BOT to meet today for final 2015 meeting
The full USF Board of Trustees (BOT) will meet today to discuss a number of important issues that are up for approval.
In its ongoing effort to maintain a roster of competitive and high-quality degree programs, USF conducts a review of every program every two years. The requirements for each program include at least 45 bachelor’s, 30 master’s and 15 doctoral degrees in each five-year period.
The BOT will decide today whether they believe the linguistic and applied language studies Ph.D program will be able to meet those standards. In addition, the program will have to prove viable in postgraduate employment potential and sustainable from a faculty contribution standpoint.
According to the agenda for today’s meeting, the program “supports USF’s strategic plan as it is fully aligned with the Quality Enhancement Plan” and will prepare graduates for academic and private sector positions that require language expertise.
Meanwhile, the BOT will decide whether to terminate both the bachelor’s degrees in American Studies and also foreign language education, as well as the master’s in the former.
According to the agenda, both programs have seen declining numbers of graduations, and termination would allow the university to refocus the current curriculum.
Additionally, the BOT will have to reach a decision regarding a proposal to extend the Campus Development Agreement, which the university currently holds with the City of Tampa.
The agreement — to improve certain facilities and services on campus — was set to expire Dec. 31 of this year.
Also on the agenda is the approval of USF President Judy Genshaft’s Presidential Evaluation.
Genshaft, whose contract is up for renewal as it ends next year, has met most of the goals she has set in her 15 years as president. Among those goals have been increasing USF’s research ranking to the top 10th percentile, fundraising millions of dollars for the university and improving USF Health’s relationship with its teaching hospital, Tampa General Hospital.
The BOT will also discuss updates to the proposed on-campus Publix, which will go before the Florida Board of Governors in January.
The next BOT meeting will be for the Academics and Campus Environment Workgroup on Feb. 9, 2016.
More Stories
Florida lawmakers talk political polarization at USF Tampa
USF Student Government (SG) brought state leaders to campus Wednesday night in an effort to inform students about the impacts of political polarization. In the hour-and-a-half discussion, the officials encouraged students to get involved and be respectful, regardless of who they voted for. The guest speakers for the event were Florida House Republican Representative Karen […]
USF new student enrollment increased by 14% this fall
This fall, USF welcomed around 6,700 new Bulls across its three campuses, marking a 14% uptick in arrivals from the year before. After seeing the increase, professors and students are sharing the benefits and drawbacks they see with the increased enrollment. Doctoral student and instructor Rio Tate said the increase in incoming students shows people […]
Compass Group to replace Aramark as USF’s dining, facilities partner
After 22 years of partnership with Aramark, the time has come for some staff members to receive brand-new badges and uniforms. The university announced a new dining and facilities partnership with Compass Group last month. USF will sever its partnership with Aramark in favor of a multi-million dollar cost-saving deal with Compass. The change will […]
Meet the USF custodians who work to keep campus clean
After work, Gloria Murphy goes to her daughter’s house. They talk, turn on old television shows and laugh with Murphy’s grandsons. That’s how the 65-year-old custodian plans to spend her time when she retires in January. For 26 years, Murphy has been one of the 83 custodians who keep USF’s academic buildings clean – from […]
UP says ‘suspicious article’ found at USF is not a threat
The “suspicious article” found on campus Tuesday evening is not a threat, said Michael Lavelle, a University Police (UP) spokesperson. Lavelle said UP was conducting a “multi-agency” training exercise when it encountered the object around 4:30 p.m. near USF Redbud Lane and USF Sycamore Drive. UP did not provide an exact location or description of […]
New USF SG leaders plan to tackle parking, funding issues
Aviral Gupta, a newly-elected Tampa Campus Senator, said being a leader in Student Government (SG) means representing his classmates’ voices. Before moving from India to the U.S. this year, Gupta had previous SG experience and served as head boy in his high school. “We have a student government that represents the student body,” Gupta said. […]