Florida Senate - 2019 (NP) SR 1812 By Senator Montford 3-02868-19 20191812__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing April 9, 2019, as “FSU Day” 3 in Florida. 4 5 WHEREAS, Florida State University was founded in 1851, and 6 its Tallahassee campus is the oldest continuous site of higher 7 education in this state, and 8 WHEREAS, the State of Florida recognizes Florida State 9 University as a preeminent university and as a leader in 10 education, research, student retention, and graduation, and 11 WHEREAS, Florida State University is a nationally 12 recognized institution, with many of its colleges and programs 13 ranked within the top 10 in the nation, and 14 WHEREAS, in 2019, Florida State University vaulted to 26th 15 place among public universities in the U.S. News and World 16 Report rankings, moving up 17 places since 2016, and 17 WHEREAS, in 2019, the U.S. News and World Report also 18 recognized Florida State University as the most efficient 19 university in the nation based on its ability to manage its 20 financial resources while providing top-quality education, and 21 WHEREAS, Florida State University leads State University 22 System institutions with a 4-year graduation rate of 71.5 23 percent, placing it in the top 15 of the nation’s public 24 research institutions, and 25 WHEREAS, Florida State University offers graduate, 26 undergraduate, doctoral, and professional degrees in 306 27 programs within 19 independent colleges and schools, taught by a 28 faculty of 2,305 members, which has included National Academy of 29 Sciences members and six Nobel Laureates, and 30 WHEREAS, Florida State University is more popular than ever 31 with prospective first-time college students, as a record number 32 of applications were received for admission to the 2019 summer 33 and fall semesters, and 34 WHEREAS, Florida State University received a total of 35 nearly 57,000 applications for admission for the 2018-2019 36 academic year, an 11.9 percent jump over last year’s total, 37 which resulted in one of the university’s largest freshmen 38 classes ever, of about 6,200 students, and 39 WHEREAS, Florida State University has one of the most 40 academically accomplished freshman classes in school history, 41 with a median GPA of 4.3, a median SAT score of 1,345, and a 42 median ACT composite score of 30, and 43 WHEREAS, the Florida State University Center for Academic 44 Retention and Enhancement is celebrating 50 years of providing 45 aid to underrepresented students who have faced both educational 46 and economic difficulties in their lives and of helping such 47 students to graduate and succeed, and 48 WHEREAS, in 2018, Florida State University’s women’s 49 softball team celebrated its first-ever NCAA National 50 Championship, with the women’s soccer team also winning an NCAA 51 National Championship, its second national title, and 52 WHEREAS, in 2019, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine 53 recognized Florida State University as a “Diversity Champion” 54 for the third consecutive year, and 55 WHEREAS, the college experience continues to enrich the 56 lives of Florida State University students due to its long 57 standing tradition of promoting racial, ethnic, and cultural 58 diversity on campus and because of the university’s aggressive 59 recruitment of a diverse student body, NOW, THEREFORE, 60 61 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 62 63 That April 9, 2019, is recognized as “FSU Day” in Florida 64 in recognition of Florida State University’s contribution as an 65 outstanding institution of higher education. 66 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with 67 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to Florida State 68 University President John Thrasher as a tangible token of the 69 sentiments of the Florida Senate.