USF path to pre-eminence changes again
SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE
Gov. Rick Scott changed USF’s quest for pre-eminence back to the original plan.
Scott vetoed a higher education reform bill Wednesday night that returned one of the pre-eminence benchmark to a six-year graduation rate at 70 percent. USF is currently at 67 percent six-year graduation rate, according to university spokeswoman Lara Wade.
“We’re still evaluating because it only happened last night,” Wade said Thursday. “We’re still on track to meet (pre-eminence) next year.”
Over the past legislative session, senators moved the benchmark twice. The first time changed the requirement to a four-year graduation rate at 50 percent. Then, in a last-minute extended session, the requirement was moved to 60 percent.
The university expected to meet that requirement by 2019 to receive funding for the 2020 school year.
USF is classified as emerging pre-eminent, along with UCF, and currently splits a pool of $10 million in state funding. However, the pre-eminent universities of UF and FSU split a pool of $48 million in state funding.
In a Board of Trustees meeting in May, Provost Ralph Wilcox said the additional funding provided by pre-eminence would go toward hiring more professors.
More Stories
Sarasota-Manatee campus housing rates to be most expensive across all campuses
Student housing rates for the new Sarasota-Manatee residence hall will be the most expensive of all on-campus housing costs across USF’s three campuses. Rates for the dorm will be as follows, according to Regional Vice Chancellor for Business and Financial Affairs Edwin Beauchamp: Suite (Double): $1,297 monthly Two bedroom, one bathroom apartment (single): $1,648 monthly […]
Old Student Health Services building to remain unoccupied
The Student Health Services (SHS) building located next to the bookstore will remain unoccupied, as no decisions have been made to determine what the space will be used for, according to Susanna Perez, communications and marketing officer at the SHWC. All operations that the building used to house were moved to the new Student Health […]
Students for Socialism hold rally against cost of on-campus living
SFS founder Will Mleczko, a sophomore economics major, said he struggled to afford the cost of living on campus and was forced to take out loans. His struggles were similar to those of his peers in SFS. Six of the organization’s members spoke while around 20 other members held signs reading “The cost of living […]
Temporary esports lab opens at Tampa campus, permanent lab to open fall 2024
The temporary Esports Living Lab (ELL) opened on Sept. 11 at the FIT. The 900-square-foot lab will serve as a precursor to the upcoming permanent lab of the same name set to open in 2024. Open from 5-11 p.m. Monday through Friday, the temporary ELL is stocked with 16 monitors, headsets and microphones as well […]
USF falls three spots in public university national ranking
USF now sits at No. 45 among all public universities in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking – a decrease of three spots from its place at No. 42 last year. Last year’s ranking was the university’s highest ever. This was the fifth consecutive year that USF was listed within the top 50 […]
Top floor in Collins garage closed for protective fence installation
The top floor of the Leroy Collins garage is closed for the installation of protective fences, Director of Communication and Engagement Aaron Nichols said. The addition of fencing is the second phase of a $3.8 million multiphased approach to install additional protective measures to open-air garages due to suicides at the Tampa campus. The first […]