Goodman meets with students on Poly split

Posted Oct 12, 2011 by Lindsay Peterson

Updated Oct 12, 2011 at 03:16 PM

USF Polytechnic students are in an uproar over efforts to split Poly from USF, says USF student body president Matt Diaz.

About 85 percent on the Poly campus oppose the plan, according to a recent poll, small though it was.

Today, students will get a chance to meet face to face with USF Poly Chancellor Marshall Goodman to say what they think and hear what he has to say.

He’s planned a meeting with them from 5-6 p.m. on campus at LTB (the Lakeland Technology Building), rooms 1101 and 1102.

Diaz and other USF trustees confronted Goodman last week on his support of an effort to establish Poly as an independent university. Powerful state Sen. JD Alexander is leading the pack.

“It’s important to have that identity for our regional campuses but it’s imperative to keep that brand,” Diaz said. “It allows our students to go out of state and have something that’s powerful.”

Goodman responded that the Polytechnic brand will be strong with or without ties to USF.

Officials addressed questions about branding and accreditation in a Q&A they distributed on Friday.

If you still have questions, tonight’s your chance to ask. If you miss the meeting, a second one is scheduled for tomorrow at noon, LTB 1124.