March 4, 2025

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Florida State University is one of the nation’s elite research universities. We are entrepreneurial and innovative, transforming the lives of our students and shaping the future of our state and society through teaching, research, and service for the benefit of Florida, the nation and the world. As always, the success of all FSU students remains our top priority.

Our leadership team has been carefully monitoring and analyzing all federal and state directives. Today I write to share how some of the new guidance may impact our university. As we navigate these changes, we will keep our focus on FSU’s mission as a preeminent university as well as service to our students, faculty, and staff.

As you know, state and federal funding makes up a significant portion of FSU’s overall budget, and we must follow state and federal law. While we are confident that our institution currently complies with the law, it is important that our messaging reflects new interpretations and priorities. Given the university’s reliance on these funds, it is necessary to take additional steps to follow the emerging guidance.

FSU has begun to adjust to these directives. We are making some changes to websites and communications to better reflect the institution’s compliance with these guidelines.

I understand that many of you may be experiencing feelings of uncertainty or concern. I also know that FSU’s community of scholars, researchers, and staff are creative, adaptable, and resilient, and the work we do is important and has a positive impact on our state and beyond. If you have specific questions or need support, I encourage you to reach out to my leadership team to seek support or guidance as needed and to extend grace as we navigate our future together.

To help you keep up with changes, we have created a dedicated webpage to post regular updates as well as helpful resources for our community. This page is regularly updated as new information is received.

We will also continue to meet with deans, faculty, staff, and students and will seek your ideas to help showcase FSU’s leadership position.

Let’s embrace our entrepreneurial and innovative spirit and leverage the things that make FSU such a special community. I am confident our institution will continue to thrive and excel, cementing our position as a leader in higher education now and into the future.

Thank you for all you do for FSU.

Sincerely,

Richard McCullough
President, Florida State University

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