Florida Governor Signs Bill to Create New University

Governor Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, on Friday signed legislation to create Florida Polytechnic as a freestanding university, The Miami Herald reported. The campus has been a branch of the University of South Florida. Many higher education leaders in Florida have questioned the wisdom of creating a new university when the state is having difficulty supporting existing institutions. But Scott said that the new university's emphasis on mathematics, science and engineering fields will "generate a positive return on investment."