Florida Senate - 2026                            (NP)    SR 1790
       
       
        
       By Senator Simon
       
       
       
       
       
       3-02373-26                                            20261790__
    1                          Senate Resolution                        
    2         A resolution commending Tallahassee State College for
    3         its consistent excellence and ongoing commitment to
    4         student success and designating February 12, 2026, as
    5         “Tallahassee State College Day.”
    6  
    7         WHEREAS, Tallahassee State College, originally established
    8  in 1966 as Tallahassee Junior College and known as Tallahassee
    9  Community College from 1970 to 2024, was founded to provide
   10  access to high-quality education for the residents of Leon,
   11  Gadsden, and Wakulla Counties, and
   12         WHEREAS, now in its 60th year, Tallahassee State College
   13  remains steadfast in its mission to provide a learning
   14  environment that prepares students for success in a global
   15  economy by offering higher education pathways, workforce
   16  opportunities, and civic engagement, and
   17         WHEREAS, Tallahassee State College is a proud member of the
   18  esteemed Florida College System, also known as the “Great 28,”
   19  which has helped Florida earn the distinction of being the No. 1
   20  state for higher education every year since U.S. News & World
   21  Report began such a ranking in 2017, and
   22         WHEREAS, in 2025, Tallahassee State College welcomed more
   23  than 17,000 credit, noncredit, and continuing education
   24  students, with nearly 60 percent coming from outside the
   25  college’s service district, drawn by the strength of its more
   26  than 100 academic and workforce programs, and
   27         WHEREAS, Tallahassee State College is the leading transfer
   28  institution to Florida State University and Florida Agricultural
   29  and Mechanical University, helping thousands of students
   30  successfully continue their education and complete bachelor’s
   31  degrees, and
   32         WHEREAS, Tallahassee State College was recognized as the
   33  No. 1 Best Value College in Florida and No. 2 Best Value College
   34  in the United States by Research.com in its 2026 rankings,
   35  reflecting the college’s strategic commitment to access and
   36  affordability, and
   37         WHEREAS, Tallahassee State College is celebrating the 50th
   38  anniversary of its dental programs, which have helped educate
   39  and prepare generations of oral health professionals in the
   40  region and state, and
   41         WHEREAS, in partnership with the Florida Dental
   42  Association, Tallahassee State College launched the Restorative
   43  Functions for Dental Auxiliaries Certification Program, and the
   44  college’s dental hygiene program has been designated as an
   45  official American Board of Dental Examiners testing site for the
   46  dental hygiene licensure exam, and
   47         WHEREAS, Tallahassee State College was named the 2025
   48  Entrepreneurial College of the Year by the National Association
   49  of Community College Entrepreneurship, recognizing the college’s
   50  leadership in innovation, community partnerships, and efforts to
   51  foster entrepreneurial thinking, and
   52         WHEREAS, Tallahassee State College serves as a powerful
   53  economic engine for the region, generating an estimated $296.5
   54  million in annual economic impact, and supports 1 out of every
   55  64 local jobs across the region, NOW, THEREFORE,
   56  
   57  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
   58  
   59         That February 12, 2026, is designated as “Tallahassee State
   60  College Day” in commendation of its consistent excellence and
   61  ongoing commitment to student success.
   62         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with
   63  the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to Dr. Jim
   64  Murdaugh, the sixth President of Tallahassee State College, as a
   65  tangible token of the sentiments of the Florida Senate.