Not all students can access upper levels of Honors College, dean says

Guests will still be allowed at upper levels if accompanied by an honors student, or by checkin in at the front desk at the main level of the building, according to Honors College Dean Charles Adams. ORACLE PHOTO/MRIDULA SINGH

Starting Monday, levels three, four and five of the Judy Genshaft Honors College building will be exclusive to students of the college and their guests.

Access will only be granted for honors students, faculty and staff with their USFCard, according to the Nov. 14 email sent to the honors community. USFCards will grant entrance to elevators and staircases leading to the upper floors.

“Requiring Honors USFCard access will help us prioritize honors students’ access to the study, classroom and studio spaces,” Dean Charles Adams wrote in the email.

Adams told The Oracle in a Jan. 18 article that he wanted to build a space for students whether they were in the honors college or not.

“I don’t want this to be, what I called it at one point, ‘fortress honors,’” Adams said. “This is not a place just for honor students.”

The Oracle has reached out to Adams for comment on what prompted the change in access. No answer was provided at the time of publication.

Levels three, four and five house learning lofts, classrooms, a computer lab, conference rooms and the Dean’s Suite.

Access to the honors college outdoor areas, first and second levels will remain unchanged, according to Adams. All students, staff and guests will still be able to use amenities such as event spaces, Buddy Brew Cafe and the amphitheater in the first and second floor of the building.

If honors students forget their USFCard, the email stated they can request access from peers or Honors ambassadors, which are members of a team of students that can be located at the front desk and around the college.

Details on what classifies a “guest” and who will be able to request access to the upper levels was not specified in the email.

The building operations were changed in order to extend hours and to improve accessibility for students in the “near future,” according to Adams. The statement did not include details on how the new rules will improve accessibility to resources.

Adams wrote in the email that there are more updates to come.

Julia Saad, Staff Writer

Julia Saad started as a news correspondent in fall 2022. During Saad's tenure at The Oracle, she has covered a variety of news. However, Saad's favorite topic to cover is being able to place readers in the ambient environments of USF events.

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