Florida Senate - 2026 (NP) SR 1768
By Senator Simon
3-01877-26 20261768__
1 Senate Resolution
2 A resolution commending Florida State University for
3 its achievements as a national leader in academics,
4 research, and student excellence and designating
5 January 21, 2026, as “FSU Day at the Capitol.”
6
7 WHEREAS, the Tallahassee campus of Florida State University
8 (FSU) was founded in 1851 as the West Florida Seminary and is
9 the oldest continuous site of higher education in Florida, and
10 WHEREAS, FSU will celebrate its 175th anniversary in 2026
11 with a yearlong commemoration to honor its heritage, celebrate
12 its achievements, and highlight its vision for the future, and
13 WHEREAS, FSU has been recognized as a preeminent research
14 university by the State of Florida and offers 277 undergraduate,
15 graduate, doctoral, and professional degrees across 17 colleges,
16 with an enrollment of more than 46,000 students, who are
17 supported by over 18,000 full and part-time faculty and staff,
18 and
19 WHEREAS, FSU is ranked as the No. 1 public university for
20 long-term study abroad enrollments, with a global footprint that
21 includes study centers in London, Florence, Valencia, and
22 Panama, and
23 WHEREAS, under President Richard McCullough’s leadership,
24 FSU has reached new heights in national recognition, rising to
25 No. 21 among public universities and achieving its record
26 overall ranking of No. 51 among all institutions, public and
27 private, according to U.S. News & World Report, and Niche ranks
28 FSU No. 11 among its Top Public Universities in America, with
29 multiple academic programs ranked in the national top 10, and
30 WHEREAS, FSU is recognized as a national leader in student
31 success, with a 97 percent first-year student retention rate, a
32 78 percent 4-year graduation rate, and an 80 percent transfer
33 student graduation rate, the best in the history of the State
34 University System of Florida, and
35 WHEREAS, FSU’s first-year student cohort admitted for
36 summer and fall 2025 is one of the brightest in the university’s
37 history, with students representing all 67 Florida counties, 46
38 states, and 34 countries and entering FSU with an average GPA of
39 4.4, an average SAT score of 1395, and an average ACT score of
40 31.5, and 78 percent of the cohort were among the top 10 percent
41 of their high school class, and
42 WHEREAS, FSU faculty achieved a record $487 million in
43 research expenditures in 2025 and submitted more than $1.22
44 billion in competitive grant proposals, expanding discovery in
45 areas of strategic importance to this state and to America’s
46 innovation agenda, including quantum science, superconductivity,
47 artificial intelligence, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing,
48 and
49 WHEREAS, FSU Health is advancing a transformative vision to
50 integrate education, research, and patient care to improve lives
51 through initiatives such as FSU’s Institute for Pediatric Rare
52 Diseases and Sunshine Genetics Pilot Program, demonstrating
53 leadership and strengthening collaboration to address critical
54 health challenges, and
55 WHEREAS, in 1990, FSU was awarded the National High
56 Magnetic Field Laboratory, the only national laboratory in this
57 state and home to the most powerful magnets in the world,
58 facilitating major scientific breakthroughs and adding
59 significant economic benefit to this state, and
60 WHEREAS, FSU’s contributions generate an estimated $15.5
61 billion in statewide economic impact each year, strengthening
62 Florida’s workforce, expanding opportunities, and improving
63 lives across every region, and
64 WHEREAS, FSU is honored to share a special relationship
65 with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which is built on respect,
66 trust, and collaboration and which celebrates the tribe’s rich
67 history and culture while supporting educational opportunities
68 and initiatives that strengthen this enduring partnership, and
69 WHEREAS, FSU boasts a network of more than 419,000 alumni
70 who are making a difference in their communities across this
71 state and around the world, affirming the university’s
72 commitment to producing graduates who lead and serve, and
73 WHEREAS, in 2025, the FSU women’s soccer team won its fifth
74 national championship, the baseball, beach volleyball, and men’s
75 and women’s golf teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally, and
76 FSU’s student athletes achieved a record 91 percent graduation
77 success rate, NOW, THEREFORE,
78
79 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
80
81 That January 21, 2026, is designated “FSU Day at the
82 Capitol” in recognition of Florida State University’s
83 contribution as an outstanding institution of higher education.
84 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with
85 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to Dr. Richard
86 McCullough, the 16th President of Florida State University, as a
87 tangible token of the sentiments of the Florida Senate.