LAKELAND, Fla. – Florida Polytechnic University today celebrated the opening of its new 5,000-square-foot Admissions Center, the University’s first on-campus building to be completed and open to the public. The Admissions Center will provide prospective students and their families an in-person opportunity to meet with Admissions staff, tour the campus under construction and learn about Florida Poly’s mission, curriculum and scholarships.
Designed by Straughn Trout Architects, L.L.C. of Lakeland, the Center is a steel structure distinguished by a trio of 12-foot-high insulated glass doors that enhance natural lighting, roll up to allow for indoor-outdoor functions and enable more flexible use of the facility.
“The Admissions Center is a gateway for students and their families to become part of this unique, 21st century university,” said Florida Poly Chief Operating Officer, Ava L. Parker. “We look forward to meeting the future innovators, hard workers and spirited entrepreneurs who will pass through these doors and into our classrooms and laboratories.”
Scott Rhodes, Executive Director of Enrollment Services, thanked Skanska Construction crews for the efficiency and hard work in developing the Admissions Center. “The work has been extraordinary on the first building to be constructed on Research Way,” Rhodes said. “The Admissions Center is now fully operational and assisting prospective students and their families who want to learn more about Florida Polytechnic and our innovative approach to education.”
Although the Admissions Center just opened this week, 208 visitors already have registered for on-campus visits in December. “I am pleased by the early response and excitement,” Rhodes said.
Visitors to the new Admissions Center can embark on guided “Purple Hard Hat Tours” to see firsthand the campus under construction, including the flagship Innovation, Science and Technology (IST) building, which is scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2014. Students and their families can pre-register for the 30- to 45-minute tours online at BetheNext.com or call 863-583-9050 for more information.
Florida Poly is the newest member of the State University System of Florida and is dedicated to applied research and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The University will welcome its inaugural class of freshmen, transfer and graduate students in August 2014.
