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Just as there have been many institutions that have claimed to be "polytechnics", there have been many conceptions of "a polytechnic university."

Chancellor Charles W. Sorenson, of the University of Wisconsin-Stout (recently designated as "Wisconsin's Polytechnic University"), has offered the following definition of a 21st Century polytechnic university: "Polytechnics are comprehensive universities offering professional, career-focused programs in the arts, social and related behavioral sciences, engineering, education, and natural sciences and technology that engage students in active, applied learning, theory and research essential to the future of society, business and industry."

Sorenson's understanding is very consistent with the "polytech vision" that has been articulated by USF President Judy Genshaft and USF Polytechnic CEO Marshall Goodman, as they have described plans for USF's new polytechnic campus. Among the important elements of the concept are the following: what a polytech does; how it does it; and why it does it.

What

While a "typical" college or university will tend to offer about 60% of its coursework in the liberal arts and 40% in math/science/technical disciplines, a polytech can be expected to flip that ratio: 60% applied and technical disciplines and 40% liberal arts. USF Polytechnic's strategic plan (unanimously approved by the USF Board of Trustees) calls for particular curricular strengths in areas such as business, education, engineering, information technology and allied health disciplines.

How

Polytechnics place a premium on "active, applied learning": faculty members emphasize innovative, hands-on pedagogies with practical implications. The faculty member traditionally seen as a "sage on the stage" is transformed as a "guide on the side." Students "learn by doing" and connect their collaborative learning to in-demand career paths. Not surprisingly, faculty research agendas are also shaped by the polytechnic focus and reflect collaborative, cross-disciplinary approaches, yielding applied solutions to real-world problems.

Why

"Traditional" colleges and universities reasonably and appropriately point to centuries of history: in many ways they are extensions of the academic traditions that emerged from Europe and have flourished around the globe. Polytechnics, on the other hand, point not to the past but the future as a rationale for their focus and methods. Polytechnics do things not because "that's the way we've always done it" but rather because "these are the demands of the world around us and the world we hope to create." As Florida continues its entry into the information economy, a public polytech provides an ideal environment in which to produce valuable knowledge and to prepare a new generation of talent who will make an impact on the state, national and global economy.

Because of USF Polytechnic's geographical location at the epicenter of Florida's High Tech Corridor, the polytechnic model is an ideal means of delivering the state's vision of access, excellence and impact to the region. The kinds of students a polytech will produce fit perfectly with the economic development priorities of the region. The kinds of research a polytech will foster fit perfectly with the socio-economic realities of the region. And the way that a polytech does what it does fits perfectly with the future of central Florida and the global economy in which it competes.