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USF transfers assets to Florida Polytechnic

Meghan Mangrum

USF completed its final transfer of documents, assets and liabilities to Florida Polytechnic University (FPU), making the 12th public university its own entity Tuesday.

The transfer includes property, leases and documents, such as bill of sale, assignment, assumption,
and identity agreement, Lara Wade-Martinez, USF spokeswoman said.

FPU is its own university as of (Tuesday), Wade-Martinez said. We dont have any assets and liabilities
on the Lakeland campus. … It is the last stage in the process.

The transaction completes the process that started with Polk county leaders pushing for a separation of then-USF Polytechnic in Lakeland in July 2011. The Board of Governors approved a long-term
transition last fall and the state Legislature approved an immediate separation from the USF System this spring.

This decision created controversy among students, faculty and staff in spring, but the final transaction still left some wounds open.

Donnie Black, a senior majoring in business and information technologies and the Student Government Governor in Lakeland, who was against the separation, said he still is disenfranchised by what hes seen.

At this point there is nothing we can do about it, he said. Me, personally, Im numb about it. It is still unbelievable that it happened the way it did.

The teach-out process, which started this semester, will continue though, Wade-Martinez said. This will allow students at the campus to finish their USF degree.

Black said the enthusiasm among students has subsided since the separation.

The students here are simply focused on getting here and getting done, he said. The environment is numb.

For others, such as Mike Narcelli, a graduate student studying mental health counseling, the transaction offers some closure.

Theres a lot of uncertainty (on campus), still fear, Narcelli said. But now we know we are a dying campus before, we werent sure.

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