Local students, faculty worry what they will lose when USF consolidates

Excitement, uncertainty and downright objection: emotions are plentiful as three University of South Florida campuses begin to merge under one accreditation.

USF Sarasota-Manatee is much smaller than its counterparts in Tampa and St. Petersburg. The campuses, which branched out and gained independence over the past 12 years, are now forced to reunite under the Florida Excellence in High Education Act of 2018, and some locals are afraid the university may be trampled by USF’s larger institutions.

More than 40 university employees, students and local business owners spoke at a town hall meeting on Tuesday evening.

If the campus is forced to adopt new policies, higher fees and tougher admission standards, it needs more support to efficiently operate and recruit. It could gain needed programs through consolidation, they said, but it can’t thrive without added resources and continued freedom.

“If this campus wants to grow, it needs the space to do so,” said Michael Klene, the student body president. He compared the campuses by their enrollment and physical size:

• Tampa — 230.7 square feet per student.
• St. Petersburg — 273.3 square feet per student.
• Sarasota-Manatee — 78.91 square feet per student.

Echoing a sentiment shared by other speakers, Klene said the campus needs dormitories to attract new students. Several others said the campus needs its own research facilities.

Laurey Stryker served as the chief executive officer of USF Sarasota-Manatee from 2000 to 2007. She was charged with growing the campus, and she fears the consolidation — scheduled to finish by July 1, 2020 — may undo a costly and time consuming process.

“It was a daunting task with only 12 full-time faculty, no academic program autonomy, inadequate facilities and students burning up the I-75 corridor to go to classes and try to get their degree by going to the Tampa campus,” she said.

What is the purpose of consolidation? Who will benefit? In theory, she said, the regional campuses will bolster each other, benefiting students and their communities. But uncertainty could actually result in staff turnover and lowered enrollment.

Stryker urged residents to contact legislators and ask them to reconsider the decision.

“Here’s how you get resources: your community supports you, your legislative delegation supports you, your daughter supports you, your students support you,” she said.

Many of Tuesday’s speakers addressed a new report by Huron Consulting Group, an agency hired to assist in the transition. It said there can only be one college for each field of study, meaning the majority of Sarasota-Manatee’s colleges would be converted to “schools,” which would host the college’s programs.

Tampa’s Muma College of Business will almost certainly become the system’s main college, removing the need for a duplicate college at Sarasota-Manatee. The report, which is preliminary and in no way permanent, stoked a fear that consolidation equates to loss.

Anurag Agarwal, a faculty member at the College of Business, shared a feeling that permeates his department.

Each campus has different working environments, contracts and polices, and employees are worried their way of life could abruptly change after consolidation.

“It would be like changing the rules of the game half way into the game and, depending on when the faculty started working, maybe in the eleventh hour,” he said.

Though the consolidation task force includes several USF administrators, it has no faculty representation. Employees fear their tenure and promotions are at risk, Agarwal said, and they aren’t sure whether their voices are being heard.

Student success, the most important factor, depends on faculty success, Argawal said.

“So while we welcome the opportunity for growth and synergies as a result of consolidation, there are also some concerns,” he said.

Speakers also highlighted one of Sarasota-Manatee’s unique offerings: the College of Hospitality and Tourism Leadership.

Its dean, Pat Moreo, said it’s vital for the college to remain at Sarasota-Manatee, where it was formed 17 years ago. The college forms its own curriculum, hires its own faculty and maintains its own relationships in the hospitality industry — Moreo wants to maintain that autonomy.

However, if done correctly, the consolidation could benefit his college. Moreo said enrollment may triple when expanded to include Tampa and St. Petersburg, attracting transfer students who will eventually join the local workforce.

“In a nutshell, consolidation will enable us to operate this college as one college geographically dispersed among three campuses, with the headquarters remaining here at Sarasota-Manatee,” he said.

Many local businesses rely on the hospitality program for their future hiring needs, as do other industries. John Jorgensen is the president and chief executive officer of The Sylint Group, a cybersecurity firm in Sarasota, and he currently has five open positions.

Jorgensen said his clients are looking for another 30 to 50 employees throughout the state and country. He praised USF Sarasota-Manatee for its cybersecurity and information technology program. It will surely grow, he said, but not with interference from the consolidation.

“I believe that separating this effort from USF Manatee-Sarasota and attempting to replicate it remotely would be a disservice to the university, the professors, the students and the potential recipients of the fruits of the effort,” he said.

Though the town hall is over, residents are still able to submit feedback on the USF website. Submissions are accepted in the “System Consolidation” section, under the “Public Comment Procedure” tab.

The website also offers meeting minutes and future agendas for the task force and several subcommittees.

“It’s been a very exciting time, as well as a challenging and interesting and difficult time,” said Karen Holbrook, regional chancellor for USF Sarasota-Manatee.

This story was originally published October 3, 2018 at 2:10 PM.