The letter addressed to USF system President Judy Genshaft, which came from U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, was not signed by state Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, the chief House sponsor of the legislation that stripped the St. Petersburg campus of its separate accreditation. Left photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, right photo courtesy of Grace Cunningham
By Emily Wunderlich
As the clock ticks on for the USF consolidation task force to make its final recommendations for a single accredited university, 20 elected officials from Pinellas County offered a series of suggestions in a letter Thursday to USF system President Judy Genshaft.
“While we have expressed our concerns with the way in which this decision came about, we recognize that it is in the best interests of the student body and the St. Petersburg community to reach consensus on the campus’ future configuration,” the letter begins.
The officials recommend “programs that would strengthen the institution, attract new talent to our city, and produce the workforce needed for Florida and our region’s future.”
The officials call for the Kate Tiedemann College of Business and its course offerings to “remain intact” at USF St. Petersburg, calling it “an architectural jewel designed to equip students to become part of the booming business community in St. Pete and beyond.”
The Huron Consulting Group, a Chicago-based firm that was hired by the USF system to help plan consolidation, has recommended a “reimagined” USF system with only one college of business and one college of education — both based in Tampa.
Under Huron’s plan, the college in St. Petersburg would become the Kate Tiedemann School of Finance and Entrepreneurship.
The letter also expresses the hope that USF St. Petersburg remains accessible to Pinellas County high school graduates.
A 1985 graduate of USF St. Petersburg, Pinellas County Commission Chair Ken Welch has raised concerns about the declining number of black students on campus. His signature was on the letter.
“We share the desire to boost USF’s standing, and the benefits those rankings bring, but would emphasize that USFSP remain attainable for the diverse array of students that call Pinellas County home,” the letter said.
The letter also recommends:
- That the St. Petersburg campus house both the graduate and undergraduate programs in marine science, environment and sustainability.
- The addition of an arts major — whether graphic, digital, fine or a combination of the three — to the St. Petersburg campus curriculum.
- The addition of STEM majors to the St. Petersburg campus, to “maintain USFSP’s competitive edge,” “broaden the campus’ appeal” and “build off St. Petersburg’s thriving Innovation District.”
The letter, which came from U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, was signed by Crist, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman and every member of the St. Petersburg City Council and Pinellas County Commission — both Democrats and Republicans.
Conspicuously missing were the names of state Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, the chief House sponsor of the legislation that stripped the St. Petersburg campus of its separate accreditation, and state Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, who helped champion the sweeping change in the Senate.
Also missing were four other Republican legislators who represent at least part of Pinellas — Sen. Ed Hooper and Reps. Chris Latvala, Nick DiCeglie and James Grant — and a Democratic House member, Wengay Newton, who used to serve on the St. Petersburg City Council.
U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Republican whose district includes part of Pinellas, also did not sign the letter.
The 13-member consolidation task force must submit its final recommendations to the USF system Board of Trustees by Feb 15. Then, the BOT has until March 15 to submit its implementation plan for consolidation to take effect on July 1, 2020.
The task force met in Sarasota today to discuss the shared governance and transparency subcommittee, and student access, academic programs and campus identity subcommittee.
The next meeting will be from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Dec.19 via phone.
Read the elected officials’ letter below.
Dr. Judy Genshaft
President, University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Avenue, CHS 401
Tampa, FL 33620
Dear Dr. Genshaft,
As the University of South Florida (USF) moves forward with its consolidation plans, we’d like to offer our thoughts and suggestions about the future of USF St. Petersburg (USFSP). We know this merger will take time, but the groundwork being laid now will dictate whether this effort will be a long-term success for USFSP students, faculty, and our community.
While we have expressed our concerns with the way in which this decision came about, we recognize that it is in the best interests of the student body and the St. Petersburg community to reach consensus on the campus’ future configuration. As local leaders and residents, we’d like to offer our thoughts on programs that would strengthen the institution, attract new talent to our city, and produce the workforce needed for Florida and our region’s future.
First, St. Petersburg is home to the largest marine and environmental science community in the Southeastern United States. USF’s College of Marine Science anchors the community, but downtown St. Petersburg is also home to NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Regional Office, USGS’s Coastal and Marine Science Center, the Florida Institute of Oceanography, Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, as well as private companies such as SRI International. Taken together, the marine sciences provide a total economic impact of more than $250 million in gross county product. In the vein of continuing St. Pete’s preeminence in marine science, we believe USF’s St. Pete Campus would be well suited to house both graduate and undergraduate programs in marine science, environment, and sustainability programs.
Second, St. Pete is a thriving and widely-recognized center for the arts. Between our world-famous museums, scores of independent galleries, and well-established arts districts, it makes for an easy conclusion that an arts major should be added to the St. Petersburg Campus curriculum – be it digital, graphic, fine, or a combination of the three.
Third, as you know, the jobs of the future are in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Students with a STEM degree go on to earn higher salaries and have higher rates of graduation and subsequent employment. To maintain USFSP’s competitive edge, we strongly recommend offering STEM majors, broadening the campus’ appeal and building off St. Petersburg’s thriving Innovation District.
Fourth, the Kate Tiedemann College of Business (KTCOB) has been an incredible addition to the curriculum and campus at USFSP. The new facility is an architectural jewel designed to equip students to become part of the booming business community in St. Pete and beyond. We strongly recommend that the KTCOB and its course offerings remain intact at USFSP, continuing the focus on entrepreneurship and finance.
Lastly, we want to express our hope that USFSP remains accessible for Pinellas County high school graduates. We share the desire to boost USF’s standing, and the benefits those rankings bring, but would emphasize that USFSP remain attainable for the diverse array of students that call Pinellas County home.
We appreciate your taking the time to hear our views on a topic of great importance to our community. We are hopeful that this next chapter in USF’s history includes a thriving and successful campus at USFSP, furthering USF’s status as a world-class institution. We look forward to continuing this discussion with you, as well as inviting Tampa, Sarasota, and the entire USF community to participate in the process. When all of us work together, the future truly is brighter.
Sincerely,
Charlie Crist, UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN
Darryl Rouson, FLORIDA STATE SENATOR
Ben Diamond, REPRESENTATIVE, FLORIDA HOUSE
Jennifer Webb, REPRESENTATIVE, FLORIDA HOUSE
Kenneth T. Welch, CHAIR, PINELLAS COUNTY COMMISSION
Karen Williams Seel, VICE CHAIR, PINELLAS COUNTY COMMISSION
Janet C. Long, COMMISSIONER, PINELLAS COUNTY
Pat Gerard, COMMISSIONER, PINELLAS COUNTY
Charlie Justice, COMMISSIONER, PINELLAS COUNTY
Dave Eggers, COMMISSIONER, PINELLAS COUNTY
Kathleen Peters, COMMISSIONER, PINELLAS COUNTY
Rick Kriseman, MAYOR, CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
Lisa Wheeler-Bowman, COUNCIL CHAIR, CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
Steve Kornell, COUNCIL VICE CHAIR, CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
Charlie Gerdes, COUNCIL MEMBER, CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
Brandi Gabbard, COUNCIL MEMBER, CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
Ed Montanari, COUNCIL MEMBER, CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
Darden Rice, COUNCIL MEMBER, CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
Gina Driscoll, COUNCIL MEMBER, CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
Amy Foster, COUNCIL MEMBER, CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
