MANATEE -- A program that increased awareness of the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee branch by spotlighting timely public policy issues will be suspended indefinitely in January.
The Institute for Public Policy and Leadership will be put on “hiatus” because of its leader’s resignation, said a spokesperson, and as part of the university’s increased focus on expanding from two-year to four-year programs.
Judith Sedgeman, the institute’s executive director since 2009, submitted her resignation about a month ago, said Christine Manring, director of USF Sarasota-Manatee’s communications department.
“That gave us the opportunity to look at the program and see that it would be a good time to put it on hiatus,” Manring said. “We’re hoping that this is only on a limited basis. We’re hoping that when the economy improves, we’ll be able to get additional funding for the IPPL.”
Sedgeman said university leaders had been discussing the possibility of suspending the institute before her resignation. She is leaving the $50,000-a-year post to focus all of her efforts on a new global organization that creates curriculum and training in the field of innate health, a topic in which she has been a leader since 1987.
“This is a very cordial and friendly situation,” Sedgeman said. “I really like USF, and I love what I do at IPPL, and I would go back if they wanted me for any reason.
“There’s a tremendous respect for this program and its work, and we had a lot of engagement and involvement in the university. But just like any institution and business, sometimes you have to make decisions about the strategic allocation of resources with a plan in mind that you’re going to solve one problem and then do other things.”
By suspending the institute, the university’s Sarasota-Manatee campus will save about $160,000 annually in personnel costs, Manring said. That’s enough for at least one full-time faculty position.
Sedgeman’s predecessor, now the leader of a similar institute at St. Petersburg College, said he was saddened to hear about IPPL’s suspension.
“I thought it was kind of a shining light for the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus,” said David Klement, the institute’s executive director from 2007 to 2009. “I felt that it helped create a lot of visibility for the campus. There are so many people who weren’t even aware there was a branch of USF in Sarasota-Manatee.”
Klement said that with the estimated 30 events he coordinated while at the institute, he tried to focus on creating a forum for the “civil discussion of pressing policy issues” at the local, regional and state level. Sedgeman’s tenure at the institute focused more on leadership topics, and also involved placing timely national issues like campaign finance reform and immigration reform in a local context.
Altogether, the institute has sponsored more than 50 events during its six-year history, including candidate panels. It will still be holding six more events before its suspension in January.
The university will try to continue the institute’s legacy by seeing if departments can host the same kinds of forums.
Christine Hawes, Herald business writer, can be reached at (941) 745-7081.
