In trying to avoid enrolling too many students, USF officials left the St. Petersburg campus with empty seats in its freshman class.
By MONIQUE FIELDS
Published October 8, 2004
Freshmen enrollment at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg dropped 30 percent this fall, in part because the main Tampa campus turned away qualified applicants after filling its own seats.
USF St. Petersburg officials say Tampa's control of the admissions process cost them students, money and momentum.
"I was very disappointed," said Frank Hohengarten, dean of enrollment services at USF St. Petersburg. He said the school had room for at least 79 more freshmen.
Ralph Wilcox, USF's vice provost for policy, planning and performance, concedes that Tampa administrators could have done better by the St. Petersburg campus. He said the university was trying to avoid enrolling too many students, as happened last year.
Some students had trouble registering for classes last year. This year, USF officials decided to spread freshmen admissions over the summer, fall and spring semesters. That helped cut overall enrollment on the two campuses by 12 percent.
"All of that having been said, did we manage USF St. Petersburg the way we wanted to? No, I don't think we did," Wilcox said.
Despite the St. Petersburg school's growing independence, Tampa administrators say they need to keep control over admissions. Application materials are too sensitive to transport, they say, and new software and staff training are needed for the process to work properly in St. Petersburg.
Hohengarten said he first noticed his application pool dwindling in February. By then, though, the matter was out of his hands.
Qualified students already had been turned away.
School administrators say they worked hard to get the students who were admitted to actually enroll.
They called them and filled their mail boxes with letters. They put advertisements in local newspapers encouraging them to choose St. Petersburg.
But the number of first-time-in-college students still declined.
Last fall, the campus enrolled a record 261 freshmen. This fall, the number was 182.
It was the first drop since 2000, when the St. Petersburg campus was just beginning its drive toward greater autonomy.
In recent years, USF St. Petersburg has gained greater control over its hiring, spending and tenure decisions, fueling a dramatic expansion.
Last year, the school hired more than 60 new professors and administrators.
Now the school is seeking separate accreditation. But accreditors have balked, saying the school is still not sufficiently independent.
The campus could get more guidance in December when the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools holds its annual meeting.
Hohengarten said he expects USF St. Petersburg to gain control over its admissions in coming years.
Meanwhile, the campus has hired a second recruiter to go after high school seniors and junior college students.
Admissions staff in St. Petersburg will travel to Tampa to review and process applications of students who indicate they prefer that campus, and the college has expanded its reach into southern Hillsborough and Pasco counties, as well as Sarasota and Manatee counties.
"What we hope in the next year is that it won't matter where these documents go," Hohengarten said. "We will have everything online."
