FSU leads the state in 4 year grad rates

https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2019/01/31/florida-state-university-expects-top-its-record-four-year-grad-rate/2728781002/

Florida State University – whose four-year graduation rate of 68.4 percent already is highest in the State University System – now is expecting to top that achievement.

On Wednesday, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Sally McRorie, said preliminary new data shows 71.5 percent of FSU’s recent cohort of students graduating in four years.

“This is a group effort by everyone on campus,” McRorie said during a presentation to the Board of Governors Academic and Student Affairs committee.

The State University System’s current four-year graduation rate is 49.4 percent.

 “That is great focus,” said Ned Lautenbach, chairman of the Board of Governors.

McRorie said the university’s data also shows it has erased graduation rate disparities between all categories of under-represented students and traditional students.

In addition, there is no disparity among all FSU students in attaining a first to second year retention rate of 94 percent, making FSU the highest-ranked public university to achieve this status.

At a glance:

Current percentages of students graduating in four years, based on 2013-17 figures:

Florida State: 68.4

University of Florida: 66

University of South Florida: 57.3

New College: 53.6

University of Central Florida: 43.8

University of North Florida: 33.7

Florida International: 33.5

Florida Atlantic:  27.1

University of West Florida: 25.2

Florida Gulf Coast: 22.9

Florida A&M: 21.8

Source: Florida Board of Governors

@floridastate Provost Sally McRorie is presenting on the university's 4-year grad rates, which are the highest in the state. Congrats, and thanks for sharing your strategies for helping students succeed.

— Board of Governors (@FLBOG) January 30, 2019

#FunFactFriday@floridastate has a total of 41,900 students from every Florida county and from 132 countries.

— Board of Governors (@FLBOG) January 25, 2019

Railroad Square hotel

https://www.tallahassee.com/story/opinion/2019/01/30/new-hotel-next-step-keeping-railroad-square-vibrant-arts-district/2721253002/

Railroad Square is beloved as a casual place where residents and visitors alike enjoy fun experiences and discover unique treasures. We are so fortunate to have it. 

Typically arts districts are funded by public dollars via land grants, tax incentives or government support. Tallahassee, however, has benefited from an industrial park-turned-creative-arts-district, all under private ownership, an endeavor that has been sustained by two generations of the Boynton Kaye family. Today, siblings Lily and Adam Kaye are charting the direction for Railroad Square, introducing the next step in the area’s evolution in support of its rich heritage.

Lily and Adam have had plenty of opportunities to sell the land for student housing, but they’ve refused. Now they have identified a way to bring new patrons to the small businesses in Railroad Square. This plan — to add a hotel and retail space to an open parcel of land at the front of the property — promises to bring new vitality and foot traffic, while maintaining the character and purpose of Railroad Square.

More: New Hyatt House Hotel brings excitement, anxiety for Railroad Square

In the late 1970s, this industrial park began transitioning into an arts district by providing studios for FSU’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program, as well as spaces for potters and painters. Under the stewardship of Nan Boynton, it gradually morphed into the arts-focused Railroad Square we know.  

The property passed to Boynton's then-teenage children, and for 16 years they have continued the artistic evolution of Railroad Square and resourcefully maintained the 1950s-era warehouses. Railroad Square is an attraction: a home to art studios, galleries, a coffee shop, creative small retailers and services.

Making a living as an artist or small retail entrepreneur is difficult, and survival depends on affordable spaces and plenty of customers. Lily and Adam understand how important that constant flow of patrons is. That’s why they, along with manager Lillian Finn, have worked hard to maintain a safe, family-friendly atmosphere with an eclectic mix of local businesses. They continue to fund the monthly First Friday Gallery Hop and have recently supported the expansion of its food and beverage options.

The owners recognize that branding Railroad Square as a destination – for both tourists and locals – is necessary for their shops and studios to succeed in the long term. The addition of a hotel will strengthen the identity of Railroad Square as an arts destination and help to assure its sustainability, as visitors take home distinctive items and experiences from their travels.

The hotel developer has already demonstrated his appreciation for the community by meeting with Railroad Square tenants and thoughtfully working out details such as public parking, signage and design elements that draw on the existing colorful industrial buildings.

More: Railroad Square provides a service vital to the community | Opinion

Gradual modernization of Railroad Square is necessary given the age of the buildings, but it’s important that the area maintains its irreplaceable character. The addition of a quality hotel and new retail space will benefit local artists and craftsmen while boosting the area’s vitality.

All Tallahassee should welcome this project as part of the process to thoughtfully nurture this cherished community resource.

Research Data

https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/column-florida-universities-are-building-momentum-on-research-20181130/

https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/herd/2017/index.html

https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/herd/2017/html/herd2017_dst_36.html

Table 36. Higher education R&D expenditures at public institutions, ranked by all R&D expenditures, by source of funds: FY 2017

(Dollars in thousands)

Rank	Institution	All R&D expenditures		Source of funds
				Federal government		State and local government		Institution funds		Business		Nonprofit organizations		All other sources
	All institutions	49,319,925		24,816,370		3,867,138		13,361,055		2,651,866		2,972,782		1,650,714
1	U. Michigan, Ann Arbor	1,530,139		829,695		2,698		537,176		82,898		64,646		13,026
2	U. California, San Francisco	1,409,398		606,768		32,952		333,955		96,903		221,430		117,390
3	U. Washington, Seattle	1,348,220		952,738		27,951		127,960		53,751		153,085		32,735
4	U. Wisconsin-Madison	1,193,413		570,796		57,525		394,364		25,683		103,996		41,049
5	U. California, San Diego	1,133,454		641,469		34,590		186,507		80,802		83,986		106,100
6	U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill	1,102,063		676,282		17,810		277,954		39,273		70,194		20,550
7	U. California, Los Angeles	1,076,917		487,846		47,097		246,402		62,427		162,215		70,930
8	U. Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh	939,706		617,884		9,211		157,369		18,667		49,502		87,073
9	U. Minnesota, Twin Cities	921,681		456,443		71,697		300,520		35,700		24,031		33,290
10	Texas A&M U., College Station and Health Science Center	905,474		307,656		207,329		264,823		39,928		57,631		28,107
11	U. Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center	888,029		166,552		255,960		173,161		127,759		30,470		134,127
12	Ohio State U.	864,327		464,311		56,440		127,298		146,317		43,686		26,275
13	Pennsylvania State U., University Park and Hershey Medical Center	854,815		538,164		54,342		178,476		36,761		46,131		941
14	Georgia Institute of Technology	804,301		584,891		85,668		60,986		54,282		12,447		6,027
15	U. Florida	801,418		327,288		142,480		221,522		36,208		42,265		31,655
16	U. California, Berkeley	770,822		330,339		49,871		168,113		66,123		106,893		49,483
17	U. California, Davis	738,347		342,407		64,438		197,136		45,309		38,689		50,368
18	Michigan State U.	694,917		343,751		45,668		257,341		11,729		20,449		15,979
19	Rutgers, State U. New Jersey, New Brunswick	681,719		340,801		99,663		163,910		47,787		24,827		4,731
20	U. Texas, Austin	652,187		396,447		27,367		124,037		60,282		37,775		6,279
21	U. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign	642,084		358,905		30,133		172,717		37,708		20,415		22,206
22	Purdue U., West Lafayette	622,814		245,110		111,590		173,477		47,177		34,188		11,272
23	U. Arizona	622,200		273,567		19,646		187,244		12,369		35,621		93,753
24	U. Alabama, Birmingham	561,851		358,916		5,403		109,918		57,874		29,280		460
25	U. South Florida, Tampa	557,889		250,384		28,582		210,070		25,777		38,644		4,432
26	U. Maryland, College Park	548,885		369,651		18,112		136,319		8,177		13,416		3,210
27	Arizona State U.	545,016		227,621		31,895		209,033		16,587		30,549		29,331
28	Indiana U., Bloomington	540,421		245,155		3,770		216,075		25,303		49,578		540
29	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State U.	522,425		186,054		55,771		225,816		40,471		7,252		7,061
30	North Carolina State U.	500,445		218,274		102,200		120,027		56,418		2,939		587
31	U. Colorado Boulder	499,389		374,209		3,906		35,865		9,908		73,229		2,272
32	U. Iowa	494,280		238,842		7,165		205,447		22,885		19,940		1
33	U. Colorado Denver and Anschutz Medical Campus	480,598		311,720		27,354		47,953		41,818		43,262		8,491
34	U. Virginia, Charlottesville	469,682		228,910		5,378		135,045		22,001		31,250		47,098
35	U. Texas Southwestern Medical Center	461,797		200,085		77,286		60,817		23,391		59,638		40,580
36	U. Georgia	455,432		158,229		40,064		196,033		19,343		34,853		6,910
37	U. Cincinnati	455,250		242,237		6,919		121,414		22,088		62,433		159
38	U. Maryland, Baltimore	426,895		220,911		26,227		116,312		26,445		34,830		2,170
39	SUNY, U. Buffalo	401,591		186,836		27,989		125,790		19,854		22,118		19,004
40	U. Utah	380,295		248,908		3,384		68,674		31,643		24,245		3,441
41	U. Kentucky	378,374		171,323		45,217		119,978		12,444		13,795		15,617
42	U. Illinois, Chicago	372,619		198,049		7,200		123,091		9,700		24,693		9,886
43	U. California, Irvine	361,414		187,535		19,025		71,473		21,385		28,911		33,085
44	Washington State U.	356,901		152,843		52,663		125,869		11,944		9,062		4,520
45	Oregon Health and Science U.	348,449		245,199		148		29,938		27,313		45,820		31
46	Colorado State U., Fort Collins	338,404		239,165		17,058		49,317		8,710		17,203		6,951
47	Iowa State U.	323,584		128,221		42,363		122,758		17,794		8,145		4,303
48	SUNY, Polytechnic Institute	308,861		41,252		41,321		40,618		120,126		65,377		167
49	U. Nebraska, Lincoln	302,204		101,532		57,369		113,175		17,183		4,356		8,589
50	U. Kansas	300,319		148,178		16,816		96,096		16,834		22,099		296
51	Uniformed Services U. of the Health Sciences	298,370		204,241		0		90,159		0		3,970		0
52	U. Hawaii, Manoa	292,021		182,337		14,531		76,305		1,955		12,674		4,219
53	Florida State U.	282,901		134,278		5,221		123,269		2,849		13,174		4,110