The Board of Trustees has approved several key recommendations that will impact faculty and student recruitment.
Based on the recommendation of the Academic Affairs Committee, the Board approved establishing a non-tenure model. Faculty will be offered fixed term, multi-year contracts that will be renewed based on performance.
This is a significant decision as Florida Poly expects the first faculty member to be announced in June. The university plans to hire teaching faculty with both industry and research experience, and the Board believes this model will help recruit and maintain top talent. The goal is to have essential faculty members in place by Fall 2013 to develop the curriculum for the entering class.
The Board also approved the 2013-14 Board of Governor’s Work Plan which identifies three key initiatives: academic program development, industry partnerships and student recruitment.
According to the plan, Florida Poly will create an interdisciplinary curriculum that includes lab experiences, research opportunities and internships with industry partners.
To recruit students, the university will create partnerships with STEM charter and magnet schools, along with schools in the Florida State College System. Additionally, the university is researching partnerships with schools in South America and the Far East.
While admissions guidelines are still being developed, the university set GPA requirements for incoming freshman at 3.9 on a 5.0 scale and SAT scores at 1790. These standards are in the upper 25 percentile of all Florida state universities, according to Ghazi Darkazalli, Ph.D., PE, Vice President of Academic Affairs.
“This will ensure that we attract serious students who want to succeed. These scores are indicative of a high retention and graduation rate,” he said.
The university has already begun the process that leads to accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and anticipates achieving accreditation by the end of 2016.
Ava Parker, Chief Operating Officer, will present the approved Work Plan at the Board of Governors Meeting in June. She is confident that the plan is thorough and includes all the essential information needed to move forward.
“The Work Plan serves as a roadmap that distinguishes us from other state universities. It outlines our strengths and opportunities and includes all the necessary components we need to carry out our mission,” she said.
Both the Operations and Strategic Planning Committees met prior to the full Board meeting. During the Operations Committee meeting, Consultant Pete Karamitsanis, AIA, gave a construction update and announced that the Innovation, Science and Technology Building is on budget and on time to be completed by June 2014.
Florida Polytechnic University aspires to be a nationally and internationally recognized institution of higher learning serving the State by preparing students to lead Florida’s high-tech industries. The student learning experience will focus on practical and applied research, internships with industry partners, and hand-on leadership opportunities delivered by distinguished faculty who excel in their fields