Fall 2014. It’s a been a big semester for USF St. Petersburg.
The university made headlines at major local media outlets when it announced the strategic plan#which included the goal of increasing student enrollment from 4,700 to 10,000 students by 2024.
With the plan has come a host of exciting news, from discussions about new major offerings to the plan to reopen the campus pool in spring 2015.
The university has received several donations and grants. In September, the university announced its largest donation in history: $10 million to the college of business, now renamed the Kate Tiedemann College of Business. Ground was broken on the new building for the business school, which is scheduled to begin construction in spring. Duke Energy gave the university $1 million to fund solar panels, now installed on the top of the parking garage. Other grants have stimulated research and growth.
The university has also received its share of negative press. Its decision not to host African journalists in the Edward R. Murrow program on account of panic over Ebola drew ire from many media organizations. An opinion from Poynter’s Andrew Beaujon called the decision a “jelly-spined response.” The Huffington Post said the decision was made as a result of “Ebola panic.”
But needless to say, people are talking about USF St. Petersburg. Good or bad, at least the university’s name is out to the public.
At The Crow’s Nest, we believe it has been a good semester for USFSP. But if the university hopes to grow, expand and thrive, there are some problems it must address to best serve its students.
Parking. It’s been a persistent problem for the last few years, but this year, the problem has compounded. Many students show up late to class because they cannot find a parking spot. The city removed parking along Sixth Avenue S, resulting in a greater need for spots in the parking garage itself.
Students continue to complain about the parking problems, but the issue has been largely ignored by the university. There are plans in place to install another parking garage on campus, but it won’t be discussed in depth until the end of the spring. Students (and professors) need solutions sooner.
It is true that many universities struggle with parking problems. But USFSP is mid-sized and doesn’t deal with many of problems larger universities have is a draw to the university. “All universities do it” shouldn’t be an excuse.
Commencement. Many students are unhappy with the current commencement venue at the Mahaffey Theater, which only allows them to invite five people. Students have voiced this complaint to USFSP administration since early 2014, and they’ve received little more than verbal sympathy. As the university grows, the space at the Mahaffey will become even tighter. The Crow’s Nest thinks the university should value the desires of their students over the university’s relationship with the Mahaffey.
Internet access. Internet in the residence halls and on other locations has been spotty all semester, largely due to the presence of illegal routers. While students are responsible for the routers, the university is also passive on the issue. They ask students to remove the routers, but nothing is done to enforce this request. Therefore, students who do not own routers are punished for abiding by the rules. At the 21st century university, weak Internet is not an option.
If the university can address the concerns of the students, it could be the first choice of many bright students in the future.
