![\"FSU](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SOTU-2025-1-1200x800.jpg\")
FSU President Richard McCullough delivers his fifth State of the University address during a meeting of the Faculty Senate on Dec. 3, 2025. (Bill Lax\/FSU Photography)\t\t<\/p>\n\t\tFSU President Richard McCullough delivers his fifth State of the University address during a meeting of the Faculty Senate on Dec. 3, 2025. (Bill Lax\/FSU Photography)\t\t<\/p>\n
Florida State University President Richard McCullough said the university\u00a0has\u00a0\u201cpowerful momentum\u201d\u00a0as he delivered his fifth State of the University address Wednesday\u00a0during a Faculty Senate meeting\u00a0at the College of Medicine.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe state of the university is strong,\u201d McCullough said. \u201cAnd we are a university that continues to get better every day.\u00a0\u2026\u00a0We\u00a0are\u00a0Florida State University, and we are Unconquered.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
McCullough highlighted record student success, rising national rankings, expanding research activity and major institutional growth.\u00a0He also thanked faculty, staff, students,\u00a0trustees,\u00a0alumni,\u00a0parents\u00a0and\u00a0community partners for guiding the university through a year marked by both achievements and difficult\u00a0moments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of\u00a0all of you, we are experiencing unprecedented momentum,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ve hired great\u00a0faculty\u00a0and\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0set records\u00a0in\u00a0research expenditures.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0built out new spaces for faculty and students that are the envy of other universities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He pointed to the opening of the Interdisciplinary Research and Commercialization Building and\u00a0the completion of Legacy Hall, the new home of the College of Business,\u00a0and\u00a0construction of\u00a0the new FSU Health Research\u00a0Building\u00a0as spaces that are attracting top faculty from around the country.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
McCullough applauded FSU faculty for achieving a record $487 million in research expenditures and submitting more than $1.22 billion in proposals this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur research programs continue to impress,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cWe have grown research expenditures at an impressive rate \u2014 from $325 million in 2021 to a record $487 million \u2014 up nearly 50 percent.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said that FSU\u00a0has built research\u00a0focus\u00a0areas that align with state and national priorities. The university is advancing quantum science and engineering, making breakthroughs in superconductivity, pioneering environmentally responsible methods for extracting rare earth\u00a0minerals\u00a0and making strides in aerospace and advanced manufacturing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In health and biomedical innovation, FSU launched ICON-Health, an institute that explores the benefits of food as medicine, and expanded the Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases, which is translating discovery into care for some of the most devastating childhood diseases. Both institutes are part of the university\u2019s expanding FSU Health initiative.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As a part of FSU Health, the university is growing research and health care opportunities in Northwest Florida,\u00a0including building an academic health center in Panama City Beach and advancing its partnership with Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. The university\u2019s first Vice President and Chief Clinical Operations Officer, FSU alumnus Jeremy Slaga, will start in the new role in January.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor faculty, FSU Health means\u00a0research\u00a0opportunity and expansion, new clinical partnerships\u00a0and a pathway to move discoveries from the lab to the bedside,\u201d\u00a0McCullough said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
McCullough highlighted significant momentum in the arts and humanities, including the acquisition of a movie theater for the College of Motion Picture Arts and funding a new Humanities Center. \u00a0<\/p>\n
While other universities are in the midst of hiring freezes,\u00a0FSU hired more than 200 new faculty members for the third year in a row.\u00a0The university now\u00a0counts\u00a013 members of the National Academies on its faculty, double the number from 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to take advantage\u00a0of\u00a0when others are slowing down,\u201d McCullough said. \u201cWe\u2019re in a position to accelerate, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u00a0highlighted\u00a0the launch of IGNITE Tallahassee, a new incubator supporting high-tech\u00a0startups, and said the university has doubled the number of start-ups so far this\u00a0year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
FSU achieved its highest-ever\u00a0U.S. News & World Report\u00a0national ranking at No. 51, climbing three spots from last year, and moved up\u00a0to No. 21 among public universities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Student success metrics continued to set records. The university\u2019s freshman retention rose to 97 percent, an increase of three percentage points over the past four years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
McCullough called the increase \u201cabsolutely monumental, and we could not be\u00a0more proud.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The four-year graduation rate increased to 78 percent, and the transfer student graduation rate reached 80 percent, the highest in State University System history. Applications also hit a new record, with 86,000 students seeking about 6,200 freshman spots.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe quality of the students continues to\u00a0rise,\u00a0and we continue to hear over and over that we are now the most desirable undergraduate institution in Florida, especially given our excellent academics,\u00a0our top-ranked student experience and a wonderful family environment,\u201d\u00a0McCullough said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
McCullough reflected on the\u00a0strength\u00a0the\u00a0FSU community\u00a0showed\u00a0after\u00a0the\u00a0April 17 campus tragedy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still mourn our losses from the shooting tragedy on April 17,\u00a0and our hearts go out to the families and students that were impacted,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u00a0praised\u00a0police\u00a0and first responders for their bravery,\u00a0courage\u00a0and professionalism\u00a0on that day, and recognized the mental health professionals who helped the campus community in their recovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
McCullough noted the significant improvements made to campus safety in the months since\u00a0the tragedy,\u00a0which include new\u00a0classroom locks, panic buttons, lockdown\u00a0buttons\u00a0and expanded training.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Philanthropic gifts are also expanding the university\u2019s reach.\u00a0FSU\u00a0is in\u00a0the Leadership Gift Phase of its most ambitious comprehensive campaign to date.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur amazing donors help to transform FSU every day in unbelievable ways,\u201d he said, noting Legacy Hall as a\u00a0prime example.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In addition, the College of Nursing received the largest gift in\u00a0its\u00a0history\u00a0\u2014 $10 million from Bruce and Tracey Berkowitz and the\u00a0Fairholme\u00a0Foundation \u2014 to expand the nursing program to the Panama City campus and help address Florida\u2019s nursing shortage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Through the support\u00a0of\u00a0Ben\u00a0and Christina\u00a0Macfarland,\u00a0FSU has\u00a0established\u00a0a presence in West Palm Beach,\u00a0an area now being called \u201cWall Street South.\u201d\u00a0This new\u00a0executive education space connects\u00a0students, alumni, and industry partners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
McCullough praised both the academic and athletic progress of FSU\u2019s teams. He\u00a0expressed excitement for\u00a0the launch of women\u2019s lacrosse, which will play its first season this spring under Coach Sara Tisdale, and\u00a0congratulated\u00a0the women\u2019s soccer team\u00a0for returning to the NCAA College Cup for the 15th time in program history.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said the university is equally proud of its student-athletes\u2019 work in the classroom. The NCAA reported record academic performance this year, including a 91 percent\u00a0graduation\u00a0success\u00a0rate, the highest in university history.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are students who\u00a0have to\u00a0work hard, to do well in class, and\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0also athletes who are at the top of their game, trying to get a little better every single day,\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The impact\u00a0FSU\u00a0has on the local community is powerful, McCullough\u00a0added, as it\u00a0injects an\u00a0estimated\u00a0$15 billion\u00a0a year to\u00a0local and state\u00a0economies\u00a0and employs about\u00a018,000 people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
McCullough thanked\u00a0Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Legislature, the Florida Board of\u00a0Governors\u00a0and the university\u2019s community partners for playing a key role in supporting FSU, and he\u00a0said the university has continued to strengthen its relationships\u00a0at the federal level to\u00a0advocate\u00a0for FSU priorities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
McCullough said FSU will celebrate its 175th anniversary in 2026 with events led by First Lady Jai\u00a0Vartikar.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we honor our past, we look ahead with confidence and purpose for an even brighter future,\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
McCullough\u00a0closed on an optimistic note.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur goals\u00a0are bold and ambitious, and as you can see, we are not done yet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FSU President Richard McCullough delivers his fifth State of the University address during a meeting of the Faculty…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":70841,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[232,234,233],"class_list":["post-70840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee-headlines","tag-tallahassee-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70840"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70840\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}