Pictured Above: University leaders announce that while the status of the College of Education itself is undecided, USF will continue to offer “carefully selected undergraduate degrees in education.”
Courtesy of USF
By Nancy McCann
Backtracking on a controversial decision, the USF administration announced Friday that the university will continue to offer some undergraduate degrees in education.
While “no final decisions” have been made about the College of Education itself, the administration said, USF will offer “carefully selected undergraduate degrees in education, though likely fewer than the nine baccalaureate degrees, 15 majors, five minors and 18 concentrations currently available.”
The statement came from President Steve Currall, Provost Ralph Wilcox and Judith Ponticell, the interim dean of the College of Education.
It followed a meeting earlier Friday with the superintendents of six public school districts in the Tampa Bay area.
The school districts, which have long relied on USF to supply teachers for their classrooms, have led the widespread opposition to USF’s surprise decision last month to dismantle the College of Education and reconfigure it as a school of education for graduate students.
In their statement, USF administrators stressed that they will “share ideas and listen to input as we reimagine our education programs during a period of significant budget challenges.”
One area of exploration is deepening the university’s “commitment to STEM education on the St. Petersburg campus,” the statement said.
When they announced the stunning decision last month, administrators said it would save the financially challenged university $6.8 million over two years.
They cited the “budget realities of a world changed by COVID-19,” a 63 percent drop in enrollment in the college over the last decade and the emergence of other institutions that offer undergraduate baccalaureate programs, “some at a significantly lower cost.”
But students, graduates and faculty of the College of Education – joined by district school superintendents, school boards and elected officials – denounced the move as hasty and shortsighted.
As criticism mounted, the administration began calling the move a “preliminary proposal.”
The latest critic is U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, who wrote Currall and the trustees on Nov. 19 urging them to reconsider the decision.
“The contributions of the College of Education to our school districts and the community are central to our economic vitality,” said Castor, whose mother, Betty Castor, was USF system president in 1994-1999.
A petition started by education major Conner Diefendorf on Oct. 16 has now gained 15,916 signatures.
Meanwhile, advocates for the college held rallies there on Oct. 30 and again on Friday to demonstrate their support.
Education majors welcomed Friday’s news that the university will continue to offer some undergraduate degrees.
“I’m glad that the views of the entire USF community are being heard,” said Henry Burrows, a senior education major. “I am slightly encouraged that the decision to completely eliminate the College of Education seems to be in the process of being reversed. My hope is that those with the decision-making power realize how important USF’s College of Education is to the Tampa Bay area, and will do all that is possible to preserve it.”
‘Meeting the needs of the surrounding communities’
This is the statement released Friday by President Steve Currall, Provost Ralph Wilcox and Judtih Ponticell, the interim dean of the College of Education.
Dear Colleagues,
Today we were pleased to join several Tampa Bay region school district superintendents for an important conversation on how USF will continue to deliver teacher education programs in the future.
Let us reiterate that no final decisions have been made regarding the College of Education. Meetings like the one today, and many others that Interim Dean Judith Ponticell continues to participate in with school superintendents, faculty, staff, students and community members, serve as critical opportunities to share ideas and listen to input as we reimagine our education programs during a period of significant budget challenges.
We recognize that in addition to research in the field of education, USF plays a key role in teacher preparation and certification for our region and in providing master’s and doctoral degree programs to support the development of counselors, principals, superintendents and other K-12 leadership positions. While changes are needed at USF after a 63% drop in the college’s undergraduate enrollment over the past decade, we intend to continue offering carefully selected undergraduate degrees in education, though likely fewer than the nine baccalaureate degrees, 15 majors, five minors and 18 concentrations currently available.
In the coming weeks, we will further receive and review information regarding the demand in K-12 schools for graduates of the undergraduate programs, and we will make informed and evidence-based decisions that align with the data. USF is also exploring how to deepen our commitment to STEM education on the St. Petersburg campus.
As our university-wide process of strategic realignment moves forward, USF remains committed to our responsibility of meeting the needs of the surrounding communities while continuing to be responsible stewards of the university’s financial resources.
