The Florida Polytechnic University community is grateful for the strong support we received from the Polk County Legislative Delegation during the 2024 session.
Sens. Colleen Burton and Ben Albritton and Representatives Josie Tomkow, Jennifer Canady, Melony Bell, and Sam Killebrew have been staunch advocates for our university, and I want to thank them for their belief in our mission and their service to our community.
As a result of this support and that of legislative leadership, we can continue our growth efforts by expanding our sought-after academic programs, our talented student body, top faculty and core campus facilities.
Special thanks also go to Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, Speaker Paul Renner, and Appropriations Chairmen Doug Broxon and Tom Leake. Your investment in Florida Poly will support the university’s transformational growth and help solidify its growing reputation as a major core STEM institution.
Increased funding for program improvements will be key to helping us continue to recruit some of the state’s top-performing students. Florida Poly has the second-best SAT scores among Florida public universities, indicating that we attract some of the brightest minds as our campuses and academic offerings grow year after year. With the additional resources, we will be able to strengthen our recruiting and retention efforts in the next fiscal year, which will make a big difference in our ability to not only attract, but retain the best talent here in Florida.
The Center for Student Achievement received conceptual design stage funding. This critical facility will greatly enhance our student experience by providing important resources needed to achieve even greater academic and professional success.
Our graduates earn the highest salaries of any public university one year after graduation, a testament to our excellent engineering education. However, with only two academic buildings on our campus to date, SAC will fill an important gap by offering spaces fully dedicated to student success, career services and collaborative learning.
The new facility will also house faculty and staff offices focused on supporting students as they work to complete their degrees and transition into the workforce.
As our university grows, so does our influence on the state. Although only a decade old, Florida Poly is already making a vital contribution to the state as a powerful economic engine.
The university is creating a much-needed pool of STEM professionals, delivering exceptional career outcomes for its graduates and attracting high-tech industry. The creation of Fortune 500 company IFF’s new Global Citrus Innovation Center on our campus exemplifies the magnetic pull that technical universities like ours have on industry development, with companies seeking proximity to our pool of talented students and graduates.
From lean start-ups to multinational corporate giants, engineering and applied science professionals are in high demand but in short supply across the state and nation. Florida Poly was created to help meet this need by creating exceptional talent trained in STEM fields and prepared with real-world work experience.
The latest WalletHub rankings put Florida Poly No. 30 in the nation for career bests, ahead of Stanford. This shows that our sought-after graduates are demonstrating great success in the industry, excelling in high-paying positions across the state and beyond.
As our state leadership and community continue to watch the progress and growth of Florida Poly, our campus will transform into a national leader in basic STEM education as our students develop from freshmen filled with promise to professionals ready to put their rigorous degree in high technology.
We appreciate the Florida Legislature recognizing the value of Florida Poly. We can’t wait to take the big, bold steps necessary to drive our growth and expand our academic reach and economic impact in Florida. Our outstanding students, faculty and staff work hard every day to ensure that the state sees a tangible return on their continued investment in Florida Poly.
Our graduates will be the architects of the future, leading the vanguard of progress and success in Florida. We really appreciate your support.
Randy K. Avent is the founding president of Florida Polytechnic University at Lakeland, the state’s only all-STEM university.
