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A dream is realized in St. Petersburg

By GUS STAVROS
Published February 13, 2006

In 1956, the Florida Legislature and the people of Tampa made a $50,000 investment in the University of South Florida that resulted in three buildings and a dream. Fifty years later that investment generates a $3.2-billion annual return in salaries, student spending, capital construction and intellectual capital to the people and economy of the 10-county region of Tampa Bay.

In the past five years, president Judy L. Genshaft has led USF to new national prestige by invigorating the research enterprise to $287-million and by challenging the faculty to break into the top 50 public research universities in the nation. Her efforts highlight years of strategic investment in recruiting top-caliber faculty - especially in the sciences and medicine.

Largely unsung, but no less significant is the growth on USF's regional campuses in Sarasota, Lakeland and particularly in St. Petersburg. As a distinctive and complementary campus in USF's family of institutions, students and faculty benefit from the intellectual and fiscal resources of a Carnegie-Designated Research Extensive Institution.

This year USF St. Petersburg celebrates its 40th anniversary, and it has grown from 257 students to nearly 4,700. During the last five years, more than 800 students have graduated from USF St. Petersburg; that's up almost 50 percent from five years ago. It offers 426 courses among 26 undergraduate and 12 graduate majors completely on its campus. Currently USF St. Petersburg seeks separate accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, but it already enjoys full accreditation for the next 10 years as part of the USF system's reaffirmation. If separately accredited, the campus will retain the benefits as a partner in the USF system and will achieve additional stature as an autonomous institution. Most importantly, USF St. Petersburg will be accountable directly to its students and our community.

I spoke with the SACS Site Review Team and am encouraged by their understanding of USF St. Petersburg's progress. Though the commission won't render its decision until June, the site committee noted the excellence of its faculty credentials and the academic excellence offered in Pinellas County. Under the leadership of chancellor Karen A. White, USF St. Petersburg is in transformation to become the residential, four-year and graduate campus envisioned by previous campus and community leaders. USFSP students rave about the campus' small classes and the stellar academic credentials of their professors. The future is bright, and the alumni and citizens of Pinellas County should spread the word about our academic jewel.

From very conservative estimates, USF St. Petersburg's economic impact on Pinellas County exceeds $200-million. It is also keeping pace with a $100-million campus master plan charting its next 10 years. This year USF St. Petersburg's investment in construction for residential housing and a parking garage is $33-million. These projects, funded without state dollars through bonds, were issued through numerous local financial institutions.

When students move into the residence hall this fall, they will live just blocks from downtown clubs and cafes, BayWalk and University Village. The value of their rent will surpass $300,000 annually, and their economic impact will exceed $2-million. In the past five years, USF St. Petersburg has attracted more than 100 new faculty and staff positions to Pinellas County, resulting in greater depth in academic programs, and a marked increase in grant funding. Last year faculty research grants reached nearly $2.4-million, an increase of 150 percent over 1999-2000. At the midpoint of this year, faculty received $2.3-million, including a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency - and this is only February.

Citizens should expect their universities to address relevant contemporary problems. At USF St. Petersburg, these issues include healthier waters, improved public education and economic competitiveness. Its faculty members write books that have national significance on topics like high-stakes testing in education, forensic accounting and fraud examination and Florida history.

USF St. Petersburg faculty and students provide academic service throughout our community. Education students work closely with teachers in classrooms during internships; their contribution exceeds $3-million per year. Now located in the Sanderlin Center, the Neighborhood News Bureau has served Midtown for five years with journalism students writing articles for area publications. Accounting students assisted its residents with tax preparation last year.

USF's prestigious College of Marine Science and the Children's Research Institute, located on the campus at Bayboro Harbor, add another dimension to the research and service provided by the USF system.

As our community celebrates USF's 50th anniversary - and the 40th anniversary of USF St. Petersburg - one can't help but reflect on the university's amazing journey. The dream has been fulfilled, and happily the best is yet to come.

-- Gus Stavros is a member of the USF St Petersburg Campus Board and Trustee Emeritus of the USF Foundation Board, serving as its president from 1999 to 2001. Stavros is a former member of the USF Board of Trustees and received a USF Doctor of Humane Letters.

[Last modified February 14, 2006, 02:45:31]