USF St. Pete campus Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock will be stepping down from his position effective Dec. 31, USF President Steven Currall announced in a Jan. 11 universitywide email.

Tadlock made the decision so that he could “focus on teaching and research as a tenured professor in the College of Education (COE) at the University of South Florida,” Currall said. Tadlock was named St. Pete’s regional chancellor in August 2018 after serving as both interim chancellor and vice chancellor for academic affairs.

His focus as chancellor revolved around increasing student retention rates as well as enhancing the St. Pete campus experience for students, according to Currall, including the proposal and construction of Osprey Suites, a five-story residence hall on the St. Pete campus. 

The decision is largely attributed to Tadlock’s wish to spend more time with family, who are spread across the U.S. in Idaho, Texas and Wisconsin. 

“I’ve spent 20 years in higher education, which means a myriad of time commitments and a rigid calendar for the past two decades,” Tadlock said in a letter to faculty. “I’m looking forward to a more flexible schedule that will allow [my wife] LaRae and me the opportunity to spend precious time with children and grandchildren.” 

While focusing on the COE, Tadlock hopes he will be able to work on the implementation of the newly proposed academic clusters in an effort to increase enrollment on the St. Pete campus. 

“The development of the proposed academic clusters creates a huge opportunity for our campus and I am confident they will draw out the very best and brightest students and faculty to St. Petersburg,” he said. “Building these clusters will take at least five years of effort, and I thought it would be wise to identify a leader who can seamlessly oversee this project to successful completion.” 

He also stated the emergence of the COVID-19 vaccine as a reason for his departure from the position. As the vaccine becomes more widely distributed, more campus activity will resume, and Tadlock felt that resumption of activity would be a good opportunity for a new chancellor to take over. 

“It will be an excellent time for a new regional chancellor to work with our outstanding leadership team to fulfill the bold vision for the future of our campus,” he said. 

Prior to arriving at USF, Tadlock spent 30 years as an educator, beginning his career as a middle school teacher. He served in many other administrative positions during his career as well, including provost and vice president for academic affairs at Bemidji State University and assistant vice chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

The search for a new regional chancellor will begin later in the spring semester, according to Currall.

“It has been an honor to lead USF’s St. Petersburg campus as regional chancellor, but the time is right for a change,” Tadlock said. “I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to President Currall for his generous support for my decision. He graciously offered to extend my contract further but I thought it was a good time for this move.”

Tadlock’s commitment to the betterment of the St. Pete campus is evidenced in his letter to his colleagues to announce his decision. He said that working with all of the members of the St. Pete campus was a “profound privilege.” 

“The USF St. Petersburg campus is a very special place, a tight-knit community of people bound by our common mission of helping students succeed,” he said. “We’ve been through a lot together, from hurricanes to consolidation to the pandemic.

“Through it all, you’ve maintained your dedication and never failed to put the needs of our students first, you continue to inspire me on a daily basis.”