The death of George Floyd laid bare the urgent need for our nation to address social injustice more effectively. Each of us can make a difference as we pursue individual responsibility for promoting values of social justice, equality, and peace. As we individually chart the course of our thinking and positive actions, we will then collectively as a community work together to be a beacon of social justice and promoters of peace and understanding.
Florida Southern College is a community that embraces the tenets of social justice, inclusivity, respect for all persons, civility, and peaceful interactions. This is clearly stated in our Cornerstone. The values shared in our Cornerstone are not just words, but rather they are treasured values that are infused into the rhythm of our hearts.
I pray for our campus community daily, and I invite you to join me in prayers for peace, understanding, and positive change to abound in our nation. I hope you will take some comfort and inspiration from the words from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. more than 50 years ago: “Let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way, and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Anne Kerr, Ph.D.
President
About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is the oldest private college in Florida. The College maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 70+ undergraduate programs and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, nursing, and physical therapy. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio; is an award-winning national leader in engaged learning; and boasts 30 NCAA Division II national championships. It is ranked among the top 10 Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News and World Report; and is included in The Princeton Review’s 385 Best Colleges, The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2020, and Forbes magazine’s America’s Top Colleges Guide. The College is committed to the development of the whole student through vibrant student life programs that prepare graduates to make a positive, consequential impact on society. FSC is conveniently located within an hour’s drive of both Orlando and Tampa. FSC is home to the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012. Named the “Most Beautiful Campus in the Nation” for two consecutive years by The Princeton Review and one of the nation’s “Ten College Campuses with the Best Architecture” by Architectural Digest, Florida Southern is an internationally-recognized place of beauty and academic excellence.