FSU Athletics gives $200,000 to academics, student services, Marching Chiefs

What will Florida State University's Office of National Fellowships, undergraduate research, counseling services for students and the Marching Chiefs soon have in common? The answer is FSU Athletics, which is giving $50,000 to each of the four areas for a total of $200,000 that will directly benefit academics and student services.

T.K. Wetherell

The money represents a share of the proceeds Athletics received from last December's Gaylord Music City Bowl and the Emerald Bowl in December 2006.

"I am proud of our coaches and the athletic programs that willingly contribute thousands of dollars and countless hours of community service each year to support the broader university mission," said FSU President T.K. Wetherell.

"Looking back on the history of our athletics program, the dollars given to academic and student life programs are truly impressive," said FSU Director of Athletics Randy Spetman. "The athletics department is both proud and grateful to be able to share resources that help support Florida State's commitment to academic excellence."

"I am delighted at this show of support for our undergraduate students as they strive to reach their academic and personal goals," said Karen Laughlin, FSU dean of Undergraduate Studies. "These funds will further strengthen resources such as our Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors, which helps to engage students in hands-on learning, and our Office of National Fellowships, which helps them to identify and compete for nationally competitive scholarship opportunities."

The FSU Marching Band will use its $50,000 share of the bowl proceeds to construct a storage facility, said College of Music Dean Don Gibson.

"Securing suitable storage for the Marching Chiefs' practice field has been a high priority for the College of Music since the practice facility was completed a couple of years ago," Gibson said. "The use of academic bowl proceeds to assist us in building this storage facility seems particularly appropriate given that the Marching Chiefs comprise a curricular component in the college whose major function is to support the athletic programs."

Mary Coburn, FSU vice president for Student Affairs, said she was thrilled to learn that the University Counseling Center would receive a portion of the 2006 and 2007 bowl proceeds.

"The funds will allow us to expand our staff in an extremely important area that directly benefits the lives and well-being of our students," she said.

In March 2006, FSU Athletics gave $250,000 in Orange Bowl proceeds to the University Libraries, which used a portion of the funds to purchase the U.S. Congressional Research Digital Collection archive—a vast database containing the full text of 175 years of Congressional information. The valuable collection now supports research across nearly all the academic disciplines at FSU.

By Libby Fairhurst