Turning point for university
USF St. Petersburg prepares to open its first residence hall in August, marking a big step in its transition from commuter school to more of a 24-hours-per-day operation.
By DONNA WINCHESTER
Published June 5, 2006
ST. PETERSBURG — Kimberly Skelton is about to spread her wings and fly — all the way from one end of Pinellas County to the other.
In August, the 18-year-old Dunedin High School graduate will begin working toward a business degree at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. She also will be among the first students to live in the school’s new residence hall, a state-of-the-art facility that has every amenity a college student could desire.
“I wanted something that was new,’’ Skelton said. “And I wanted the whole college experience. Living on campus is part of that.’’
USF officials say students like Skelton are the face of a changing university that began accepting freshmen and sophomores only six years ago. Since then, enrollment has jumped from 3,400 to 4,700.
The next step, administrators say, is transforming the campus from a commuter school to one that houses students 24 hours a day.
“What we're trying to do is build a strong community where students can experience a positive environment,’’ said regional vice chancellor Charles Brown. “This is part of the puzzle to make USF St. Petersburg a place of choice for students.’’
But first, housing officials must get them into the dorms. Residence Hall One, which has room for 354 students on its seven floors, has lured only 175 so far. Occupancy on the Tampa campus, which has close to a 5,000-student capacity, is about 90 percent.
Errin Mills, USF St. Petersburg's coordinator of university housing, says recruitment is right on schedule.
“People aren't used to thinking of us as a place where you can live,’’ Mills said. “We’ve got to educate them and make it known that this is available.’’
Officials on both campuses are considering a rule that would require most incoming freshmen who live farther than 30 miles away to reside on campus. Such a rule would fill the rooms, but that’s not the main goal, Mills
said.“On-campus housing is a more supported transition to living on your own than living off campus,’’ she said. “It's one of those outside-the-classroom experiences that will contribute to a student’s development.’’
Research shows that students who live on campus are more successful in college, in part because they tend to have more interaction with the faculty and with each other. Experts say they are more connected to their schools and more likely to graduate.
The $18.3-million Residence Hall One, which will open Aug. 23 at the corner of Fifth Avenue S and Second Street, is the first in the school's 40-year history designed for student living. Most of the 95 furnished apartments are four-bedroom, 950-square-foot units. Seven have two bedrooms and are 760 square feet.
Kitchens include microwaves, garbage disposals and double stainless sinks. Soundproofing materials in the walls reduce noise. Building entrances are monitored by security cameras.
Each floor has a laundry room and a study lounge. Rent, which averages $500 a month per student, includes utilities, local phone service, high-speed Internet and cable TV. Students will have parking privileges in a new 1,325-space garage a block from the residence hall.
“This is not your mother's dorm,’’ Mills said. “You no longer have a long corridor with one bathroom per floor.’’
Such amenities are part of the recruitment wars that are changing university campuses across the nation. Top students have higher expectations these days, and colleges are spending millions to meet them.
The University of Maryland at College Park built separate accommodations for students who want an alcohol- and smoke-free environment. The University of Texas at Austin boasts spas and hot tubs. And high-speed Internet access is standard in all new construction.
But some students are more interested in the intangibles.Anthony Sansone, 22, hopes living on campus will help him meet people. The Palm Harbor resident completed his freshman and sophomore years at St. Petersburg College and is transferring to USF St. Petersburg to major in management information systems.
Others, like Frederick Moutran, want to live on campus because it's affordable. The 24-year-old former Spring Hill resident earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at USF in Tampa and is transferring to USF St. Petersburg to work on a master’s in journalism.
USF officials predict that quality on-campus housing will eventually attract more students from outside the Tampa Bay area. With the addition of a second residence hall, they expect to have 900 to 1,200 students living on campus in the next five years.
“We're unique,’’ said Brown, the regional chancellor. “We're urban, yet we're bordered by commercial and residential areas. We're right on the waterfront, but we're close to downtown.“It's all here.’’
Times researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.