TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 20, 2018) – University of South Florida students, faculty, staff and community members in the Tampa Bay region are invited to attend three upcoming town hall meetings of the USF Consolidation Planning, Study and Implementation Task Force.
The first town hall is scheduled for 3-5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at USF Tampa in the Marshall Student Center, room 3707. Meetings at USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee will be held over the next several weeks.
A portion of each town hall will be dedicated to public comment, however any individuals who are unable to attend a meeting in person can submit their comments online.
“An important part of the process is hearing from students, faculty, staff and community members. In order to do so in a meaningful way, we invite them to hear a status update on the task force’s work and share their comments,” said Dr. Jonathan Ellen, President of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg and chair of the task force.
Full town hall schedule:
- Wednesday, Aug. 22, 3-5 p.m., USF Tampa Marshall Student Center, room 3707.
- Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2-4 p.m., USF St. Petersburg Student Center Ballroom.
- Tuesday, Oct. 2, 3-5 p.m., USF Sarasota-Manatee Selby Auditorium.
As a result of legislation passed during the 2018 session and signed by Gov. Rick Scott, the USF System – comprised of USF Tampa, USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee – must consolidate accreditations under one umbrella by July 1, 2020. The law requires the task force to make recommendations to the USF Board of Trustees on key areas of student access, shared governance, academic programs and campus identity.
The task force is divided into three subcommittees, with each holding a series of public hearings that community members are also encouraged to attend. A full meeting schedule is available online.