Academic Affairs promotes academic excellence and integrity at Florida Polytechnic University. As Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Brad Thiessen oversees all aspects of the university’s ongoing operations with curriculum and instruction, faculty recruitment and development, institutional effectiveness, registration and academic records, academic resources, research programs, and university institutes.
As the state’s only all-STEM public university, Florida Poly offers high-value, industry-aligned degree programs that integrate foundational STEM knowledge and skills with project-based, collaborative learning. Florida Poly transforms curiosity into achievement, as students progress from rigorous STEM core and General Education courses to advanced topics courses in their chosen majors. To prepare students for immediate post-graduation success, students are required to complete an internship and our year-long Senior Capstone Design sequence prior to graduation.
Florida Poly currently offers 12 bachelor’s degree programs and 5 master’s degree programs housed within 8 academic departments.
Accountability Plans
In compliance with state statutory requirements and institutional accreditation standards, Florida Poly generates an Accountability Plan. These Accountability Plans outline the University’s top priorities, set short-term strategic directions, and report performance on key performance indicators in comparison to approved institutional and system goals. Data from the annual Accountability Plans are used to track performance on the State’s performance-based funding metrics.
Performance-Based Funding
Developed in 2014, the state allocates $645M to the State University System schools based on their performance on ten performance-based funding metrics:
(1) Percent of bachelor’s graduates employed (earning $40k+) or continuing their education
(2) Median wages of bachelor’s graduates employed full-time
(3) Average cost to the student (net tuition and fees per 120 credit hours)
(4) Four-year graduation rate
(5) Academic Progress Rate (first-to-second year retention with a GPA above 20)
(6) Percent of bachelor’s degrees awarded in Programs of Strategic Emphasis
(7) University Access Rate (percent of undergraduates with a Pell grant)
(8) Percent of graduate degrees awarded in Programs of Strategic Emphasis
(9a) Three-year graduation rate for Florida College System AA degree transfer students
(9b) Six-year graduation rate for students who are awarded a Pell grant in their first year
(10) Board of Trustees choice metric
For Florida Poly, more than $10M in funding each year depends on our performance on the PBF metrics.
Civil Discourse
In 2022, the Florida Board of Governors adopted a Statement of Free Expression to ensure a climate of free expression and civil discourse on each university campus. The leadership of each university board of trustees, faculty senate, and student government annually reviews and endorses the Board's Statement of Free Expression and commits to the principles of civil discourse. The full list of recommendations can be found in the Board of Governors’ Civil Discourse Final Report. Florida Poly endorses the Board of Governors Statement of Free Expression each year in its Accountability Plan.
The Vice Provost for Academic Affairs leads institutional effectiveness efforts in three areas: accreditation, institutional research, and faculty development.
Accreditation
Florida Polytechnic University is currently accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, bachelors and master’s degrees. To comply with SACSCOC standards, Florida Poly publishes
Additionally, several of Florida Poly bachelor’s degree programs are accredited by ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.
Institutional Research and Effectiveness
The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IRIE) serves as the official source of institutional information for the University, responding to external requests for information and supporting university decision-makers through data analysis, modeling, and forecasting. IRIE is staffed by a director and an analyst.
Faculty Development / Instructional Technology
Instructional Technology manages and supports the Canvas Learning Management System, the University’s SIM Lab (Simulation, Instruction, and Media), Educational Outreach, and other instructional and learning services and programs. Instructional Technology helps faculty develop into world-class educators by providing workshops to share the latest research-based best practices, and by guiding faculty in the development of courses and interactive course materials.
The Office of the Registrar provides knowledgeable service to students, faculty, and staff through adherence to academic policy, and has responsibility for collecting, maintaining and safeguarding the enrollment and academic records for Florida Poly students. The Registar’s Office manages academic records, builds class schedules, deploys registration processes, builds the academic calendar, and maintains the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs.
Florida Poly provides learning and information resources and services through an all-digital Library that students and faculty can access on- and off-campus. Florida Poly shares access to many of its electronic reserves through the Florida Academic Library Services Cooperative (FALSC).
Located in the IST commons space, the Library also oversees a Makerspace equipped with a diverse array of tools and equipment, including ordinary implements like wrenches and hammers, as well as specialized equipment such as soldering tools, a sewing machine, T-shirt press, and voltage testers.
FIPR (Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute)
The Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute (FIPR Institute) was created by Florida Statute in 1978 and established as a university research institute within Florida Poly in 2012. The FIPR Institute has grown and developed into a research entity specializing in phosphate-related issues and industrial applied science and engineering. The FIPR Institute is focused on phosphate-related research, but since 2010 has also broadened its research program into non-phosphate topics such as energy and the mining and processing of minerals other than phosphate
AMI (Advanced Mobility Institute)
The Advanced Mobility Institute (AMI) was established in May 2018 with a mission to provide university-affiliated applied research and development of autonomous systems and technologies. Since then, AMI has focused on building strategic partnerships in investing in building a world class open-source platform for autonomous vehicle validation & verification with significant partners PolyVerif.
