Florida Senate - 2021 (NP) SR 2022 By Senator Rodrigues 27-02691-21 20212022__ Page 1 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.

Senate Resolution 1 A resolution recognizing March 23, 2021, as “Florida 2 Gulf Coast University Day” in Florida. 3 4 WHEREAS, in May 1991, then-Governor Lawton Chiles signed 5 into law a bill passed by the Florida Legislature authorizing 6 the creation of Florida’s tenth public university, Florida Gulf 7 Coast University (FGCU), to provide higher education 8 opportunities and workforce development in the previously 9 underserved region of Southwest Florida, and 10 WHEREAS, FGCU opened its doors to students on August 25, 11 1997, and held its first commencement in May 1998 with 81 12 graduates, and 13 WHEREAS, FGCU has been led by outstanding and dynamic 14 presidents Dr.

Roy McTarnaghan, Dr. William C. Merwin, Dr. 15 Wilson G. Bradshaw, and Dr. Michael V.

Martin, and 16 WHEREAS, with the leadership and vision of current 17 President Martin and the FGCU Board of Trustees, FGCU students 18 have a clear pathway to success and the university is 19 maintaining affordability for all students, and 20 WHEREAS, FGCU’s top priority is student success, evidenced 21 by the university’s strong focus on providing the necessary 22 academic resources and laboratory facilities for students to 23 timely complete degrees from one of the university’s six 24 colleges, and 25 WHEREAS, FGCU boasts accomplished faculty members and 26 dedicated staff who help students prepare for successful careers 27 and meet regional and statewide workforce needs, and 28 WHEREAS, FGCU has strategically grown into a regional 29 Florida Senate - 2021 (NP) SR 2022 27-02691-21 20212022__ Page 2 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. university of nearly 15,000 students and today offers 63 30 undergraduate, 26 master’s, and 7 doctoral programs; has 37,200 31 alumni worldwide; and leads the State University System in the 32 percentage of alumni employed in this state after graduation, 33 and 34 WHEREAS, FGCU has climbed 11 spots to No. 17 in the U.S. 35 News and World Report Top Public School-Regional University 36 South rankings and increased 4-year graduation rates by 13 37 percentage points from 2013 to 2015, and 38 WHEREAS, FGCU’s pathways to student success have led it to 39 achieve national prominence in academics, environmental 40 sustainability, and student service learning, with more than 3 41 million service hours contributed by students to the Southwest 42 Florida regional community since 1997, and 43 WHEREAS, FGCU emphasizes innovative and interdisciplinary 44 learning, using the region as a living laboratory while offering 45 students diverse opportunities to participate in meaningful 46 research led by their professors while earning a ranking among 47 the Top 50 Green Colleges, making it the only university in this 48 state to make the list, and 49 WHEREAS, FGCU has established The Water School, breaking 50 ground on the new academic building in November 2019, to create 51 a University of Distinction Program that will provide FGCU the 52 foundation to pursue the designation of a recognized state and 53 national leader in the area of water studies, focusing on local 54 issues to address challenges throughout the world, and 55 WHEREAS, FGCU has established the Daveler & Kauanui School 56 of Entrepreneurship, bringing together students from all 57 disciplines to develop products and business plans in a real-58 Florida Senate - 2021 (NP) SR 2022 27-02691-21 20212022__ Page 3 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. world setting, leading to recognition by the Princeton Review, 59 which named it the best such school in Florida and 29th in the 60 nation, and more than 400 businesses have been started by FGCU 61 students and alumni since August 2016, and 62 WHEREAS, FGCU’s School of Nursing has 98 percent to 100 63 percent certification pass rates and 100 percent postgraduate 64 employment, and develops engaged leaders who deliver 65 transformative care, conduct research, and promote evidence-66 based practice through academic and community partnerships, and 67 WHEREAS, FGCU’s Lutgert College of Business and Marieb 68 College of Health and Human Services have launched Restart SWFL 69 to help businesses respond to the impact of COVID-19 and get 70 back on their feet and to improve consumer confidence, and 71 WHEREAS, FGCU’s athletics programs continue to be a growing 72 source of pride for their loyal fans, with student-athletes 73 continuing to demonstrate their academic strengths, and 74 WHEREAS, the collegiate experience continues to enrich the 75 lives of FGCU students and serve the surrounding communities 76 through “The FGCU Effect” and the university’s longstanding 77 commitment to promoting racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity 78 on campus, NOW, THEREFORE, 79 80 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 81 82 That March 23, 2021, is recognized as “Florida Gulf Coast 83 University Day” in Florida. 84 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with 85 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to Michael V. 86 Martin, Ph.D., president of Florida Gulf Coast University, as a 87