Blackboard fixed after power outage
USF’s online database, Blackboard, was restored at 4:30 a.m. Monday.
A transformer glitch left most of the campus without power Sunday afternoon, and the backup generator that powers the Library server room failed, causing Blackboard to crash at 3 p.m. Sunday.
A transformer at a USF substation on Fletcher Avenue went down at around 1 p.m., causing much of the campus to lose power. The east side was hit harder, said University Police spokeswoman Lt. Meg Ross.
Tampa Electric Company (TECO) spokesman Rick Morera said transformer failures just happen sometimes.
The outage left the campus and 3,500 TECO customers in surrounding area without power for nearly two hours. Morera said many factors can determine the amount of time it takes to restore power.
“Each incident, you kind of have to look at it individually. … Sometimes you have the ability to route the electricity from a different direction, and resolving outages like that can be done fairly quick,” Morera said. “Sometimes it can almost be done from our central office. There are all kinds of different variables.”
– Kelli Polson
More Stories
USF’s presidential search slowed in spring, now resumes with new firm
The USF presidential search committee announced this month its plans to move forward with a new search firm in its pursuit of a new university president. In May, USF spokesperson Althea Johnson told The Oracle that USF would move forward with its presidential search after its initial search firm — SP&A Executive Search — finished […]
USF rocket team takes flight in NASA competition despite challenges
In a field in Alabama, USF Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry members waited for Prometheus — the rocket they’d spent nine months crafting — to take flight. USF’s SOAR was among the 53 teams that launched their rockets for the NASA Student Launch in Huntsville on May 4. The USF team placed 18th after launching […]
USF international students navigate travel under new visa limitations
With a ban restricting visa issuance and entry into the U.S. in effect, USF student Arshia Esmaeilian said he is afraid his parents might not be able to see him graduate next year unless the ban is lifted. “I didn’t really ask for this,” said Esmaeilian, a senior chemistry major. “It’s just something I have […]
USF’s Marshall Student Center to reduce hours amid budget constraints
USF’s Marshall Student Center will operate under reduced hours starting in the upcoming fall semester. New operating hours will go into effect starting on Aug. 17 as listed below: Monday–Thursday: Changing from 7 a.m.–midnight to 8 a.m.–11 p.m. Friday: Changing from 7 a.m.–1 a.m. to 8 a.m.–midnight Saturday: Changing from 8 a.m.–1 a.m. to 8 […]
USF, Crisis Center step up hurricane prep as anxiety lingers from last season
With the arrival of hurricane season in Tampa, USF students – particularly those new to South Florida – may be experiencing increased stress or anxiety after the 2024 season. Running from June 1 to Nov. 30, hurricane season marks the period when tropical storms form and intensify in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National […]
Hillsborough County to explore building sports complex at MOSI site
Another development project could soon be in the works at a rapidly changing area in Tampa. Hillsborough County Commissioners voted unanimously on May 7 to prioritize building an indoor sports complex at the Museum of Science and Industry site on Fowler Avenue. Though still in its early stages, the MOSI CEO and Temple Terrace mayor […]