When I first heard about the ten year plan to double the student body and expand the campus, I wasn’t for it.
After all, one of the main things that drew me to USF St. Petersburg, besides its gorgeous location, was the intimate size of campus. At the Tampa location you get lost in the crowd and on the campus. The class sizes are huge and parking is a nightmare.
I like seeing familiar faces everyday around school and not having to sit through class in a giant lecture hall with 100 or more students. This campus has a personal feel, too, one that I think mostly everyone loves.
However, the more I learned about the strategic plan for growth and the reasoning behind it, my opinion started to shift. The goal here isn’t to overcrowd the school, and to shove as many students in a class as possible, it seems to be more about giving USFSP a name for itself.
Since the university first opened in 1965, it has constantly been evolving and expanding. So it really wasn’t much of surprise when this goal for expansion became public.
USFSP wants to become a top choice university, although it already is for a number of students currently enrolled.
If USFSP eventually makes it to its goal of having 10,000 students by 2024, it will still be nearly three times smaller the campus across the bay.
The revenue brought in through enrollment funding will go towards bringing in more faculty and creating space for additional classes. Hiring more professors will allow our classes to stay small and intimate. More students means more degree programs and courses that can be offered. Less students will have to commute back and forth between the Tampa campus.
USFSP also hopes to become a destination research institution for faculty, which will provide opportunities and experience for students.
Having a slightly larger university, that has an established name for itself, and an even stronger accreditation can serve to be more beneficial to graduates out in the working world. Which is something we all want, right?
