day” in 58 Florida. 59 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with 60 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to Larry Robinson, 61 Ph.D., president of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical 62 University, as a tangible token of the sentiments of the Florida 63 Senate.