President John Thrasher delivers his fifth State of the University address. (FSU Photography Services)
Florida State University students, faculty and staff are achieving at the highest levels, according to President John Thrasher, who presented his annual State of the University address to the Faculty Senate on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Thrasher said a culture of excellence is the reason why Florida State is now recognized as the 18th best public university in America. He credited faculty, staff and administrators from across campus who have been working for nearly five years to first develop a strategic plan that would serve as FSU’s road map to the Top 25 and then implement measurable benchmarks to ensure the university moved in that direction.
“You know, when we first starting talking about reaching the U.S. News & World Report’s Top 25, there were some people who didn’t think we could do it,” Thrasher said. “And they certainly didn’t think we would break into the Top 20 — at least not this quickly.”
Florida State’s focus on student success has had the biggest impact on the university’s upward trajectory in the rankings, he said. FSU’s four-year graduation rate is the best in Florida and among the Top 10 public universities in the nation, while its 93 percent freshman retention rate ranks among the nation’s Top 20.
This success has resulted in FSU’s increasing popularity among prospective students. Applications for summer and fall admissions are already up 8 percent compared to this time last year.
“More and more, we are becoming the first choice for the very best students,” Thrasher said.
Graduate school enrollment is at an all-time high, and graduate student applications are up 26 percent since 2017, Thrasher said.
“Graduate education is a hallmark of any great research university, and we are strategically growing our graduate and postgraduate populations,” he said.
The Faculty Senate welcomed President Thrasher for the annual State of the University address. (FSU Photography Services)
In addition to exceeding its goal of reaching the Top 25, Florida State posted achievements in areas across the board.
This past fiscal year, FSU faculty researchers received nearly $234 million from federal, state and private sources — a new university record.
Faculty research is making a difference around the globe and close to home. As an example, Thrasher cited the opening of the College of Medicine’s FSU Primary Health center near Sabal Palm Elementary School where faculty and students are providing needed care and services to an underserved community.
Thrasher also recognized FSU’s newest college, the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship — the nation’s first stand-alone college of entrepreneurship — and its dean, Susan Fiorito.
“This shows how the $100 million gift from Jan Moran and The Jim Moran Foundation continues to transform our campus, and we continue to be grateful for their generosity,” he said.
Along with highlighting Florida State’s successes, Thrasher discussed some of the university’s key challenges, including the administration’s efforts to enact policies that support a healthier and safer environment for Greek Life organizations.
“I can assure you, FSU will be unyielding in its efforts to punish those who cannot abide by the rules and do not put the health and safety of their members and pledges first,” Thrasher said. “I think we’re making a difference in that area, and we’re going to continue to work hard on it.”
Looking ahead, Thrasher continues to have high expectations for FSU.
“The Top 15 is in our sights, and the Top 10 is a long-range goal,” he said. “But it’s going to take significant support from our friends as well as the Florida Legislature to make it happen.”
Thrasher said the fact that FSU moved up faster than any other university in the Top 50 bodes well for the 2020 Florida legislative session, which begins Jan. 14.
“I’ve been meeting with a number of legislators already, and I’m very optimistic about this session,” he said. “Our legislators understand the importance of higher education for the state, and they know FSU, in particular, provides a great return on investment.”
Florida State will ask the Legislature for funding to hire nationally recognized faculty, improve its faculty-student ratio and enrich Florida’s talent pipeline, as well as to provide more resources to recognize current faculty for their hard work. In addition, Thrasher said that securing funding for the new College of Business building and an Interdisciplinary Research and Commercialization building will be top priorities.
“From academic and research excellence to entrepreneurship and innovation, from student success to diversity and inclusion — everything we have accomplished has further enhanced our reputation of excellence,” Thrasher said. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with you to reach even higher and achieve even more in 2020.”
Early next summer, Florida State University International Programs Italy will enter the future by stepping 500 years into the past.
In June, renovations are to be completed on the Palazzo Bagnesi Falconeri, a 37,000-square-foot palace in the heart of Florence that dates to the time of Michelangelo. FSU will move its Florence study center to the newly renovated building.
The exterior of the 37,000-square-foot Palazzo Bagnesi Falconeri, in the heart of Florence, Italy.
In addition to serving as a hub of research and learning, the building will be a home away from home for visiting FSU students and faculty. It will provide space for them to congregate, learn and experience the countless artistic and historical wonders of a city that sparked and cultivated the artistic explosion of the Renaissance.
The building sits in the heart of Florence overlooking the Arno River, approximately two blocks from the Uffizi Gallery and City Hall. It is also a short, 10-minute walk from the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio.
Jim Pitts, FSU’s longtime director of International Programs said this acquisition and renovation is the culmination of over 20 years of searching for a permanent home for a study center in the heart of the Renaissance.
“We finally found the perfect facility, which we are transforming into a modern study center to serve the needs of FSU for generations to come,” he said.
Frank Nero, director of FSU International Programs Italy, said he’s thrilled about the new building. In addition to addressing a classroom shortage in the current facility, Nero said the new study center will help promote an immersive experience for students.
“It’s a beautiful building but we don’t want to be an enclave,” he said. “We want students to explore. We want to see how is the program integrating students into Florence? And how is the program leaving a positive imprint on Florence?”
While the exact date of the building’s construction isn’t known, it dates to the Florentine branch of the Bagnesi Family, which died out in 1635. Through the centuries, ownership of the palace passed between some of Italy’s wealthiest families.
In the early 20th century, the palace became the headquarters of the Tuscan Gas Company, which conducted extensive renovations in the 1930s. FSU’s renovations began last June.
The historical core of the Palazzo Bagnesi consists of three floors that rise around a large central courtyard. Once renovated, the courtyard will be enclosed with a skylight and house a library and study space. Plans call for a grand entrance featuring soaring archways and columns. In addition to the library, the ground floor will include a reception area, coffee bar, experiential kitchen and outdoor patio.
The second floor will feature 10 classrooms, offices, a sewing and textile lab as well as a newsroom and media lab.
The third floor will house student apartments with room for 24 students. FSU has several other residences nearby for the additional students in the program. Program enrollments typically range from around 85 in fall and spring semesters to 165 in each summer term.
A rendering of the library at the soon-to-be-completed FSU student center in Florence, Italy.
Nero noted that the team at University Libraries has been instrumental in assisting with plans for the renovation. Having the library as the central feature of the study center reinforces, physically and symbolically, that learning is at the heart of FSU Florence.
Lucia Cossari, associate director of FSU International Programs Italy, said the updated building will meet the demands of a top-flight international program.
“Students will have a new, permanent home in the heart of the Florentine community, which will reflect the values associated with FSU, the FSU Florence Program and all of the people who make up and who have made up our community,” she said. “It is a structure that embodies this spirit, along with art, history, culture—in an exceptionally special and unique place in the world.”
Pitts reiterated the importance of having a home that does justice to the university’s rich history in Florence, dating back to the arrival of FSU’s inaugural class in Florence in 1966. The first program coincided with historic flooding that left swaths of the city submerged in mud. The FSU student contingent was celebrated in the city and beyond for their decision to remain in the city and their devotion to helping rescue precious works of literature, art and cultural heritage. Together, the volunteers earned the nickname the “Mud Angels” for their effort.
Nero said the example and spirit of the Mud Angels continues to this day as volunteer cleanup programs in and around Florence remain at the heart of FSU’s program.
Cossari said that spirit of volunteerism is a tradition that creates a fuller experience for students.
“There is a connection established through volunteer work that flows both ways,” she said. “The students learn but they also carry the culture of FSU, the friendliness and hospitality to Florence.”
Cossari said she ultimately hopes the study center will build upon this outreach and host programs that involve local students.
“This is an opportunity for a great collaboration between Italian students and FSU students,” she said. “Italian students having access to these resources will help facilitate cultural exchange.”
So Bama has 8 years so far finishing in the AP top 5. They are currently no 9, so may not finish in the top 5 this year. They still need 6 more years to equal FSU streak of 14 years. Crazy how consistent Bowden was. #FSU
Some say the greatest streak in college football history is Oklahoma's 47 game winning streak in the mid-1950s, but in my opinion, Florida State's 14 year streak of top 4 finishes in the AP poll 1987-2000 is much more remarkable. They dropped to #5 in the fixed poll for 1994, but still, 14 straight years of finishing in the top 5 is something no other team has come remotely close to accomplishing. So I'm calling this the greatest run in college football history. Here's how they finished over those 14 years:
Florida State was so strong over this time period that they also have the most total rating points for 15 straight years, 16, and up to 20 straight years (1984-2003), even though they were not nearly so powerful before and after their 14-year streak.
Alabama did pass another milestone, extending its streak of consecutive weeks ranked to 210 (2008 preseason-present), moving past Florida for the third-longest streak in poll history. Florida was ranked for 209 straight weeks from Sept. 9, 1990-Oct. 5, 2002.
Nebraska has the longest streak at 348 weeks (Oct. 12, 1981-Sept. 22, 2002) and Florida State is second with 211 weeks (Sept. 24, 1989-Nov. 11, 2001).
Most Consecutive Top 5 FinishesPosted on 11/30/18 at 2:32 pm
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Alabama and Clemson both have streaks of Top 5 finishes that look likely to continue following the season.... If you look at history, its pretty unbelievable that both are in the midst of such a streak at the same time.
Throughout the history of FSU athletics, there have been plenty of notable streaks — mostly from the football team. With the spring game less than one week away, we look at the 10 most impressive streaks in the 72-year history of FSU football:
10. 29 Straight ACC Wins (1992-95)
Upon entering the ACC, Florida State was the class of the conference. The Seminoles went 8-0 in each of their first three seasons as a member of the conference before finally falling at Virginia 33-28 on a Thursday night in November 1995. During that stretch, FSU topped 10 AP-ranked ACC opponents.
9. 29 Straight Wins (2012-14)
The longest winning streak for Florida State came during the Jimbo Fisher era as the Seminoles collected 29 straight wins. That streak started with the 2012 ACC Championship and ended with the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day 2015 to Oregon in the first-ever College Football Playoff. Over that span, FSU collected 10 wins over top-25 teams, three ACC title game victories and two major bowl wins, including the 2013 national title game victory over Auburn.
8. 38 Straight ACC Home Wins (1992-2001)
Florida State was in its 10th season as a member of the ACC before its suffered its first conference loss at home. That defeat was a 34-28 loss to NC State in November 2001. In total, the streak lasted 38 games. FSU wouldn’t lose another ACC game at home until again falling to the Wolfpack in 2005.
7. 19 Straight Ranked Finishes (1987-2005)
Florida State finished in the final polls in 19 straight seasons from 1987 until 2005. That streak is actually 20 if one takes into consideration that FSU finished No. 20 in the Coaches Poll in 1986. The Seminoles did not finish in the AP Poll that season.
6. 11 Straight Bowl Wins (1985-95)
Florida State won an NCAA record 11 straight bowl games from 1985 to 1995. The streak started with a win over Oklahoma State in the 1985 Gator Bowl and concluded with a thrilling 31-26 win over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl to conclude the 1995 campaign. FSU’s unbeaten streak actually spanned 14 years. Florida State notched a Gator Bowl win over West Virginia in 1982 and a Peach Bowl win over North Carolina in 1983 before tying Georgia, 17-17, in the Citrus Bowl to conclude the 1984 season.
5. Nine Straight ACC Titles (1992-2000)
Florida State won the ACC in each of its first nine seasons in the conference, which came with a pair of national championships. Over that span, FSU went a remarkable 70-2 in conference. The Seminoles won the ACC in 12 of their first 14 seasons in the conference with the exceptions being 2001 and 2004.
4. 54-Game Home Unbeaten Streak (1992-2001)
After falling 17-16 to Miami in a contest known as “Wide Right I” in 1991, it would be 55 games later before the Seminoles lost again at home. That loss came in 2001 — also to Miami. From 1992 until that defeat, FSU went 53-0-1. The lone tie was the 1994 rivalry contest against Florida. In that one, FSU erased a 31-3 fourth-quarter deficit to force a 31-31 tie.
3. 36 Straight Bowl Appearances (1982-Present)
The nation’s longest bowl streak, Florida State hasn’t missed out on a bowl game since 1981. Some dispute the streak since FSU’s 2006 Emerald Bowl contest with UCLA was vacated, but the Seminoles have physically played in a bowl in every season since 1982. Over those 36 bowl games, FSU is 26-9-1.
2. 41 Straight Winning Seasons (1977-Present)
Not since the legendary Bobby Bowden’s first season in Tallahassee of 1976 has FSU not finished with a winning record. There were some close calls as Florida State required bowl wins in 2006, 2009 and 2017 to keep that streak alive. The Seminoles also finished just 6-5 in 1981 and 7-6 in 2007.
1. 14 Straight Top-5 Finishes (1987-2000) In a streak that is unlikely to be paralleled, Florida State finished ranked in the top 5 in both polls in each season from 1987 until the turn of the century in 2000. Over that span, the Seminoles won two national championships and finished No. 2 on two other occasions. FSU also finished third five times, fourth four times and fifth once.
Mistakes, to this point of FSU's admin in the coaching search. Remember, Thrasher and Burr were also 2 of the 3 who hired Willie.
Same two along with the ZERO experience AD Coburn running the show now.
They started search by publicly saying they wouldn't reach out to Urban Meyer.
They publicly announced they were pushing for Stoops.
They publicly stated a timetable of a month which has gone by.
They built a stage for a press conference and had to tear it day latter with no conference having taken place.
They pushed for a 'Renaissance' financial campaign that was basically mocked. You don't have a 'renaissance' with a Norvell type candidate. Tone deaf administration.
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