Florida Senate - 2020 (NP) SR 1902 By Senator Montford 3-02392-20 20201902__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing February 12, 2020, as FSU Day 3 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 12 WHEREAS, Florida State University is a nationally 13 recognized institution with many of its colleges and programs 14 ranked within the top 10 in the nation, and 15 WHEREAS, in 2019, Florida State University jumped to No. 18 16 among national public universities in the U.S. News and World 17 Report rankings, after moving up 25 places since 2016, and 18 WHEREAS, in 2019, Florida State University was ranked as 19 the No. 3 best value among public colleges for out-of-state 20 students and the No. 9 best value among public colleges for in 21 state students by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance “Best College 22 Value,” and 23 WHEREAS, Florida State University has a 4-year graduation 24 rate of 71.5 percent, making it the highest in the state and 25 placing it in the top 10 among public research institutions, and 26 WHEREAS, Florida State University offers graduate, 27 undergraduate, doctoral, and professional degrees in 306 28 programs within 19 independent colleges and schools which are 29 taught by 2,086 faculty members, including National Academy of 30 Sciences members and 6 Nobel Laureates, and has created a 31 student-to-faculty ratio of 21-to-1, meaning that 56.6 percent 32 of Florida State University’s offered classes have a class size 33 of fewer than 20 students, and 34 WHEREAS, Florida State University is more popular than ever 35 among prospective first-time college students, as a record 36 number of applications were received for admission to the 2019 37 summer and fall semesters, and 38 WHEREAS, Florida State University received a total of 39 nearly 60,555 applications, a 20 percent increase over the 40 previous year’s total, resulting in one of the largest freshman 41 classes in the school’s history, about 6,900 students, and 42 WHEREAS, Florida State University had the most academically 43 accomplished freshman class in school history for the 2018-2019 44 academic year, with a median grade point average of 4.2, a 45 median SAT score of 1310, and a median ACT composite score of 46 29, and 47 WHEREAS, Florida State University is a top research 48 institution for producing Fulbright Scholars, with 10 students 49 receiving awards for the 2019-2020 academic year, and 50 WHEREAS, in 2019, for the fourth year in a row, INSIGHT 51 into Diversity magazine recognized Florida State University as a 52 “Diversity Champion,” an honor awarded to schools that 53 demonstrate a promise to uphold inclusion and diversity, and 54 WHEREAS, the college experience continues to enrich the 55 lives of Florida State University students due to the long 56 standing tradition of promoting racial, ethnic, and cultural 57 diversity on campus with the aggressive recruitment of diverse 58 groups of students, NOW, THEREFORE, 59 60 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 61 62 That February 12, 2020, is recognized as FSU Day in 63 Florida. 64 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with 65 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to Florida State 66 University President John Thrasher as a tangible token of the 67 sentiments of the Florida Senate.