University of South Florida St. Petersburg

The University of South Florida St. Petersburg is a branch campus of the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, Florida. Opened in 1965 as a satellite campus of the University of South Florida, it was consolidated with the other two USF campuses (Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee) as of July 1, 2020.[3] USF's St. Petersburg campus is the only public university in Pinellas County and the only public university offering bachelors and graduate degree programs in the area. The campus enrolled 4,455 students during the fall 2019 semester.[4] Students across USF enroll at the St. Petersburg campus, creating a typical semester student population of more than 6,000.[5]

University of South Florida
St. Petersburg
Motto"Truth and Wisdom"
Established1965[1]
AffiliationUniversity of South Florida, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee
ChancellorMartin Tadlock[2]
Undergraduates3,818
Postgraduates510
Location
St. Petersburg
,
Florida
,
United States
Campus46 acres (0.19 km²)
ColorsGreen and Gold    
NicknameBulls
MascotRocky the Bull
Websitewww.usfsp.edu

History

In 1965, the University of South Florida created a satellite campus in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, the "Bay Campus," the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.[6] The campus opened in the fall of 1965 to 257 freshman. In 1967, USF St. Petersburg organized the USF Marine Science Program. In that same year, the Florida Institute of Oceanography opened facilities on land leased from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. In 1969, USF St. Petersburg opened its library with 2,248 volumes and offered its first degrees to 51 graduates of elementary education program. In that same year, a State Legislature passed bill establishing USF St. Petersburg as a branch of the University of South Florida.[7] By 1981, USF St. Petersburg had completed its first stage of expansion with the addition of Bayboro Hall. In 1984, Coquina Hall opened its doors.[7] In 1990, the Campus Activities Center opened its doors. In 2005, USF St. Petersburg celebrated its 40th Anniversary and the groundbreaking for Residence Hall One.[6] In 2006, USF St. Petersburg was accredited as a separate entity from the University of South Florida.[1] In that same year, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg opened its new student residence hall, Residence Hall One, to house future and returning students.[8][9]

Academics

Accreditation

Having been a satellite campus of the University of South Florida for the first 40 years of its existence, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg gained autonomy and was accredited as a separate entity within the University of South Florida system by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools starting with the 2006–2007 school year.[1] Accreditation allows the University of South Florida St. Petersburg to award bachelor's and master's degrees. The College of Business and the Program of Accountancy are both accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. Less than one-third of U.S. business school programs, fewer than 15 percent of business school programs worldwide meet the rigorous standards for AACSB accreditation. Only 180 institutions worldwide are separately accredited in accounting.[10][11]

The Department of Journalism and Media Studies is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC), and it is the only journalism program in the central and south Florida area that has both undergraduate and graduate degree programs accredited.[12] Only 111 professional programs out of 400 colleges and universities in the U.S. are accredited.[13]

The seal of the University of South Florida.

Programs

The University of South Florida's St. Petersburg campus has four Programs of Distinction:[14]

  1. Florida Studies:[15] The Masters in Liberal Arts degree allows for focus in Florida Studies. The Florida Studies Program brings together faculty from history, economics, geography, political science, anthropology, and other disciplines to create an integrated, in-depth exploration of the state's changing identity as a part of the American South as well as a bridge to the Caribbean Basin.
  2. Environmental Sciences[16]
  3. Journalism and Media Studies:[17] The Department of Journalism and Media Studies offers M.A. in digital journalism and design (fully online); M.A. in journalism and media studies; B.A. in mass communications with a journalism studies concentration; and Minor in mass communications. Dr. Deni Elliott is the chair.[18] In 1988, University of South Florida agreed to house the journalism master's program in St. Petersburg, Florida. The campus hired Michael Killenberg, a University of Southern Illinois full professor, to teach master's and undergraduate classes and supervise adjuncts. The professional journalism M.A .program, with support from local media and the Poynter Institute, complemented USF Tampa's School of Mass Communications PR and Media Studies M.A. programs. Initially, students took classes in St. Petersburg and most completed degrees in Tampa. Killenberg in 1991 hired Dr. Robert Dardenne (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga) and in 1992 they co-founded the master's program. They also started Neighborhood News Bureau (NNB) so students covered stories in an under-represented neighborhood and were exposed to an African-American urban culture. In 1993, they hired internationally recognized ethics scholar Jay Black (University of Alabama) as the Eleanor Poynter Jamison Chair in Media Ethics and Press Policy. The three created a complete undergraduate program to match its master's program.[18] By the time the legislature required USF St. Petersburg to seek separate SACS accreditation, the campus had officially designated the program as the only named department on campus. It became a "direct receipt" graduate program, separated from Tampa School of Mass Communications and achieved in 2004 the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) accreditation, fully compliant on all standards.[12][18] In September 2006, the department opened the Neighborhood News Bureau office at 2335 22nd Avenue South in Midtown, St. Petersburg.[19] Dr. Jay Black retired in 2008. The department was among 11 leading journalism schools to participate the Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists in 2009, 2010 and 2011.[20] Dr. Michael Killenberg retired in 2011.[21] The college offers "the Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists, which brings 'emerging leaders' in journalism from around the world to the U.S."[22]
  4. Social Responsibility & Corporate Reporting[23]

Athletics
Main article: South Florida Bulls

USF has athletic club teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, track and field, sailing, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.[24]

USF Sailing Team
Main article: South Florida Bulls § Sailing

The Bulls sailing program is a nationally recognized team and is coached by Allison Jolly, gold medalist in the first Olympic women's sailing event at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. As sailing is not an American Athletic Conference or NCAA sanctioned sport, USF is a member of the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Conference within the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association.[25] The team has a waterfront facility on Bayboro Harbor on USFSP's campus called the Haney Landing Sailing Center. It is the only varsity sport based on USF's St. Petersburg campus.[26]

The USF sailing team won the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association Sloop National Championship in 2009 and back to back ICSA Offshore Large Boats National Championships in 2016 and 2017.[27][28] They were National Runners Up at the ICSA Singlehanded National Championships in 2009 and 2011.[29][30] The Bulls represented the United States in the 2017 and 2018 Student Yachting World Cups.[31][32]

Campus computing

The Office of Campus Computing at USF's St. Petersburg campus is responsible for all functions that involve computing, data communication and Voice over IP services. Campus Computing Services and the St. Petersburg Regional Data Center are an integral part of the Office of Campus Computing. The Office of Campus Computing is also involved in the planning and implementation of the information technology infrastructure necessary to support the evolution of USF's St. Petersburg campus as a major research institution and its academic programs.

Library

Nelson Poynter Memorial Library
Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, on the St. Petersburg campus of the University of South Florida.

The Nelson Poynter Memorial Library opened in 1996 to commemorate Nelson Poynter.[33] The Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, serving the University of South Florida's St. Petersburg community, is an inviting place for students, faculty, and campus visitors to read, relax, research, or study.[34]

The Nelson Poynter Library has over a 200,000 volume collection featuring business, education, liberal arts, and marine science. Literature selections range from classics such as Herman Melville's Moby-Dick to the latest award-winning novels. A children's collection features outstanding juvenile and young adult books.[34]

The Poynter Library's Special Collections department offers outstanding collections of rare books, oral histories, and local history photographs and documents. Notable collections include the John C. Briggs Collection of Ichthyology and Natural History, the David Hubbell Mark Twain Collection, the Miller Family Collection of Presidential Signatures and Documents, and the Papers of Nelson Poynter.[34]

The library subscribes to more than 800 periodicals and newspapers, including Science, The Economist, Foreign Affairs, and local and national newspapers. Over 10,000 electronic journals and newspapers augmenting these print collections are accessible through the library's on the wireless network or on computers in the library's information commons.[34]

In 1950, when the Merchant Marine training base at Bayboro Harbor was deactivated, Nelson Poynter started a campaign to persuade the City of St. Petersburg to donate the land to the state. Poynter committed himself to donate $500,000 to help buy additional land for expansion and was the principal contributor and fundraiser for the first St. Petersburg campus library.[35] On June 15, 1978, Nelson Poynter, his wife Marion, business and civic leaders, educators, and students took turns with eight gold-painted shovels to break ground for the first phase expansion of the campus. A few hours later, Nelson Poynter suffered a cerebral hemorrhage.[35][36] Poynter died that same evening. That library would become Bayboro Hall, the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library would open in 1996 in his name.[36]

Student media

The Crow's Nest

The Crow's Nest is a student-run newspaper circulated in USF's St. Petersburg campus that was first published in 1969. The newspaper is published in the fall and spring semesters, and contains news stories, features and entertainment pieces that are of interest to students and the campus community. Overtime, the paper grew substantially to match the expanding campus. The newspaper now distributes 800 copies of the paper every Monday on campus and also publishes stories online via their website.[37] Since the spring of 2005, The Crow's Nest has been published on a weekly basis. The Crow's Nest is funded each semester by a portion of revenue generated from Activities and Services fees as well as advertising revenue.[38]

Campus life

The University of South Florida's St. Petersburg campus has an active student life. The majority of activities involving students are officially the responsibility of the Division of Student Affairs, but over the years, Student Government Association has become the sole funding source of Student Life, Campus Reservations and New Student Orientation. In April 2006, Student Government opened a new volleyball and basketball courts facility on campus.

Student Success Center

The Student Success Center was created to help students achieve their educational goals. Through tutoring sessions, workshops, seminars, and academic coaching, the SSC helps students succeed at USF's St. Petersburg campus.

Student life

The Department of Student Life & Engagement and the Student Life Center work together to allow for opportunities for students to learn outside of class.[39] The Student Life Center is located on the same street as Residence Hall One and is across the street from the campus. It houses the fitness center which a weight and cardio room, recreation areas, aerobics area, locker rooms, and basketball, and volleyball.[40]

Harborside Activities Board

The Harborside Activities Board is the campus programming board, which plans and implements educational, cultural, and social co-curricular activities for the USF St. Petersburg campus.[41] Harborside Activities Board is made up of three entertainment divisions: film, stage acts and special events. Film brings blockbuster movies to campus for free screenings months before they are released on DVD, as well as educational films and childhood classics. Stage Acts is most well known for bringing up-and-coming and well known comedians to perform free shows for students twice a semester, as well as music acts, speakers, performers and many others. Special Events is most well known for their make and take programming that allows students to enjoy fun activities such as "Build-A-Bull," where students get the opportunity to make their own stuffed animal bull mascot, as well as tie-dye events, casino nights where students are able to compete for over $1,000 in prizes and many more.

Student organizations

The University of South Florida's St. Petersburg campus has many student organizations.[42] They include the Student Green Energy Fund, SPECTRUM Mentor Program, Alpha Phi Omega, Anthropology Club, Barbecue Club, Black Student Association, Board Club, Chess Club, Film Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, Harborside Activities Board, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Latin American Student Association, Law Society, Bull Horn Radio, Grappling Club, Marine Science Advisory Committee, American Red Cross, Omicron Delta Kappa, Pre-Med Society, Psychology Science Club, Sigma Tau Delta, No-Bull dance Troupe, Student Education Association, Student Environmental Awareness Society, and the Professional Sales Club. More information about student organizations can be found on the USF St. Petersburg website under the Student Life & Engagement section.[43]

Student housing

Residence Hall One
The University of South Florida St. Petersburg's Residence Hall One is a seven-story building that can house 354 students in 95 apartments.

To accommodate extra students and students wishing to pursue a degree full-time on campus, USF St. Petersburg built a residence hall, Residence Hall One. First year students who live 30 miles or farther from the USFSP campus are required to live In Residence Hall One.[44] Residence Hall One is located across the street from the campus. Students can easily walk to class, the gym, parking garage and Campus Activity Center, located on the same street as Residence Hall One. Students wishing to live in Residence Hall One can choose from any of two suites.[44] Residence Hall One also offers its students a sense of community in an already welcoming university. Every floor has a Resident Assistant to monitor, help, and organize meetings for the students. Residence Hall One is also the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's first student dormitory since Merchant Marine training bases were used as dormitories for students.[7]

USF St. Petersburg officially opened the doors to Residence Hall One on August 23, 2006 for the Fall semester.[8] Residence Hall One is a seven-story building that can house 354 students in 95 apartments that contain four-person double bedrooms, four-person single bedrooms, and one two-person apartment with single bedrooms. Each apartment contains two bathrooms, a living room and kitchen with garbage disposal, refrigerator and microwave. All utilities are included; electricity, water, heat and air conditioning, local telephone service, high speed Internet and cable TV. Every floor in Residence Hall One has a laundry room and lounge. Lounges are equipped with furniture and a high-definition television with cable TV.[44] Resident students can also park their cars in the seven-story parking garage across the street built at the same time as Residence Hall One.[45]

A $1,500 Sails Scholarship was offered to students who moved into Residence Hall One during its first year open. Residence Hall One also offers its students beautiful views of Tampa Bay and downtown St. Petersburg. Students are in close range of supermarkets, movie theaters and restaurants. The Student Government Safe Team transported students while patrolling the campus parking lots and buildings and facilities until the program was ended in 2010.[46] The University of South Florida St. Petersburg has on-campus police to safeguard the campus, students, and parking garage.[47][48] Residence Hall One is the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's first step in its second phase of expansion.[49] 2007 was the first year that USF St. Petersburg was able to house incoming freshman during the summer semester during their summer program.

University Student Center

The university launched its 81,00 square foot University Student Center on September 6, 2012.[50] The $21 million facility was partly financed with a special student fee passed by the Florida Legislature and supported by students who saw a need for a central gathering place at USFSP. The building, 200 Sixth Avenue South, opened August 25, 2012 when 200 residential students moved into rooms in the six-story residential tower. Besides student housing, the building also includes a dining hall called The Reef that is open to the public serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. It offers the first full-service meal plans for USFSP. The center also includes an atrium lobby, wireless internet, laundry facilities, a student lounge, seating areas and two outdoor basketball courts.

The 75-ft building was designed by Rowe Architects of Tampa and built by Creative Contractors of Clearwater. Among its architectural features is a 65-ft multi-colored glass-enclosed circular staircase for the residential tower, and an 8,000 sq. ft. curtain of glass along 6th Avenue South. The residential tower brings the total number of residential students to nearly 650, a record number in the university's history. Many of the rooms in the residential tower offer views of Tampa Bay and the downtown St. Petersburg skyline.

Notable faculty
  • Deni Elliott, professor in Department of Journalism and Media Studies, and Eleanor Poynter Jamison Chair in Media Ethics and Press Policy.
  • Gary Mormino, Frank E. Duckwall Professor of History and co-director of the Florida Studies Program.
  • Raymond Arsenault, American historian and author

Alumni

USF St. Pete offers an array of opportunities for alumni to remain involved with the campus. The campus hosts various volunteer events for alumni to remain involved and sends out a newsletter informing graduates of the school's ongoing events and accomplishments. Alumni are encouraged to continue connecting with the campus and with other alumni through events and updating the alumni community on recent accomplishments and milestones. [51]

See also

Footnotes
  1. "About USF St. Petersburg". Archived from the original on 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  2. "Martin Tadlock, Interim Regional Chancellor". usfsp.edu.
  3. "University of South Florida consolidates its three campuses into one accredited institution". University of South Florida Newsroom (Press release). 1 July 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  6. Timeline Gallery, Celebrating 40 Years
  7. USF St. Petersburg - the First 25 Years
  8. "University of South Florida St. Petersburg -". usf.edu.
  9. US Education Guides : Europe - University of South Florida St. Petersburg
  10. Accreditation
  11. "AACSB Accreditation - Accounting". aacsb.edu.
  12. "ACEJMC-accredited programs". ku.edu. Archived from the original on 2014-07-26. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
  13. "ACEJMC-FAQs about accreditation". ku.edu.
  14. "University of South Florida St. Petersburg -". usf.edu.
  15. Florida Studies
  16. Environmental Sciences
  17. Journalism and Media Studies
  18. "Journalism and Media Studies - University of South Florida St. Petersburg". usfsp.edu.
  19. Neighborhood News Bureau
  20. "Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists". state.gov.
  21. "Journalism department founder retires". nnbnews.com.
  22. Mullin, Benjamin (October 20, 2014). "USF cancels on African journalists due to Ebola scare". Poynter. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  24. "Intercollegiate athletics". USFSP.
  25. "University of South Florida | Fall 2008". ICSA Real-Time Regatta Results. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  26. "Women's Sailing". USF Athletics. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
  27. "ICSA | Inter-collegiate Sailing Association". collegesailing.org. Archived from the original on 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  28. "Kennedy Cup | Fall 2017". ICSA Real-Time Regatta Results. Archived from the original on 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  29. "SAISA Men's Singlehanded | Fall 2009". ICSA Real-Time Regatta Results. Archived from the original on 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  30. "ICSA Men's Singlehandeds | Fall 2011". ICSA Real-Time Regatta Results. Archived from the original on 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  31. "USF Bulls win Kennedy Cup ICSA Big Boat National Championship >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News". Scuttlebutt Sailing News. 2016-11-07. Archived from the original on 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  32. "USF Sailing Team Wins Kennedy Cup, to Compete in France Next Year – University of South Florida St. Petersburg Campus". 2020-11-18. Archived from the original on 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  33. "Treasures of South Florida Libraries. University of South Florida". miami.edu.
  34. Visitor Information
  35. Nelson Poynter
  36. Nelson Poynter Biography
  37. Crow's Nest Distribution
  38. About the Crow's Nest
  39. "University of South Florida St. Petersburg -". usf.edu.
  40. "University of South Florida St. Petersburg -". usf.edu.
  41. Harborside Activities Board
  42. "University of South Florida St. Petersburg -". usf.edu.
  43. "Office of Leadership and Student Organizations – Student Life". Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  44. "University of South Florida St. Petersburg -". usf.edu.
  45. Parking Services
  46. SAFE Team
  47. University Police Department
  48. USF St. Petersburg Police Department (USFSP PD) Services
  49. "University of South Florida St. Petersburg -" (PDF). usf.edu.
  50. "USC - University of South Florida St. Petersburg". www.usfsp.edu. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
  51. "University of South Florida St. Petersburg Campus Alumni". University of South Florida St. Petersburg Campus. University of South Florida. Retrieved 10 September 2020.

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