Backed by powerful members of the Florida Senate, the Polk County campus of the University of South Florida moved closer to independence Wednesday, despite opposition from faculty, staff and other state lawmakers.
The state Board of Governors narrowly gave conditional support to a politically charged proposal by USF Polytechnic Regional Chancellor Marshall Goodman, and championed by Florida Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, to create Floridas 12th state university.
The move is contingent upon the new school receiving national accreditation and implementing science- and math-focused courses outlined in a business plan. For it to go into effect, the state Legislature must approve it.
The board also required construction of a science building and two dorms -- one 70-bed, the other 120 -- and for a board task force to maintain an eye on the costs before it gives final approval to the new university.
Board members, meeting in the Premier Club, Level 3, of the new Florida Atlantic University football stadium in Boca Raton, expressed concerns about the cost projections for construction of the campus, which have already risen to $100 million.
But they acknowledge that there is growing demand for more science- and math-based programs in the current economy.
Governing Board member Ann Duncan, questioning where branch campuses fall in USFs overall plans, said the idea of a focused college can be very powerful.
Governing Board member Dean Colson believes Lakeland-- the community and those on campus -- will buy in more for an independent campus rather than a branch.
It tends to be, in my view, branches are never given the priority that the main campuses are, Colson said.
Governing Board member John W. Temple, calling the situation a mess that USF should be given a year to clean up, questioned the costs of the campus going from $40 million to $100 million in three years.
Thats $8 million a student, Temple said.I have no confidence in the material they have given.
Temple, a developer, questioned Goodman's competence, bluntly adding that the construction plan Goodman presented is a piece of crap.
Now we have a plan that in my view is out of control, he said.
The board was asked to vote on the request to override the will of the USF staff a little more than four months after the school's administration wrote requesting it consider independence for the Lakeland campus of 1,300 students.
Goodman argued that with $39.2 million on hand, including $11.4 million unallocated, the school has the money to break out on its own.
You have to have vision, you have to have a great project for people to invest, especially in this type of recession, in this type of building, Goodman said.
Alexander said the campus needs to be independent because it has never been a priority for USF. He added that there is a demand for degrees in science, math, engineering and technology -- so-called STEM subjects -- in Florida that will require the campus to grow.
The measure of success isnt being a 50,000-student institution, Alexander said. My hope is it's a 15,000-ish Georgia Tech type of campus.
Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, backing up Alexander, said the independent campus is needed to accommodate the future work force of a highly technical society.
There are 35,000 STEM jobs advertised today and unfilled, in a state where 1 million are unemployed, because the state is not creating qualified workers in the polytechnic field, Gaetz said.
He added that the campus could help Florida attract businesses from other states.
Judy Genshaft, USF president, and the USF board of trustees argued against the split, saying the three-year-old campus hasnt had time to grow.
Genshaft cited what she called the inexperience of leadership on a campus where 14 science- and math-centered programs have been approved but not yet begun.
The school has already been spending lavishly as it optimistically expected an approval, according to media reports.
The branch campus has pledged to spend $500,000 for a documentary on the new campus construction, which is being designed by internationally known architect Santiago Calatrava. The school has also spent $10,000 to purchase a life-sized statue of Darth Vader, and likenesses of E.T. and the captain's chair from the set of the "Star Trek" television series, all to showcase itself as being innovative, progressive and creative."
Prior to the meeting, Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, requested the Board of Governors, in a letter, to base their votes on merit, not politics.
"Also consider the wide variety of stakeholders who have almost no political power, but have, for numerous reasons, voiced opposition to moving forward at this time: students, faculty, alumni and members of the community, Dockery wrote. The decision you make will significantly affect their daily lives and their educational hopes and dreams."
Governing Board member Richard A. Yost, who serves as the faculty representative, said faculty at the polytechnic campus have told him they have not been involved in the independence movement. A vast majority oppose the move, he said, with some believing the school isn't ready for it.
Right now, were on a path to being a small tech school that will be a minor player, Yost said, reading comments from a faculty member.
Governing Board member Michael Long, a New College of Florida student who represents students on the board, said hes been deeply disappointed in the level of politics that have been involved in the move.
More than 60 percent of students at the school surveyed opposed the move, with another 14 percent taking the view that the move should wait, Long said. Many are concerned about the value of their diploma if it doesnt have the USF name, he said.
There are a lot of questions about accreditation that have not been answered, Long said.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859 or (772) 215-9889.
