With the approval from the BOT, the SLC is planned to be renamed after its remodeling is completed.
Courtesy of Aubrey Carr | The Crow’s Nest
By Aubrey Carr
Despite pushback from previous faculty, the University of South Florida’s Board of Trustees (BOT) approved a proposal to rename the St. Petersburg campus’s Student Life Center (SLC) in honor of former USF president Judy Genshaft.
During a BOT meeting on June 15, USF Foundation CEO Jay Stroman pitched the naming resolution, citing support from President Rhea Law, St. Petersburg’s former Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock and the St. Petersburg Campus Board.
The proposal would officially change the building’s name from “Student Life Center” to “Judy Genshaft’s Student Life Center.”
Although the renaming was approved, there are no plans for an official naming ceremony until the ongoing SLC renovations are completed.
Melissa Seixas, chair of St. Petersburg’s Campus Board, shared support for the initiative on behalf of the Campus Board.
“Something that we worked hard on in St. Petersburg was finding an appropriate way to recognize President Genshaft’s contributions to the university and also to the St. Petersburg campus,” Seixas said.
“There’s a long list of accomplishments that we could list from President Genshaft, but I’ll just highlight a few that had a direct impact on the St. Petersburg campus during her 19 years.”
Seixas praised Genshaft’s role in securing funding for St. Petersburg’s facilities, including the Science and Technology Building, the Lynn Pittenger Hall, the University Student Center, Harborwalk and the most recent residence hall, Osprey Suites.
Seixas also applauded Genshaft’s dedication to the university during her post-presidency, noting her $20 million donation to USF’s Honors College which led to a 50% increase in enrollment in the college last year.
“She was always known for her focus on student success, so naming the Student Life Center in her honor seems to be a very fitting tribute,” Seixas said. “This proposal was unanimously supported by the St. Petersburg Campus Board, and I would recommend that the Board of Trustees support this as well.”
After Stroman and Seixas’ presentation, the BOT all voted in favor of the building’s renaming.
Though the name change resulted in a positive reaction from board members, it has been a source of debate amongst retired St. Petersburg faculty members.
Two days before the meeting, the USFSP Retired Faculty and Staff Association penned a letter to BOT Chair William Weatherford, asking for a delayed decision on the SLC’s renaming and proposed a “broader campus community involvement.”
Neither the letter nor any other controversy was mentioned during the June meeting.
