It started with a letter.
Less than four months ago, a group of community leaders from Polk County sent a letter to the governing board for the State University System imploring the group to consider creating a 12th state university.
Naturally, the 12th university would come from their own backyard – the University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland, which is building a new campus and promises an emphasis on science and technology.
The letter came a few weeks after State University System Chancellor Frank Brogan told the News Service of Florida the system wanted to eventually add another university to its 11-school roster, noting the rise in demand for bachelor’s degrees.
Few expected that USF Polytechnic would so quickly wage a full-scale campaign to convince the board of governors to approve the plan – less than four months after the detailed proposal emerged.
The board is poised to discuss and vote on whether to allow USF Polytechnic to become an independent university on Wednesday.