Florida Board of Governors Seeking Applicants for Board of Trustees of New Institution in State University System: Florida Polytechnic University

TALLHASSEE, Fla.—The Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida has opened the application process for appointees who will be members of the charter Board of Trustees for Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland.

This is a national search, and applicants, by law, do not need to live within close proximity of a Florida public university to serve as a member of any Board of Trustees. The deadline for applications is May 31 at 5 p.m.

Gov. Rick Scott on April 20 signed legislation that immediately created Florida Polytechnic University as a new institution in the State University System of Florida. The legislation includes certain benchmarks to be achieved by Dec. 31, 2016. These benchmarks in the signed legislation initially were created by the Board of Governors in November 2011 after months of discussion, several meetings, and without a specific deadline (http://www.flbog.edu/pressroom/news.php?id=421):

· achieve accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
· initiate the development of the new programs in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;
· seek discipline-specific accreditation for programs;
· attain a minimum FTE (student headcount or full-time equivalent enrollment) of 1,244, with a minimum 50 percent of that FTE in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and 20 percent in programs related to those fields;
· complete facilities and infrastructure, including the Science and Technology Building, Phase I of the Wellness Center, and a residence hall or halls containing no fewer than 190 beds; and
· have the ability to provide, either directly or where feasible through a shared services model, administration of financial aid, admissions, student support, information technology, and finance and accounting with an internal audit function.

“These charter members have a rare opportunity and unique responsibility to work with the Board of Governors in creating a state university designed to approach higher education from a new perspective and the ‘polytechnic’ model successful in other states,” said Chair Mori Hosseini of Daytona Beach, who is Vice Chair of the Board of Governors, and Chair of the Trustee Nominating and Development Committee, which oversees the trustee selection process. “We therefore issue a challenge to our country’s finest leaders who can best support and help realize that vital goal.”

Chair Hosseini’s committee selects, evaluates, vets and nominates finalists to the Board of Governors for full panel approval. All applicants are subject to a background check, which is standard practice. Once appointed, Board of Trustees members serve until the Florida Senate’s confirmation process during the next available Regular Session of the Legislature.

“There are very complex and very real challenges for these charter members as they set a vision and the strategy to ‘break the mold,’ meet the benchmarks and open the doors,” remarked Board of Governors Chair Dean Colson of Miami. “Yet there is also a remarkable opportunity for unprecedented achievements – the national recognition for this institution may well spawn new ideas for the delivery of public higher education.”

State University System Chancellor Frank Brogan – while not directly involved in selecting appointees – said this marks a milestone in the System’s history: “Imagine an institution dedicated to delivering curricula in a technology-rich environment with robust on-line and on-campus offerings, led by innovative faculty. These students, if the conceptual plans are achieved, will be capable of out-competing students from other states and other countries.”

Each institution in the State University System has a 13-member Board of Trustees responsible for cost-effective policy, and for implementing and maintaining high-quality education programs consistent with the university’s mission. The Boards of Trustees also are responsible to meet state policy, budgeting and education standards.

The Governor appoints six members to each Board of Trustees, and the Board of Governors appoints five members. The leader of the Faculty Senate serves, as well as the Student Body President of the university.

Individuals interested in this public service must have the application at the Board of Governors’ office in Tallahassee by May 31 at 5 p.m. All information is posted at www.flbog.edu/aboutsus/ubt.php.

These appointments made by the Florida Board of Governors are separate from appointments that are made by the Governor of Florida.

For more about the Board of Governors, see www.flbog.edu.

Facts about the State University System of Florida and the Florida Board of Governors
The State University System of Florida is governed by a 17-member Board of Governors, a constitutional body and led by appointed public servants. The System has a total enrollment of nearly 330,000 students, making it the second-largest public university system in the nation in terms of enrollment (some states have more than one university system). The Florida Constitution (Article IX, Section 7) was amended by the state’s voters in 2002 to establish a statewide system of governance for all Florida public universities. As a result, the Florida Board of Governors was created in 2003 to oversee the State University System of Florida. Responsibilities include defining the distinctive mission of each institution and ensuring the well-planned coordination and operation of the System. The Board’s 17 members include 14 appointed by the Governor, with three serving by virtue of their designations (a faculty member, a Florida Student Association student representative, and the Florida Commissioner of Education). The Board of Governors appoints a Chancellor who serves as the chief executive and administrative officer of the State University System. For more, including the Board’s Annual Report that reflects accountability measurements and benchmarks occurring at each institution, see www.flbog.edu.

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