FSU pushes forward on a bold agenda | President Richard McCullough

 

FSU pushes forward on a bold agenda | President Richard McCullough

It’s a new era at Florida State University, and I’m excited for what the future holds.

Since I began my tenure as president not quite two years ago, I have been laser-focused on investing in our strategic goals and ensuring FSU builds upon our strong foundation as one of the best public universities in the nation.

We’re making distinct progress in continuing the university’s upward trajectory, and I’d like to update the Tallahassee community on some of our recent work and accomplishments. 

• While we are a major public research university, FSU has long prioritized student success, and our 94% student retention rate and our 74% four-year graduation rate are among the highest in the nation. Our student-focused approach fueled our meteoric rise in the national rankings, and we remain steadfast in our efforts so that every FSU student, regardless of background, graduates with their degree, even as we enhance our focus in other areas of importance.  
• FSU is expanding its research portfolioby increasing our research expenditures, producing groundbreaking studies and creative works, and launching bold new initiatives. Last year, FSU had a record total of research expenditures of about $355 million, but we’re not stopping there. We aim to grow our research enterprise to exceed $500 million annually. The more money we spend on research not only leads to discoveries that change the world — it also flows into the Florida and Tallahassee economies.  
• FSU launched the FSU Health initiativelast year with aspirations of transforming health care in North Florida and beyond. As a part of FSU Health, the university is building a deeper partnership with Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and a major innovation partnership with Mayo Clinic.  
• FSU’s plans are underway to build a much-needed academic health centerin partnership with Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare on TMH’s campus. We’re also collaborating with TMH and the St. Joe Company to build a new medical campus in Panama City Beach, which will include an urgent care center and a 100-bed hospital. These projects are gamechangers for FSU as they are attracting top-notch faculty in the health care fields and physician-scientists as well as bolstering the university’s growing health research portfolio and upward trend in federal research funding. 
• FSU is investing over $20 million in quantum science and engineeringover the next three years and will recruit world-class talent to complement our expertise in this area. FSU is already a leader in magnetism thanks to the National MagLab and has excellent programs in materials research. These investments will uniquely position FSU at the forefront of this emerging field of critical national and global importance. 
• FSU recently announced Fast Start, a new streamlined process designed to help increase the number of faculty start-ups. Fast Start will allow FSU faculty and researchers to execute license agreements more quickly, with fewer roadblocks and delays. This is an important step in accelerating university innovation, which will lead to increased job creation and economic development in the region. 
• The Florida Legislature allocated unprecedented funding for FSU during this year’s legislative session, including $109 million in new recurring funds and $108 million for capital projects, which will be critical as we continue to advance our top priorities. We are grateful that our legislators and Gov. DeSantis recognize that FSU provides an excellent return on investment for our students and Florida taxpayers. 

• Every day, we are ambitious and bold, and we push forward on a very big agenda — and every day, I see our progress as we strive for greater excellence. This is an exciting time for FSU with lots of opportunities within our reach and on the horizon, and I assure you, we are just getting started. 

  

  Richard McCullough is president of Florida State University, one of the top public universities in the nation.