Opinion: Thanks for making 10 years at USF St. Petersburg a growing success

Ten years ago, I was selected by the faculty and staff of the then St. Petersburg campus of the University of South Florida to serve as its dean and CEO. For me, it was a wonderful opportunity to develop a campus with so much promise into a distinctive institution.

I wanted a campus that was inviting to all, and where mutual respect for each other was always present. I wanted a place where everyone recognized that the most important goal was to provide every student a learning experience of the highest quality possible.

In those 10 years, we've gone from a campus serving only juniors, seniors and a few graduate students to a full, four-year institution offering course work for most degrees. Students can start as freshmen and graduate on time, taking all their classes here.

We have achieved what we set out to do. It has been a very challenging but personally rewarding experience. As I exit from my leadership role, I'm very grateful to the thousands of people who helped create the thriving learning community that is USF St. Petersburg today.

The future indeed looks bright for the campus, but this future is very much tied to three key developments -- residential housing, increased autonomy and separate accreditation. Let's examine each in turn.

USF St. Petersburg's master plan calls for residential housing to be built on campus by 2004. Thank goodness. Students want what USF St. Petersburg offers -- the opportunity for students to study on one of the regional campuses of a major university, to learn from excellent faculty who are committed to students, and to do so at one of the most beautiful and inviting university campuses in America. Because we are within walking distance of outstanding museums and cultural institutions, major league baseball and a vibrant downtown, students also want to live on campus.

But every day, USF St. Petersburg loses students because we currently lack on-campus housing. Without housing, the enrollment growth here will plateau. Without enrollment growth, budgets will suffer and the fullest potential of the campus will never be realized.

Housing is absolutely critical to the future of USF St. Petersburg, and the timetable for constructing it must be adhered to.

As for autonomy, bring it on! Time was, USFSP was told what to do and how to do it by Tampa administrators, from course offerings to the type of palm trees to plant. A document now being considered by the university's Board of Trustees spells out all the many ways USFSP will be allowed to make its own decisions. If approved, it would be a major step forward in gaining more self-governance and, ultimately, separate accreditation.

For the campus to truly thrive, separate accreditation is critical. USF has committed itself to support separate accreditation for USF St. Petersburg. Bravo! This designation is important because it guarantees the control we have so long sought regarding decisions about curriculum, admissions, promotion and tenure, budgets and facility planning.

Separate accreditation should not be confused with separation. This campus values and desires being a part of a major research university but seeks to demonstrate that it can and does meet the same standards that accrediting bodies deem crucial to outstanding institutions. With more than 100 faculty members who hold doctorates, we can meet the same standards as those applied to and met by FSU, UF, UCF, and yes, our very own USF.

Separate accreditation is an achievement that everyone at USF St. Petersburg as well as the university can take great pride in. Separate accreditation, earned by USF St. Petersburg on its own merit, can and must be a part of its future. I encourage the campus board and university to continue to facilitate this movement.

As I enter a new role at USF St. Petersburg, I am hopeful that I will be given the opportunity to continue to work with the community as well as continue my teaching and research. I have enjoyed developing partnerships that work and would love to be a part of creating additional ones that benefit our campus and university.

I've been truly fortunate to belong to an institutional family second to none anywhere. I have had the trust and help of a community that regularly helped me and the campus I served whenever it was needed. Governmental and elected leaders at the city, county, state and university level stepped up to assist me in finding ways to facilitate and fund the initiatives USF St. Petersburg created.

Our success these past 10 years is shared with all. It has been my special privilege to work with everyone in developing America's most inviting and wonderful campus. I ask each of you to continue to nurture what you have helped develop. USF St. Petersburg is YOUR university!

-- Bill Heller recently stepped down as the vice president and executive officer of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

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