ST. PETERSBURG - Paige E. Mulhollan lit a fire Wednesday under professors at a University of South Florida St. Petersburg convocation.
Mulhollan, who has conducted extensive research on metropolitan universities, said it is time to take their quest for a distinctive campus identity and make it a reality.
There are 75 to 100 metropolitan universities created by public demand that use their resources to help their home communities, he said.
"You can, and you should be, in the forefront of these institutions," Mulhollan said.
Mulhollan is president emeritus at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a mentor to Karen White, USF St. Petersburg's new vice president and chief executive officer. His talk offered professors and administrators insight into her goals.
While working as an American Council on Education Fellow at Wright State, White assisted in developing a national conference advancing the idea of universities serving the cities in which they reside.
Mulhollan told professors they should nurture the college's relationship with the main USF campus in Tampa, and said there is no reason the St. Petersburg school can't prosper, given its community support and quality programs.
But he issued two caveats. Professors and administrators should be mindful that not everyone is comfortable with seeking help. He also cautioned against dictating to the community, saying it will recoil if the university tells it what to do.
Mulhollan balanced his comments with the history of another metropolitan university that received separate accreditation from its main campus.
Arizona State University West has been cited as a model for USF St. Petersburg as it tries to win accreditation separate from the Tampa campus.
The ASU West campus, he said, met several barriers. It was started in vacant public school buildings, didn't present many course offerings and faced opposition at every turn.
Eventually, the college pulled through and now enrolls more than 7,000 students. But it has yet to form its own identity, Mulhollan said.
"So far as I'm aware, no specific West programs have achieved recognized excellence," he said, adding that USF St. Petersburg should learn from ASU West's experience.
Some professors found his words inspiring.
"He was one of the best speakers I've heard in a long time," said Margaret Hewitt, a professor in the college of education. "I think that was something we needed to hear."
