Welcome to Polk State College
History
Since its founding in 1964, Polk State College has served the higher education needs of Polk County. Over the years, Polk State College has undergone significant growth and change. The College changed its name to Polk State College in July 2009 to reflect the creation of its first bachelor’s degree program.
The first academic year started with 1,107 students and 33 faculty members in temporary quarters on the Bartow Air Base. Today, under the leadership of President Eileen Holden, Ed.D., over 125 full-time faculty serve the higher education needs of over 12,000 credit and 9,000 non-credit students in locations throughout Polk County, including two modern campuses in Lakeland and Winter Haven, the Airside Center south of the Lakeland Airport, the JD Alexander Center in Lake Wales, the Lake Wales Art Center, and the Advanced Technology Center at Bartow-Clear Springs. Since opening in 1964, Polk State College has awarded over 32,000 degrees.
Approximately 70 percent of graduates receive Polk State College Associate in Arts (AA) degrees. The AA courses are parallel and equal to courses offered in the Florida State University System. Polk State College’s AA degree credits easily transfer to all universities in the Florida State University System. Additionally, there are numerous Polk State College Associate in Science degree programs that can lead directly to employment or transfer to certain bachelor degree programs. Polk State College currently offers bachelor degrees in Supervision and Management, Nursing, and Criminal Justice. Polk State College is also a leader in partnering with the community to meet critical needs in health care, law enforcement, and information technology. Polk State College remains committed to serving the community’s educational needs.
Vision
Promote excellence and student success through innovation, value, and engagement.
Mission
Polk State College, a quality driven institution, transforms lives through the power of education by providing access to affordable associate and baccalaureate degrees, career certificates and workforce employment programs, delivered by diverse, qualified faculty and staff.
Purpose
Polk State College fosters and supports creative, innovative, and positive learning experiences within an atmosphere of academic excellence and continuous improvement. The goal is to provide personalized services to assure that every student acquires the knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes necessary for success in advanced education, careers in a global economy, and participation in a diverse and changing society.
As an active partner within the community, Polk State College is an open-access state college with programs and services that reflect the diversity of its students and the vital needs of its dynamic community. A wide choice of programs is available for students pursuing associates’ or bachelors’ degrees. Students can complete either an AA or an AS degree and then transfer to another four-year institution, or they can complete a bachelor’s degree at Polk State College. For career entry, students can earn a specialized certificate, an Associate in Science degree, or an Associate in Applied Science Degree. In addition, Polk State College offers career institutes and numerous continuing education programs for the enhancement of career skills. Through a variety of learning experiences, students acquire problem solving, critical thinking, communication, and computing skills that are fundamental to all degree and certificate programs.
Core Values
Polk State College’s Core Values are Diversity, Integrity, Knowledge, Leadership, and Service.
Where to Begin
This catalog contains a wealth of information. Students may also navigate Polk State College by visiting the website at www.polk.edu. At the website, students can view information about the admission requirements, student services, the student registration process (in PASSPORT), maps, and faculty, as well as Polk State College clubs, athletics, student and cultural activities, and much more.
The online catalog has an easy view for mobile devices and search features that will allow you to find information relevant to your questions. It is divided into sections with information about regulations, admission, advising and registration policies, financial aid and scholarships, programs of study, courses and more. It is strongly recommended that new students use an Admission Guide. Polk State College’s Admission Guide is available on all campuses and the website. It contains practical instructions on the steps to admission.
Campuses/Centers
Polk State College has two full-service campuses in Winter Haven and Lakeland, an Airside Center located south of the Lakeland Airport, the JD Alexander Center which was established in the historic Lake Wales City Hall in 2009, and the Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center.
The Winter Haven campus, located off Lake Elbert Drive, was established in 1968 and has nine permanent buildings.
The Lakeland campus, established in 1988, and is located on Winter Lake Road in South Lakeland. The campus has three academic buildings and a maintenance building.
The Airside Center is home to the Medical Imaging Complex, which brings together the Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Cardiovascular Technology, and Radiography programs.
The JD Alexander Center on Central Avenue in Lake Wales offers a wide variety of general education and elective classes leading to both Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees.
The Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center on State Road 60 in Lake Wales offers credit and non-credit fine arts courses as well as a calendar of fine arts events.
The Advanced Technology Center at Clear Springs in Bartow is off State Road 60 and is the home for the Corporate College.
Polk State College is committed to the “one college” concept, with uniform requirements and rules at all its locations; however, some activities such as athletics, music, and drama are available only on the Winter Haven or Lakeland campuses.
Polk State College Foundation
The Polk State College Foundation, Inc. (Foundation) is a tax-exempt corporation with the purpose of providing Polk State College with resources for the advancement of the College, its students, faculty, staff, and other constituencies in fulfillment of the College’s mission. More information about the Foundation can be found on the Foundation website and in the Resources and Activities section of this catalog.
Equal Access and Equal Opportunity Mission
Polk State College is an equal access/opportunity institution committed to excellence through diversity in education and employment. The College complies with all state and federal laws granting rights to students, employees, and applicants for employment or admission to the College. The College prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, ethnicity, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, genetic information or disability in any of its employment policies or practices, educational programs or activities.
The equal access/equal opportunity policy of the Polk State College District Board of Trustees is in accordance with the provisions of the Florida Educational Equity Act and all other relevant state and federal laws, rules, and regulations. Discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, ethnicity, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, or disability against a student,employee or applicant is prohibited.
For questions or concerns, please contact: Valparisa Baker
Director, Equity & Diversity (Title IX Coordinator)
999 Avenue H NE Winter Haven, FL 33881-4299
Office: WAD 227
863.292.3602 Ext. 5378
vbaker@polk.edu
Equal Opportunity For Students With Disabilities
The College complies with The Americans with Disabilities Act and provides equal educational opportunity for qualified individuals. A student with a disability who requires special accommodations or auxiliary aids under The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should contact the Student Services Office on either campus and speak with a Disability Services Advisor or the Coordinator of Disability Services. Note: Limited admission programs may have performance restrictions that apply. Restrictions (where applicable) are outlined in each program’s student handbook. For more information see the Resources and Activities section.
Security and Safety
Polk State College is committed to assisting all members of the community in providing for their safety and security. Polk State College continually strives to provide students, faculty, staff, and visitors with a safe and secure environment. Security officers are on duty 24 hours a day and continually patrol the campus. A security officer can be reached by calling ext. 5059 from any Polk State College phone on campus, dialing 863-297-1059 from off campus, or by using one of the emergency phones located throughout both campuses.
The Annual Security Report is available at polk.edu on the Safety and Security page. Students may receive a hard copy of the Annual Security Report from the Safety/Security Department on the Winter Haven and Lakeland campuses. A copy will also be mailed upon request.
The website and report contain information regarding campus security and personal safety, including crime prevention, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures, and the enforcement authority of Polk State’s security officers. In addition, the Annual Security Report contains information about crime statistics for the three previous calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Polk State; and on public property within, immediately adjacent to, and accessible from the campus.
With security and safety in mind, all Polk State College employees are fingerprinted and are subject to a criminal background check. Employees who appear to pose a significant security risk shall be terminated.
Parking
Polk State College provides parking at all facilities for its students, faculty, and staff. Restricted-area parking is controlled on all campuses through parking tags or decals issued to the faculty and staff. Students are not issued parking tags or decals. General parking areas are provided for students. Students with exceptional needs should visit the Student Services Office for additional consideration. The College does ticket vehicles that are parked in violation of the designated/restricted areas on each campus.
The parking restrictions are as follows:
- Lakeland Campus: Areas identified by signage and yellow lines are restricted to faculty and staff, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The President’s parking space is reserved at all times.
- Winter Haven Campus: Areas identified by signage and yellow lines are restricted to faculty and staff, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The President’s parking space is reserved at all times.
Polk State College provides handicapped parking spaces for those with proper vehicle identification.
Students ticketed for violating parking regulations are fined in accordance with Polk State College Board Rule 2.18. Fines can be paid to the Cashier on either campus. Unpaid parking fines shall prohibit the student from obtaining a transcript.
Student Fingerprinting Policy
All students completing any level of school-based field experience or observation must be fingerprinted before entering a public or private K-12 classroom. This policy includes students taking lower-division prerequisite courses, such as Introduction to Education (EDF 1005) and Teaching Diverse Populations (EDF 2085). For Polk County public K-12 classrooms, students are fingerprinted by the Polk County School Board. There is a fee for this service. It is the student’s responsibility, not the College’s, to pay this fee. Students who are completing field experience at an accredited private school must follow the fingerprinting procedure established by that institution.
Fingerprinting and background checks are required for students in selected programs. Specific information relating to such requirements is available in the specific program section of the catalog.
Website
A vast array of information about Polk State College is available on the Polk State College website at www.polk.edu. The website contains information and facts about Polk State College including program information, the College Calendar, course descriptions, and detailed instructions about application and registration. College news, event schedules, campus locations and maps, and information about various departments can also be found on the website.
The Polk State College website provides links to many resources, including the library’s electronic catalogs, databases, and research tools; financial aid; the bookstore; Windows Live for the student-assigned Polk State College e-mail account; PAL (Polk Access to Learning) for online instruction; and PASSPORT to register, change classes, pay tuition, view transcripts and degree audits, and change personal information. Additionally, students attending distance education courses can find information about their internet courses, hybrid courses, telecourses, and other distance education courses though the College website. Students can also find phone numbers and e-mail addresses for their instructors.
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