TAMPA Most USF Polytechnic faculty members responding to a recent survey say they don’t want their college separated from the University of South Florida system.

“I have been a strong supporter of USF, but not a supporter of a no-name non-accredited college,” said one respondent, who participated in the United Faculty of Florida’s anonymous survey.

The union mailed the surveys in early October to 61 employees covered by the university’s collective bargaining agreement, asking four questions to gauge support for a plan to create a stand-alone university in Polk County.

Of the 35 who replied, 27 said they were against it.

USF Polytechnic officials have proposed a Lakeland campus that in 15 years would have 16,000 students in dozens of applied science programs on a campus with NCAA sports teams and dorms for 1,300.

It wouldn’t cost the state any extra money at first, they said.

But after a second phase of growth starts in 2017, the plan, detailed in a 57-page report released this week, shows costs jumping from about $33 million a year to $223 million.

Critics, including Florida universities’ Board of Governors member John Temple of Boca Raton, have called the quest for independence “out of control.”

As the state struggles with the poor economy, such a plan is “a funding/financial threat to our existing SUS system,” he said recently.

The 17-member board is set to vote on the stand-alone university Nov. 9-10.

Meanwhile, some of the people who would be most affected by the move say they haven’t even been consulted and that most of what they know about the plan comes from the newspapers.

“As a faculty member who was supposed to help shape the future of this university, I have had no real input in anything of consequence,” said one respondent.

Wrote another: “I have seen the morale of this place plummet as faculty (and students) feel as if their voice does not matter.

“I have heard faculty say that they are back on the job market. I’m thinking of doing the same.”

Others talked of “a craziness and an atmosphere of distrust” at the school.

“This has changed from being a wonderful place to work to being a sad and dysfunctional campus,” the respondent said.

United Faculty of Florida President-Elect Paul Terry shared the survey findings in a press release Thursday along with his own statement.

“The survey results speak for themselves,” he said. “…it appears that a good number of … faculty and professional employees no longer has confidence in the USF Polytechnic administration to act in their best interest regarding their professional future and careers.”

Terry also added that it was “of great concern” that many faculty members and other professionals affiliated with USF Polytechnic had not been approached for input.

Employees not represented by the union – about 12 administrators, Terry said – were not surveyed.

He has asked USF President Judy Genshaft to share the survey findings with the Board of Governors.

Here are the four questions and the responses:

• Do you support the current initiative to remove USF Polytechnic from the USF System to become the 12th independent university? 27 said no, three said yes, three were neutral and two said they were undecided.

• Do you support USF System in-unit employees (those covered under the collective bargaining agreement) having an option to transfer to another USF System Campus? 32 said yes, one said no and two said it depended on whether the employee had been tenured by the USF System.

• As an in-unit employee, would you take advantage of an option to transfer to another USF System campus? 16 said yes, five said no, four said they were neutral and 10 said they were undecided.

• As a USF Polytechnic in-unit employee, have you been consulted or solicited by the USF Polytechnic administration regarding your professional opinion relative to USF Polytechnic becoming the 12th independent university? 33 said no and two said yes.

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