18 faculty, staff, admin dismissed this semester
Maria Crummett, associate vice president for global affairs, was hand-delivered a letter of nonreappointment last week.
The letter also indicated Crummett — who has worked at USF since 1996, was named International Person of the Year by the Tampa Bay Organization of Women in International Trade earlier this month, traveled with Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn on a development trip to Brazil last month and served as a Fulbright Ambassador last year — would be dismissed from her position as an administrator in the College of Business and Administration not for disciplinary reasons, but “rather the exercise of the university’s prerogative to discontinue (her) appointment … as part of USF World’s budget reduction and reallocation.”
Crummett was one of 18 USF faculty, staff and administrators who received notices of nonreappointment or layoff this semester due to nondisciplinary actions or “dismissal for causes.”
The letter granted Crummett 90 days of paid leave and instructed her that it “will not be necessary for (her) to return to your office.”
“We will, of course, make arrangements with you at a mutually agreeable time to collect your personal belongings from your current office,” the letter, signed by Vice Provost Dwayne Smith for Provost Ralph Wilcox, stated.
The university has been undergoing budget reductions since August when USF President Judy Genshaft emailed faculty and staff saying a “new normal” would be coming to USF.
— Staff report
More Stories
Thank you to Oracle readers and supporters
Dear reader: In April, we told you of The Oracle’s challenges as we transition to a fully-digital paper – from budget cuts to a lack of updated technology. We asked for your help and you stepped up. Through your contributions, we raised over $800 just one month after announcing our new fund with the USF […]
Florida’s ‘Stop Woke’ law could endanger USF students’ education, professors say
Elizabeth Aranda has been educating students on Latino history for over two decades. Aranda, a USF sociology professor, said she wouldn’t be able to do her job if Florida’s “Stop Woke” law were put into effect. “Imagine you are an orchestra conductor but you’re missing every third page of the musical score,” Aranda said. “There […]
USF’s decision to replace ‘cultural icon’ Pollo Tropical is disappointing, students say
Upon arriving in Tampa, junior criminology major Ana Hernandez said she felt a certain culture shock. Hernandez, who moved from Venezuela to Miami as a child, found it hard to find familiar food as often as she did in Miami, where the Hispanic community is bigger. USF’s on-campus Pollo Tropical, located just a brief walk […]
New USF residential hall at the Sarasota-Manatee campus to open in August
USF Sarasota-Manatee will open its first residential hall in late August, joining Tampa and St. Pete as a residential campus. With a $43.95 million price tag, the new building will serve as both a student center and residential hall. It will open on Aug. 23, the Friday before fall classes begin. The dorm will allow […]
USF professors discuss 2024 primary: ‘Do not skip this election’
The clock is ticking with less than a month left to register by July 22 for this year’s primary election. With critical races like local school boards and Senate on the line, USF professors are urging students to make their voices heard this election season. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan is a political science professor and the […]
Former USF football player killed in car crash
Former USF tight end Teigan Martin was killed in a single-car crash in Minnesota on Monday morning, according to the Carver County Sheriff’s office. First responders responded to a report of a crash on County Road 122 near Hollywood Township, MN, just after 5 a.m., according to a sheriff’s press release. Deputies discovered a vehicle […]