More land. More contributions from area entrepreneurs. But with the rapidly growing potential for USF St. Petersburg, little will accelerate a reputation for the school like building partnerships with organizations like the Poynter Institute.
USF has made connections in recent years. The USF Marine Institute has been awarded grants for researching the Gulf Oil Spill after successful previous terms. USF Health maintains relationships with All Children’s Hospital. The Kate Tiedemann College of Business received a new name and contribution of $10 million to fund programming just months ago. The most successful programs at USF are gaining traction, and receiving positive response from the community at large.
The Poynter Institute opens a door for a further reach into national connections and expansion of liberal arts at USFSP.
The Poynter Institute, established in 1975 as the Modern Media Institute, is a nonprofit school for journalists. They own the Tampa Bay Times, one of the only independent daily newspapers remaining in the United States. Consider the space a mecca for any established reporter or public relations officer. They host Pulitzer prize winners, international journalists, grammar experts, and the occasional celebrity. Though seemingly a quiet neighbor to USFSP, Poynter is a hotbed and nationally recognized institute that connects journalists.
It’s all in the name of expanded learning, a mission that is not so different from a nearby university campus. Many programs on our campus sift for celebrity appearances and guest speakers that draw the community and potential students into the doors of USFSP. Events like annual visits from artist and marine scientist Guy Harvey, hosting the Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading, and others of a similar nature are successful. USFSP, like any university, has a goal to gather a strong reputation with quality programs to match.
The Journalism and Media Studies program at USFSP faces a new era of education. Students in the program are fascinated by a myriad of subjects: public relations, marketing, broadcast journalism, online journalism, social media, and more. The professors in our program have done an outstanding job instructing us over the years. A partnership with the Poynter Institute could expand the base of knowledge and expose students to career connections.
Acquisition of land is the topic between the university and the nonprofit now, there is a chance to create a long-lasting partnership. Poynter has the tools that could elevate programs at USFSP. The university has the funds to boost the reputation and quality of programming to the next level at Poynter.
