This past week the Florida Capitol was filled with garnet and gold as both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate declared February 12, 2020 as FSU Day throughout the state. This event (together with a FSU Board of Trustees meeting where they approved the next step in Florida State University Panama City’s Doctorate in Nurse Anesthesia) helped ensure that I would spend the first part of the week in Tallahassee.
The first three floors of the Capitol were full of booths manned by representatives of various academic departments and student organizations, including a booth for FSU PC. The 22nd floor was full the night before as the Student Government Association honored members of the legislature. On Wednesday, the courtyard between the “Old Capitol” and the “New Capitol” was packed with members of the Marching Chiefs, the Flying High Circus, and the Seminole Cheerleaders performing. Coaches and players from various sports were present, including the new football coach, Mike Norvell. Joining him to lead the pep rally were President John Thrasher, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Ed Burr, and Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.
A Lot to Cheer About
And there is a lot to cheer about at FSU. A few of these include being ranked No. 18 among public universities by U.S. News and World Report, having the highest four-year graduation rate in Florida and one of the top ten among public universities in the U.S., a marching band that was the only United States university band to perform at the 75th anniversary of D-Day in France, having every NCAA team now participating in spring sports ranked in the Top 25, and being recognized as a top producer by Chronicle of Higher Education for Fulbright Scholars.
I have spent many years being involved in the legislative process. This work includes my previous private practice, serving as a board member for several colleges and universities, as Chancellor of the Florida College System, and in my current position at FSU PC. The Capitol and downtown Tallahassee is always an exciting place to be during the legislative session. Every day you see people from every part of the state meeting with legislators, the Governor, and staff members. Every day in Tallahassee you realize how important it is for citizens to interact with the lawmakers. However, when you leave Tallahassee and return to your local community, college, or university, it is hard to describe to folks the importance of the legislative and governmental process.
Support for Higher Education
Over the past several years, the Florida legislature and the Governor have been strong advocates of higher education. That support has played a major role in the rise of FSU into the Top 20 of public universities. I am very appreciative of that support and know that our statewide leadership clearly understands the importance of a strong higher education system in Florida and the significant return on investment.
The support of the Legislature for Florida’s higher education system is critical. In many cases, state funding accounts for more than 50% of the operations at public colleges and universities. In addition, policy decisions made by the Legislature can directly affect our operations.
Great Investment
Our policy makers come to Tallahassee with different views and representing widely divergent constituencies. Having been involved in this process for more than 30 years, I know the personal commitment of these public servants and the impact serving has on their work and families.
As we move forward, it is critical that we continue to show our legislators and the Governor the great investment our state universities are. When you walk the halls of the Capitol during session, you see hospital executives, nurses, contractors, insurance company representatives, mayors, K-12 teachers, county commissioners, affordable housing advocates and many others pushing for their cause. Clearly, all of these and many other issues are important in a growing and diverse state like Florida.
What They Hear Back Home
As Florida continues to grow and the demands become even more complicated, we cannot just advocate during the session or committee meetings. At FSU we are already doing that all across the state, but there is room for improvement. All of us, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and alumni have an important role to play in this process. .
This does not necessarily mean everyone spending time personally lobbying legislators or the Governor. But it does mean being engaged in our communities across the state and telling the story of FSU.
From faculty being engaged in local civic clubs where other members will understand the importance of their work, to students telling their stories when they return home for the weekend or for summer, to alumni groups supporting FSU throughout the state, there are many things all of us can do to promote our great university. We must not only discuss the achievements I mentioned above, but must show, among other things, the great research we are doing, the impact our graduates in all areas are having across the state and country, and the partnerships we have to help Florida take on the challenges and opportunities we face today and will encounter in the future.
While advocacy during the legislative session is crucial, it is what our policy makers hear in their hometowns during the rest of the year that significantly shapes the views they have when they arrive in Tallahassee. All of us must help tell that story.
For more information about the legislative process, I hope you will take a look at the Advocate for FSU website.
Go Noles!