Florida Poly Adds Microsoft to List of Supporters for New Campus

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 02/10/14

The newest university in Florida has added Microsoft to its list of "industry partners." When it opens in August, Florida Polytechnic University will focus on STEM topics through two colleges, a college of innovation and technology and a college of engineering. Already, the institution has tapped 28 companies as partners to be able to offer its students practice experience in science, technology, engineering and math. The school is based in Lakeland, between Orlando and Tampa.

Microsoft has promised to support the university in multiple ways: helping with curriculum development, participating on advisory boards, offering industry insight and analysis, providing internships for students, supporting the university's foundation, conducting joint research, engaging in opportunities to collaborate in product development, teaching in the classroom, and, when the time comes, hiring graduates. Florida Poly students will also be using Microsoft software applications in the classroom.

CIO Tom Hull said he anticipates that students will receive instruction in several forms: face-to-face, hybrid and online, including MOOCs.

"We highly value the Microsoft partnership as a strategic enterprise software provider for our innovative 'Poly Cloud,' which is an open access, feature-rich environment for our students, faculty and staff," said Hull. "Our Microsoft campus agreement and modern approach to higher education is a flexible, mobile experience for our students, including access to over 90 educational and administrative software applications. This is essential for preparing our students for success in the STEM curriculum and technology marketplace."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

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