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State of the University Address 2008

October 2008

FSU President T. K. Wetherell

Florida State President T.K. Wetherell delivered what he called a “fireside chat” about the state of the world, the state of Florida and the state of Florida State University during the Fall Meeting of the General Faculty October 31 in the auditorium of the College of Medicine.

Ranging from economics and finance to communications and social networking, Wetherell considered life in 2000 and the changes that have led to conditions in 2008. He concluded that, despite downward national and state trends in many areas, Florida State University has still managed to move forward and achieve success in multiple areas, improving quality in the face of ongoing budget difficulties.

Looking ahead, Wetherell targeted five issues the university must concentrate on in the coming months and years:

  1. On the university’s fiscal status, Wetherell laid out a plan with the stated goal: “We will manage this economic crisis rather than have the crisis manage us.”
  2. Advocacy to fix Florida’s higher-education governance system.
  3. Continued focus on students, providing an outstanding education in a nurturing environment with extraordinary interaction with faculty.
  4. Higher priority for private funding and philanthropic contributions, with a goal of raising $1 billion in the next seven years.
  5. Building bridges with our community, including related academic issues.