‘FAMU Day at the Capitol’: President Robinson plans to ‘double down’ on successes

The Florida A&M University community brought its Rattler spirit and legislative session wish list to Tallahassee Wednesday for “FAMU Day at the Capitol.”

While the university received the largest allocation of state funding in its history of nearly $58 million last year, stakeholders are asking for another load of funds this time around for priorities including student success, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and building renovations.

“This is no strange place for us,” FAMU National Alumni Association President Curtis Johnson said. “We have come here many times to advocate for mother FAMU.”

Unlike the past couple of years in which the university’s annual day of advocacy has been indoors due to inclement weather, Wednesday’s FAMU Day kickoff took place at the Capitol Courtyard with the sun shining on the "incomparable" Marching 100 band and FAMU cheerleaders as they performed.

Attendees of the celebratory event included Florida State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues.

He commended the HBCU (historically Black college or university) for its several successes in national rankings and athletics, saying “that’s something to be proud of.”

“We will continue to see FAMU on the ascendancy as it continues to rise in the rankings, benefiting the students, faculty and staff,” Rodrigues said. “We're going to work very hard to have a successful session so that we continue to make the investments in FAMU that are necessary to fuel this rise.”

During FAMU President Larry Robinson’s remarks about the university’s requests for this year’s legislative session, he gave an overview of some other FAMU achievements and record-breaking moments — including an all-time high fundraising year with $25.7 million and a record amount of research expenditures with $59 million.

“Performance over the past year is evidence that the legislature’s investment in FAMU is paying healthy dividends,” Robinson said.

But at the same time, he told the crowd “We have to double down on our successes” and “our work is incomplete.”

The university’s legislative wish list for the 2024-2025 fiscal year consists of student success and academic excellence as the top priority, with a request of $45.5 million in recurring funding that would help FAMU’s efforts of earning the status of a Carnegie R1 Research Institution — while it currently holds an R2 status — attracting and retaining high-achieving students, improving faculty performance and improving academic programs.

A $13 million request is next on the university’s list of priorities, which would go toward the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering as it aims to become one of the top 50 engineering colleges in the nation within the next five years.

The achievement — which is a part of the school's inaugural 2023-28 strategic plan “Engineering Our Future — would also make it the first HBCU engineering college to achieve the distinction.

Other priorities that made it in FAMU’s top legislative requests for this session were $19.1 million for a future Chemical and Biological Research Laboratory Center that would act as a research and study space for students, faculty and staff and $29 million to renovate the South Wing of the School of Business and Industry — which was built in 1982.

“We are the third oldest public institution in the state of Florida, and some days, it feels like it,” Robinson said. “We treasure everything that we have, but we're asking for additional funding to support infrastructure needs at the institution.”

Toward the end of the FAMU Day Kickoff event Wednesday morning, former Congressman Al Lawson shared remarks during a brief memorial in honor of Barbara Cohen-Pippin — the university’s former governmental relations director.

The retired lobbyist passed Jan. 27 at the age of 73.

“Barbara really led FAMU,” Lawson said. “I know of no one else that made such an impact on the university environment.”

Before the FAMU community dispersed to spend the rest of the day lobbying and meeting with legislators, Board of Trustees Chair Kristin Harper encouraged the individuals to advocate on behalf of the university.

“We're not done yet because we will continue to boldly strike together for the love of FAMU,” Harper said.

Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on X: @tarahjean_.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU President Larry Robinson holds annual FAMU Day at Florida Capitol