Kansas State University Introduces Polytechnic Campus

MANHATTAN — With a focus on national growth and an aim to meet the needs of tomorrow's careers, Kansas State University Salina is changing its name to Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus.

The Kansas Board of Regents approved the name change at its Oct. 14 meeting. The new name is effective immediately.

The polytechnic campus — which will focus on teaching theory through hands-on, interdisciplinary and applied learning — is the only campus of its kind in the state of Kansas. While the name is changing, the polytechnic campus still remains one of the four campuses in the Kansas State University system. The other three campuses include the Manhattan campus, Olathe campus and Global campus. 

"A polytechnic identity not only provides a much-needed niche for Kansas State University in the immediate region, but also aligns with our teaching and research mission," said Kirk Schulz, Kansas State University president. "The career-based learning and hands-on research at our polytechnic campus will play a vital role as we strive to become a Top 50 public research university by 2025." 

The name change reflects the Salina campus' 50-year mission as a polytechnic campus, said Verna Fitzsimmons, CEO and dean of Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus. 

"Since its inception 50 years ago, the campus has consistently provided an educational environment that focuses on applied learning, professional programs and connections to industry," Fitzsimmons said. "We are ready to take that tradition into the next 50 years, and identifying ourselves as a polytechnic campus perfectly represents who we are and the experience our future students will have here."

Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus will retain the College of Technology and Aviation, while merging the academic departments of aviation, engineering technology, and arts, sciences and business to create the School of Integrated Studies. The creation of a school will build on the diverse student and faculty population and better manage resources, Fitzsimmons said.

Through a polytechnic campus transformation, Kansas State University will continue contributing to the revitalization of Salina and the surrounding community. 

"The Salina community has invested into the growth and success of this campus and we are grateful to have such loyal support," said Fitzsimmons. "We believe this transformation will greatly increase our value within Salina and we're proud to be able to give back to our neighbors and friends as well as contribute to the current revitalization of the city."

Staff and faculty at the Salina campus have worked for the past 18 months to develop a proposal for an academic realignment of the campus. Wednesday's approved proposal reflects the work of the College Committee on Planning for the College of Technology and Aviation and the College Advisory and Planning Committee. These committees led a series of campus discussions during the 2013-14 academic year, which culminated in the presentation of the draft proposal to faculty and staff in January 2015. 

The name change request was reviewed by the Council of Chief Academic Officers and the Council of Presidents at the September Kansas Board of Regents meeting. Both councils approved the recommendation to be placed on the board's agenda for October. 

For more information, visit the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus website.