Pictured Above: Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock sat down with The Crow’s Nest to talk about the spring semester.
Martha Rhine | The Crow’s Nest
By Edyn Gottlieb
USF St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock shared his thoughts for the spring semester with Edyn Gottlieb, staff reporter for The Crow’s Nest. Tadlock opened up about his goals for the upcoming semester and the university’s handling of COVID-19 moving forward.
Q: What are your goals for the university this semester?
A: “To continue the remarkably low number of students, faculty and staff who have been physically impacted by COVID-19. Our infection rate has been kept very low due to the support of everyone on this campus, and that is our highest priority right now. Of course, we want to balance that with providing interactive opportunities for students as much as possible within the safety parameters we must follow.”
Q: What are your expectations for how the spring semester will play out?
A: “We would love to see more students on our campus. Currently, we are expecting an increase in our residential student population this spring.”
Q: How will the spring semester look different from the fall?
A: “We are all much more adept at the use of technology now than we were last summer, so I expect to see more creative uses of technology to bring people together, creatively reach out to the community, and effectively deliver outstanding instruction to students. Also, the complete remodel of Davis Hall second floor is done, so it will reopen. The new dining facility in Osprey Hall will open. Scooter rentals are now in downtown St. Petersburg and will be nearby soon.”
Q: Covid cases are continuing to rise, does that have any impact on the university?
A: “We will continue following the advice of our scientific and medical community leaders to keep everyone as safe as possible until a vaccine is available and distributed as needed.”
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add about this semester or say to the students?
A: “This is a great place to be, even during a pandemic. We want our students here with us, and we will do everything we can to make this campus an incredible place to be. In addition, being able to live by the water and walk into the downtown of a city like St. Petersburg is something most college students anywhere else on the planet would find enviable.”
