USF St. Petersburg celebrates 50 years
In celebration of its semi centennial, the USF St. Petersburg (USFSP) campus is holding events throughout the academic year, ending in early May. Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska said now is the time to look back at where the campus started along with what it hopes to become.
“In 1965, St. Petersburg, like so many cities in Florida, was just coming into its own,” Wisniewska said in an official statement. “The local arts community was growing as was political activism. The first Baby Boomers were now of college age and (USFSP) was established to help meet a rising demand by students who sought to make their mark in the world.
“During the 1980s and ’90s, our reputation grew and distinctive, new programs attracted students from across the country. In 2006, (USFSP) became a separately accredited university within the USF System.”
As for the future, Wisniewska said she hopes the campus will grow from 6,000 students to 10,000 in the next 10 years. Construction began last spring for a new 68,000 square-foot building for the Kate Tiedemann College of Business and the campus offers 24 undergraduate degrees along with 13 graduate programs.
“We’re building a real college campus where people love to be a part of it,” Jozef Gherman, USFSP student body president, said in an interview with WUSF. “So it’s not just about the buildings being added to the campus but it’s also the culture of the campus that’s changing to be a real college atmosphere.”
Information about the events is available at usfsp.edu/50years, along with a timeline of how the campus developed and stories of alumni.
More Stories
USF won’t install more physical protections following recent on-campus suicide
USF will not be implementing additional physical safety measures over a month after a student leapt from an upper floor inside the Interdisciplinary Sciences building, USF spokeswoman Althea Johnson said. The incident marked the third on-campus suicide since fall 2022. A week after a student fell from an upper floor of Beard Garage in 2022, […]
Meet USF’s new student body president and vice president
A new era of Student Government (SG) just arrived. In a quick five-minute ceremony, student body president-elect Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and vice president-elect Sumit Subhash Jadhav were sworn in on Wednesday afternoon. Their term will start on May 6 and last for one year. Related: Take a look at USF’s student leaders’ swearing in ceremony […]
Photos: Take a look at USF’s student leaders’ swearing in ceremony
A new era of Student Government (SG) just arrived. In a quick five-minute ceremony, student body president-elect Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and vice president-elect Sumit Subhash Jadhav were sworn in on Wednesday afternoon. Related: USF student body president and vice president-elect sworn in Their term will start on May 6 and last for one year. Gabrielle […]
President Joe Biden visits Tampa to talk abortion rights
Gearing up for the 2024 presidential election, President Joe Biden made a stop in Tampa to talk about reproductive freedom in Florida on Tuesday afternoon. The speech comes just two weeks before the state’s six-week abortion ban comes into effect on May 1. Biden called on Floridians to vote for an amendment deciding abortion access […]
‘Genocide Joe has got to go’: Pro-Palestine protestors gather during Biden’s visit to Tampa
While President Joe Biden took 15 minutes to talk on the protection of reproductive rights in Tampa on Tuesday, pro-Palestine protests chanted against the United States handling “on-going genocide” in Gaza, and its alliance to Israel in the conflict. Related: President Joe Biden visits Tampa to talk abortion rights “The lack of coverage in the media […]
USF students can ‘Swap Shop’ their way into free items this week
USF’s Swap Shop is just around the corner. Literally. Bulls can stop by the Swap Shop, located in Holly J, to pick up some free items – from furniture to clothing. Students, staff and faculty had the opportunity to donate items for the Swap Shop earlier this week on Monday and Tuesday. But ‘shopping’ won’t […]