Jonah Hinebaugh | The Crow’s Nest
By Nicole Slaughter Graham
In my application letter to the Department of Digital Journalism and Design at USF St. Petersburg, I wrote that in the current era, where newspapers and digital outlets continue to fall and the media is attacked on a daily basis, now seemed like the one of the worst times – and maybe one of the most important – to pursue an advanced degree in journalism.
Under USF’s current consolidation efforts, my program and the autonomy of the campus I chose to attend are in jeopardy when they should be a priority. I get it: In the grand scheme of consolidating three campuses, around 50,000 students and a few hundred programs, smaller programs might not make the cut.
I made a calculated decision when I chose my program and my campus because both best suited my needs, and I’d venture to say that many of the students at the St. Petersburg campus did the same.
Under President Steve Currall’s most recent “preliminary consolidation plan,” the Tampa campus is at the helm of authority over St. Petersburg and Sarasota Manatee, rather than each campus maintaining individual autonomy.
But here’s the thing. I didn’t choose the Tampa campus. Neither did 6,000 other students at USF St. Petersburg. And here’s my personal story as to why.
As an undergrad at Eckerd College, sampling various writing classes to figure out which style suited me best, it was Journalism 101 that sold me. I wanted to tell the stories of others in and around my community, and I wanted to do so with purpose.
My undergraduate experience spurred a writing career with a fast trajectory. Before freelancing, I was an editor at a national magazine. As a full-time freelance journalist and writer, I’ve put in long hours and leaned on the network I created as an undergraduate and as a professional. I have been lucky enough to collect bylines from The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Cosmopolitan magazine, The Penny Hoarder and many others.
But something was missing – I didn’t necessarily know the ins and outs of media law or ethics, because my creative writing degree didn’t delve into those topics. I also didn’t know much about photography, videography or data, all of which in this changing, digital news landscape are skills which are highly sought after.
So I decided to pursue an advanced degree in digital journalism. I chose the USF St. Petersburg campus because it offers one of only four accredited journalism units in Florida. This is an accolade the Tampa campus cannot claim.
I also wanted to learn from a faculty proven in the field and in scholarship, and many of those faculty are on the St. Petersburg campus.
The St. Petersburg campus has long catered to students with jobs and families. Its faculty understands the trials and responsibilities of being a working student. Its small class sizes and online offerings make it possible for students like me – with both a job and a family – to participate in an education that is both personalized and high-quality.
I’m on a first-name basis with many of my professors. I’ve secured internships and assistantships that I might not have otherwise applied for, thanks to the encouragement and support of these professors.
USF Tampa and USF St. Petersburg might be just 31 miles apart in distance, but they are worlds apart in operation and student experience, which I realized when I interned on the Tampa campus.
USF’s two smaller campuses work and continue to grow because they cater to their students in a way that Tampa cannot, simply because it is unfamiliar with the needs of those students. Placing Tampa’s campus at the top of the hierarchy will likely mean the students at the smaller campuses will suffer.
Programs like Digital Journalism and Design are sought out by students who are serious about becoming reputable, successful journalists and marketers because of both the prestige and the promise of accreditation. The current consolidation plan could strip USF St. Petersburg’s hard-earned accreditation, and thus, its notoriety.
Students like me chose the St. Petersburg campus because of its small class sizes, its course offerings, and the fact that the administration understands our unique needs as students.
Students like me chose the St. Petersburg campus because it is not Tampa.
