USF campuses to officially consolidate Wednesday

The Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses of the University of South Florida will officially begin operating under a single accreditation starting Wednesday (July 1).

“Consolidation opens up many opportunities for USF students. Now they will have access to academic programs and student support services across all three campuses,” USF St. Petersburg Campus Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock said in a statement. “We’ll also be working together across USF to create geographically distributed centers of research excellence in important areas such as oceanographic and environmental sciences and STEM education.”

USF’s consolidation plans received approval in early June from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the regional accrediting agency overseeing higher education in the southern United States. 

Under the consolidation, USF will be able to offer additional majors, scholarships, support services and study abroad opportunities to students on any campus, along with expanded access to student organizations and intramural or club sports teams. Faculty on each campus will have new opportunities for interdisciplinary research collaborations, and access to more community partnerships.

More than 4,300 students attend USF’s St. Petersburg campus. The school currently offers more than 40 graduate and undergraduate programs in the arts and sciences, business and education. 

USF’s final consolidation plan is the result of contributions from students, faculty, staff, community members, legislators and other stakeholders, as well as input gathered through town hall forums and public meetings.

“This is a historic day for the University of South Florida,” USF President Steven Currall said. “I am excited about our future as we work together to become a top-25 public university and position ourselves for future eligibility in the prestigious Association of American Universities.”