The University of South Florida’s plan to consolidate its three campuses was granted approved today by the executive council of the regional accrediting agency that oversees higher education in the southern United States.
The decision by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) authorizes a single accreditation for the Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota campuses and allows USF to comply with a Florida law passed in 2018 and amended in 2019 that mandates consolidation effective July 1, 2020.
“Today marks a historic milestone for our university,” USF President Steven Currall said. “Consolidation will provide USF students and faculty on all of our campuses with access to a broader array of opportunities and now every USF student will earn their degree from a Preeminent State Research University. USF is proud to partner with, and serve, communities across the broader Tampa Bay region.”
The university’s next steps will be to document that the consolidated USF complies with SACSCOC’s Principles of Accreditation and to prepare for a site visit by a SACSCOC committee, which is a standard requirement of accreditation. The visit will be conducted later this year or early next year and will include time on all three campuses, the Morsani College of Medicine in downtown Tampa, and possibly other off-campus instructional sites.
“Consolidation is an extensive and complex process and we are grateful for the many valuable contributions of faculty, staff and students from each campus as well as other stakeholders from across the Tampa Bay region and the State of Florida,” USF Board of Trustees Chair Jordan Zimmerman said. “The University of South Florida is on a remarkable upward trajectory and we will be an even stronger institution as our three campuses come together under a single accreditation.”
More information about USF’s consolidation process is available online.