THE BILL ITSELF
HR 8019
New College Day
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House Resolution
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A resolution designating February 4, 2026, as "New
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College Day" in Florida.
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WHEREAS, New College is designated as the residential
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liberal arts honors college of this state and is the only public
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college or university in this state whose distinctive mission is
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to provide a liberal arts undergraduate education of the highest
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caliber to qualified students from around the world, and
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WHEREAS, New College's logos/techne curriculum combines
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classical education with next-generation skills to create a
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culture of intellectually curious students pursuing academic
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excellence and seeking a better understanding of the world
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within an educational environment of free speech and academic
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freedom, and
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WHEREAS, the New College academic system rewards risk
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taking and ambition through its individualized contract system
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for registration; develops skills in independent study and
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initiative through tutorials, independent study projects, and a
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required senior thesis; and creates students who do not
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passively receive information but who engage, innovate, and
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learn to ask the right questions, and
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WHEREAS, New College has earned top rankings from
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Washington Monthly, U.S. News & World Report, College Raptor,
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and others as one of the nation's premier public liberal arts
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colleges, and it also had two Fulbright scholarship recipients
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in the 2024-2025 academic year, and
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WHEREAS, New College reached a total enrollment of more
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than 900 students for the first time in the college's history in
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Fall 2025 and has successfully recruited 65 new faculty members,
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including several prestigious visiting professors and
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Presidential Scholars in Residence, in order to maintain the
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school's best-in-state 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and
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WHEREAS, an independent economic impact analysis found that
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New College has become a powerful engine for regional
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prosperity, with an economic impact of more than $200 million
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per year, and
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WHEREAS, New College added intercollegiate athletics and
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was accepted to the National Association of Intercollegiate
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Athletics (NAIA) as a full member of the Sun Conference,
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adopting the mascot "The Mighty Banyan" and fielding 24 sports
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teams, and
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WHEREAS, New College believes in teaching students not what
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to think but how to think, focusing on developing students'
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ability to reason, question, write, analyze, and innovate, which
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is essential in an age of rapid technological change, global
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competition, and information overload, NOW, THEREFORE,
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Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
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Florida:
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That February 4, 2026, is designated as "New College Day"
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in Florida in recognition of New College's contribution as this
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state's residential honors college and an outstanding
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institution of higher education.