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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
House Resolution 1
A resolution designating January 25, 2022, 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 10th public university, Florida Gulf 7
Coast University (FGCU), to provide higher education 8
opportunities and workforce development in the previously 9
underserved region of Southwe st 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 four outstanding and dynamic 14
presidents: Dr. Roy McTarnaghan, Dr. William C. M erwin, Dr. 15
Wilson G. Bradshaw, and Dr. Michael V. Martin, and 16
WHEREAS, with the leadership and vision of Dr. Michael V. 17
Martin and the FGCU Board of Trustees, FGCU provides students 18
with a clear pathway to success and maintains college 19
affordability for all of its students, and 20
WHEREAS, FGCU's top priority is student success through 21
career opportunities, which includes a strong focus on providing 22
the necessary academic resources and laboratory facilities to 23
timely complete degrees from one of the five col leges providing 24
relevant programs with an accomplished faculty and dedicated 25
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staff to help students gain the necessary skills and abilities 26
to meet regional and statewide workforce needs, and 27
WHEREAS, FGCU has strategically grown into a regional 28
university of more than 15,000 students and today offers 63 29
undergraduate, 26 masters, and 7 doctoral programs, and 30
WHEREAS, FGCU's pathways to student success have led to the 31
university achieving national prominence in academics, 32
environmental sustainability, and student service learning, with 33
3.7 million hours contributed to the Southwest Florida community 34
since 1997, and 35
WHEREAS, FGCU emphasizes innovative and interdisciplinary 36
learning, using the region as a living laboratory while offering 37
students diverse opportunities to participate in meaningful 38
research led by their professors, and 39
WHEREAS, FGCU has established The Water School, which will 40
open its doors in 2022, to create a University of Distinction 41
program that will provide FGCU the foundation to pursue the 42
designation of a recognized state and national leader in the 43
area of water, focusing on local water issues to address 44
challenges throughout the world, and 45
WHEREAS, FGCU continues to work collaboratively with the 46
State University System to meet region al and statewide workforce 47
needs in the healthcare arena by graduating career -ready nurses 48
with one of the highest first -time passage rates on the required 49
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nursing licensure examination for a university in the State 50
University System, and 51
WHEREAS, FGCU has established the Daveler and Kauanui 52
School of Entrepreneurship, where students are achieving success 53
in securing great jobs, creating new startup companies, 54
transitioning to family businesses, and beginning artistic 55
careers, leading to recognition by the Princeton Review, which 56
named it the best such school in Florida and 22nd in the nation, 57
and 58
WHEREAS, FGCU strives to bring diversification of the 59
economy to the region it serves through innovation in 60
agribusiness, construction management, environmental 61
engineering, and public health, and 62
WHEREAS, FGCU serves and engages its surrounding community, 63
offering a wealth of enrichment opportunities that include 64
visual arts, music, theater, and public radio and television, 65
and 66
WHEREAS, FGCU's athletics program s continue to be a growing 67
source of pride for their loyal fans with student athletes 68
continuing to demonstrate their academic strengths, and 69
WHEREAS, the collegiate experience continues to enrich the 70
lives of FGCU students and serve the surrounding community 71
through "The FGCU Effect" and the university's longstanding 72
commitment to service, NOW, THEREFORE, 73
74
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Be It Resolved by the House of Repre sentatives of the State of 75
Florida: 76
77
That January 25, 2022, is designated as "Florida Gulf Coast 78
University Day" in Florida. 79
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be 80
presented to Michael V. Martin, Ph.D., president of Florida Gulf 81
Coast University as a tangible token of the sentiments expressed 82
herein. 83