Students travel to take advantage of USF St. Petersburg's intimate setting and classes.
By MONIQUE FIELDS
Published June 15, 2004
[Times photos: Willie J. Allen Jr.]
Luis Rosario, 23, a finance major from Tampa, returns to his seat after making a presentation in his child literature class at USF St. Petersburg. The senior commutes to St. Petersburg because it's easier to get classes there.
Julie Petrick studies for her math for social sciences test recently at USF St. Petersburg campus.The campus reminds her of the small private high shcool she once attended in Tampa.
ST. PETERSBURG - A few times each week, Tampa resident Julie Petrick waves to the University of South Florida on her way to its smaller sister campus in St. Petersburg.
Although the Tampa campus is five minutes from her Sulphur Springs home, Petrick says it lacks the appeal of the St. Petersburg campus.
Once considered a poor stepchild, the St. Petersburg location has serene landscapes, smaller classes and plenty of parking.
"It's a great environment for learning," said Petrick, 23.
A growing number of students agree with Petrick. Each semester about 1,000 students - more than 20 percent of the total enrollment - are driving to the St. Petersburg campus from other counties. Most of those hail from neighboring Hillsborough County.
Some see the St. Petersburg campus as convenient, with less traffic. Others are attracted to a quiet school tucked away on a bay within walking distance of the Salvador Dali Museum and the Poynter Institute. And some seek a specific course or degree not available elsewhere.
Whatever the reason, USF St. Petersburg administrators aren't surprised by all the commuters. In fact, the number of students driving to St. Petersburg from Hillsborough and other counties is expected to grow, said Gary Olson, the college's chief academic officer.
In the next few years, the college will continue a more aggressive attempt to recruit first-time students. It also wants to offer residential housing. The transition likely will be dramatic.
"When you start to go to a residential campus," Olson said, "it has an effect on the mood and atmosphere of the university."
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USF St. Petersburg reminded Petrick of the small private high school she once attended in Tampa.
Now a transfer student from the University of Florida, Petrick was not interested in finding her way through a campus maze, or standing in lines, or sitting in class with a sea of students.
She just wanted to hunker down and learn.
In St. Petersburg, she can find a spot for her Volkswagen Jetta, have access to her academic adviser and get to class with few problems.
"It's worth the drive," she said.
Nori Cruz wasn't so sure about that drive.
She did not look forward to crossing the Howard Frankland Bridge, but she had no choice because the courses she needed for graduation were not available at the Tampa campus.
Now the senior majoring in art history prefers to cross the bay. Cruz, 45, finds the Tampa campus a little heavy on business courses, and she is more of a humanities person.
Plus, getting classes she needed was easier in St. Petersburg. She didn't have to compete with so many students in need of core classes.
"I find it so much more enriching to be in smaller classes," she said.
As for the drive, Cruz can get to St. Petersburg in about 30 minutes from her home near Raymond James Stadium. It takes at least 45 minutes, sometimes an hour, to get to the USF campus in north Tampa.
"I've never had to wait for an accident while going to St. Pete," she said.
Timing, though, is something commuters learn quickly.
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Alicia Castillo, 23, of Tampa is pursuing a master's degree in journalism, a program of distinction at the St. Petersburg campus.
But first she had to master the drive.
She would leave work at 5 p.m. and arrive at class late. Then it was 4:45. Not early enough. Finally, she pushed it back to 4 p.m.
"I can do it blind now," she said.
That's not the only tradeoff. She uses e-mail to communicate with her professors, and USF secretaries have had to fax items to her for a signature. She coordinates her classes to minimize drive time.
Like Castillo, the driving force behind Lucy Jones' decision to commute to St. Petersburg was the course offerings.
Jones wanted to pursue the Florida Studies program, an interdisciplinary mix of courses for students preparing for careers such as urban planning, social work, historic preservation and international business.
Jones, 38, of Citrus Park, gave the matter little thought.
"It's the only place in the state that offers this program," she said.
Jones is an editor and researcher for Panamerican Consultants, doing archaeological and historical consultancy for developers and government agencies. Going back to school will help her rise in the ranks.
She could have gone to the Tampa campus, but she respected the work of USF history professor Gary Mormino, who recently joined longtime historian Ray Arsenault in St. Petersburg. She has never doubted her decision.
"It's a friendlier campus in respect to the Tampa campus," she said. "If you need to get an ID card, parking permit or go to the library, it's just simply easier on the St. Petersburg campus."
