USF Consolidation

Overview

Due to the planned consolidation during the summer of 2020, of the University of South Florida, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, into a single university with a fully aligned and integrated curriculum and a single set of academic policies and procedures, any undergraduate or graduate student who matriculates at one of the three USF institutions on or after May 28, 2020, will adhere to the curricula, policies, and procedures described in the 2020-21 USF undergraduate or graduate catalog, respectively.

The following information represents historical information related to the development of the legislatively mandated Consolidation Implementation Plan & Timeline as of March 19, 2019. For more information about USF’s accreditation, please visit our SACSCOC accreditation page.

About USF CONSOLIDATION

In March 2018, Governor Rick Scott signed the Florida Excellence in Higher Education Act of 2018, requiring the University of South Florida Tampa, USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee to consolidate accreditations under one umbrella. The USF System now will begin a planning process to implement the law.

USF's highest priority remains the success of our students by providing a world-class education. While a single, unified accreditation will elevate the success of all students and faculty, the law also has accounted for key measures that will uphold the distinctiveness of each campus, its leadership and budget while providing transparent accountability across the entire university and its campuses.

The consolidated accreditation does not go into effect immediately; rather, it will be officially completed on July 1, 2020. During the transition, all campuses will retain their accreditation, and at no time will any USF campus lapse in accreditation. For more information about the Consolidation for Accreditation after March 19, 2019, please visit our SACSCOC Consolidation website.

Find archived information about the USF Consolidation Planning Study and Implementation Task Force. 

The consolidation process is governed by a set of guiding principles that ensure USF maintains its accreditation, strengthens its stature as a Preeminent Research University and preserves the distinctive identities of each of the three campuses.  

Please refer to the FAQ page for a list of common questions about the new law.