The
University of South Florida, also known as
USF, is a member institution of the
State University System of FloridaThe State University System of Florida is a system of eleven public universities in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2011, over 320,000 students were enrolled in Florida's state universities...
, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in
Tampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
,
USAThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 1956, USF is the eighth largest university in the nation and the third largest in the state of Florida, with a total enrollment of 47,122 as of 2009. USF has an autonomous campus in
St. PetersburgThe University of South Florida St. Petersburg , commonly known as USF St. Pete, is an autonomous campus in the University of South Florida system, located in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida by the Tampa Bay waterfront...
, and branch centers in
SarasotaThe University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, also known as USF Sarasota-Manatee, was established in 1975 as a regional campus of the University of South Florida of Tampa, Florida. Initially the university jointly occupied the campus of New College until a new and separate campus was built in...
and
LakelandThe University of South Florida Polytechnic is a campus of the University of South Florida that was established in 1988 in Lakeland, Florida. Along with the main campus in Tampa, Florida, USF Polytechnic has two sister campuses in Sarasota and St...
.
USF is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a "very high research" institution. In its 2010 ranking, the
Intellectual Property Owners AssociationThe Intellectual Property Owners Association is a trade association that is composed of owners of intellectual property and other parties interested in intellectual property law...
placed USF 9th among all universities worldwide in the number of US patents granted. The university has an annual budget of $1.8 billion and an annual economic impact of $3.7 billion.
Twenty USF graduate programs are ranked in the top 100 of the 2012 America’s Best Graduate Schools edition of U.S. News & World Report. USF is also one of the nation's top centers for the advancement in research of treatments for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.
History
USF was founded in 1956. However, the university was not officially named until the following year, and courses did not begin until 1960. Some of the original proposed names included "Citrus State University," "Sunshine State University," "The University of the Western Hemisphere," and "The University of Florida at Temple Terrace". Former US Representative
Sam GibbonsSam Melville Gibbons is a politician from the state of Florida, who served in the Florida State House of Representatives, Florida State Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives.-Early life and education:...
was instrumental in the school's creation when he was a state representative and is considered by many to be the school's founder. It was built on the site of Henderson Air Field, a
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
airstrip. Although located in west-central Florida, at the time of its establishment USF was the southernmost public university in the State of Florida, a geographic situation that lent USF its sometimes confusing name.
The university grew under the leadership of
John AllenJohn Stuart Allen was an American astronomer, university professor and university president. He was a native of Indiana, and pursued a career as a professor of astronomy after receiving his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees...
, who served as its first president from 1957 until his retirement in 1970. During this time, the university expanded rapidly, due in part to the first graduate degree programs commencing in 1964. Under Allen's leadership, USF touted itself as the "Harvard of the South". Allen was known for his opposition to college sports in favor of an environment more academically centered. Allen's ultimate legacy was to be the first person to build a modern state university from scratch: "As a completely new and separate institution, the University of South Florida became the first new institution of its kind to be conceived, planned and built in the United States in the 20th Century." Today, the main administration complex is called The John and Grace Allen Center, named after him and his wife.
USF emerged as a major research institution during the 1980s under the presidency of John Lott Brown President Brown appointed scholarly administrators such as James F. Strange, Dean of Arts and Letters, and Andor Szentivanyi {"The Beta Adrenergic Theory of Asthma"} Dean of Medicine. He also recruited basketball coach Lee Rose, one of the most popular coaches in Bulls history.
Two university hospitals, The H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and USF Psychiatry Center, as well as the college of public health, were built during Brown's presidency. The Brown administration planned for an on campus children's hospital that never materialized and eye institute that opened after Brown's retirement.
Brown's final accomplishment was giving Andor Szentivanyi authority to create a second Department of Pediatrics at
All Children's HospitalAll Children's Hospital is a Pediatric hospital located in St. Petersburg, FloridaIt is the only freestanding children’s hospital on the state's Gulf coast. It has consistently ranked among America’s top 25 children’s hospitals in comparative studies done by Child Magazine, which rated All...
under the leadership of Time coverman
Robert A. Good-External links:** can be found at The Center for the History of Medicine at the Countway Library, Harvard Medical School....
while simultaneously obtaining a Certificate of Need for a Tampa Children's Hospital.
USF played its first football game in 1997. Its marching band, the
Herd of ThunderThe Herd of Thunder is the name for the athletic bands of the University of South Florida, which includes the show band, pep band, and marching band ensembles, although it is often used to refer simply to the Marching Band...
formed in 1999.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal visited USF and was given a ceremonial entrance on October 28, 2010.
Campuses
The University of South Florida System has four institutions: University of South Florida,
USF St. PetersburgThe University of South Florida St. Petersburg , commonly known as USF St. Pete, is an autonomous campus in the University of South Florida system, located in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida by the Tampa Bay waterfront...
,
USF Sarasota-ManateeThe University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, also known as USF Sarasota-Manatee, was established in 1975 as a regional campus of the University of South Florida of Tampa, Florida. Initially the university jointly occupied the campus of New College until a new and separate campus was built in...
and USF Polytechnic. There is also a downtown center in downtown
TampaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. A fourth satellite campus, in
Fort MyersFort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
, was in operation from 1974 until 1997 when campus operations were folded into the new
Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFlorida Gulf Coast University, also known as FGCU, is a coeducational public university located just south of the Southwest Florida International Airport in the South Fort Myers region of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, United States. The university belongs to the 11-campus State University...
. The Fort Myers campus was at the time shared with Edison College, and Edison now controls the entire campus.
USF Polytechnic
USF Polytechnic was established in 1988 as USF Lakeland. It serves over 2,000 students offering over 20 complete undergraduate and graduate degrees through the areas of arts and sciences, business, education, engineering, and information technology. The campus also supports a number of individual classes, electives, web-based courses, certificate programs and program partnerships with the main campus in Tampa.
Sarasota-Manatee campus
USF Sarasota-Manatee was established in 1975, and shared a campus with the
New College of FloridaNew College of Florida is a public liberal arts college located in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded originally as a private institution and is now an autonomous honors college of the State University System of Florida.-History:...
. New College and USF Sarasota-Manatee continued to share campuses until a new campus was built for USF Sarasota Manatee. The new campus opened on August 28, 2006.
St. Petersburg Campus
USF St. Petersburg was established in 1965 in downtown
St. Petersburg, FloridaSt. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
as the "Bayboro Campus". In 2006, USF St. Petersburg was accredited as a separate entity within the University of South Florida system by the
Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
starting with the 2006–2007 school year.
Student government
The Student government, like all Florida student governments, is an agency of the state created under Florida Statute 1004.26. The student government is responsible for advocating for students at the university, local, state and national levels, provides enhancements to student life on and off campus, and the Student Senate allocates and expends over $10 million in Activity and Service fees a year by Florida law. The student government is set up much like the federal government and is bound by the Student Body Constitution, student government statutes, university regulations, and applicable law. The student government employs over 200 students and is housed in the Marshall Student Center building.
The executive administration, headed by the student body president and vice president, oversees several departments (Department of Government Affairs, Department of University and Community Affairs, Department of Student Life and Traditions, and Department of Marketing) and service agencies (SAFE Team, Student Government Computer Services, and Bulls Radio) which allow them to carry out their duties. The Student Body President sits on the University Board of Trustees and is a member of the
Florida Student AssociationThe Florida Student Association is a non-partisan statewide organization of university students formed in 1976 to represent the interests of students of the State University System of Florida...
(FSA). In accordance with the Florida Constitution, the chair of FSA (elected by all other student body presidents) is a member of the Florida Board of Governors which oversees the State University System of Florida.
The student senate, headed by the senate president and senate president pro-tempore, is the voice of the student body, which creates legislation and allocates and expends activity and service fee funds per Florida Statute 1009.24. The senate has 60 seats that are filled by the college. Each college is allotted a certain numbers of seats depending on the size of the college. The Senate carries out its duties mostly through committees. The Senate Executive Committee (SenEx) is made up of the senate president, senate president pro-tempore, and all standing committee chairs and oversees administrative functions of the Senate.
The student supreme court, headed by the chief justice, hears cases involving students and student government and also hears all final parking appeals for students at the Tampa campus.
The SAFE Team Agency is dedicated to providing a heightened level of safety at the University of South Florida. They provide this service by constantly patrolling parking lots throughout the evening and into the early morning, watching for illegal activities. SAFE Team also provides students with a safe and free escort around the campus.
Presidents
| Presidents |
| Person |
Years |
|
Person |
Years |
John S. AllenJohn Stuart Allen was an American astronomer, university professor and university president. He was a native of Indiana, and pursued a career as a professor of astronomy after receiving his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees...
President |
1957-1970 |
|
Francis T. BorkowskiPresident |
1988-1993 |
| Harris DeanInterim President |
1970-1971 |
|
Robert A. BryanRobert Armistead "Bob" Bryan is a former American university professor, administrator and university president. Bryan is a native of Pennsylvania, and earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees before becoming a professor of English literature...
Interim President |
1993-1994 |
| Cecil MackeyPresident |
1971-1976 |
|
Betty CastorBetty Castor , neeElizabeth Bowe, is an American educator and former politician and elected officeholder. Castor was elected to the Florida Senate and the Florida Education Commissioner, and she later served as the President of the University of South Florida, and President of the National Board...
President |
1994-1999 |
W. Reece Smith Jr.William Reece Smith Jr. is an American lawyer. Smith served as the interim president of the University of South Florida, and the president of the American Bar Association....
Interim President |
1976-1977 |
|
Thomas TigheActing President |
Fall 1999 |
| Carl RiggsInterim President |
1977-1978 |
|
Richard PeckInterim President |
1999-2000 |
| John Lott BrownPresident |
1978-1988 |
|
Judy Genshaft Judy Lynn Genshaft is an American educator and university administrator. She is the current president of the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida....
President |
2000–Present |
Academics
In the 2009-2010 academic year, the university awarded 10,805 degrees: 7,863 undergraduate degrees, 2,526 masters degrees, 17 education specialists degrees, 243 doctoral degrees and 156 first professional degrees.
In fall of 2010, the university had a first-time-in-college acceptance rate of 43%. The student-to-faculty ratio was reported as being 20:1. Also for the 2009-2010 academic year, the mean first-time-in-college graduation period was 4.19 years. , of the total student population, there were 36,358 undergraduate students (76 percent), 9,355 graduate students (20 percent), 1,863 non-degree seeking students (4 percent).
, the university offers: 89 undergraduate degrees programs, 97 master degree programs, 2 Ed Specialist degrees, 36 Doctoral Degrees and 4 First Professional degrees (MD). Currently, the most popular and prestigious
dubstepDubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
program, with three separate tracks including a PhD and non-terminal master's degree. .
87 percent of USF faculty members hold terminal degrees: 28 hold endowed professorships and 62 are Distinguished University Professors. There is a total of 1,937 instructional faculty members, 1,303 adjunct professors, and 183 post-doctoral appointees. The student faculty is composed of 1,763 graduate assistants and 2,419 student assistants. (Figures are for the 2006-2007 academic year). USF faculty continue to be recognized on the
global academic stage with over 35 scholars receiving prominent scholarly awards since
2009, including Fulbright, National Science Foundation, AAAS, Guggenheim, and National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships.
Student profile
the student ethnicity profile of the university consisted of: 62.9 percent white students (24,518), 11.8 percent African American students (4,599), 15.8 percent Hispanic students (6,155), 6.5 percent Asian/Pacific Islander (2,775), 0.4 percent American Indian (171) and 1.7 percent of students did not report (665).
The Princeton ReviewThe Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
has ranked the university 17th in nation for diversity among students.
the international student population of the university consisted of 541 undergraduate students, 827 graduate students, and 102 non-degree seeking students, totaling 1,470 international students representing 127 countries.
The class of 2014 earned admission to the university with academic credentials of a middle 50 percent SAT score range of 1110 to 1280, average ACT score of 27, and middle 50 percent high school GPAs of 3.81 to 3.91. While official enrollment figures will not be available until the end of the first day of classes on Aug. 24, USF estimates approximately 4,250 students will be part of the freshman class.
Faculties and schools
USF's 13 colleges and their respective schools are listed below :
- College of Arts and Science
- The School of Humanities
- The School of Social Sciences
- The School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- College of Behavioral & Community Sciences
- College of Business
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
A college of engineering generally refers to an institute which offers engineering course at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level. Either these institutes are part of a university or are affiliated to some university. The duration of the undergraduate course is four to five years depending...
- Honors College
- College of Marine Science
- College of Medicine
- College of Nursing
- College of Pharmacy
- College of Public Health
- College of The Arts
- The School of Architecture & Community Design
- The School of Art & Art History
- The School of Music
- The School of Theatre & Dance
- University College
University College can refer to several institutions:- Canada :* University College, University of Toronto* University College of the North, The Pas, Manitoba* Booth University College, Winnipeg, Manitoba...
ROTC
USF is one of only 38 institutions that host all three (Army, Naval and Air Force ) ROTC programs. With almost 400 students enrolled in the programs and proximity to three major military commands (Central Command, Special Operations Command and Southern Command), the University became the home of the nation's first Joint Military Leadership Center (JMLC). The Center is charged to provide the student cadets/ midshipmen and officer candidates with unique (Joint, Multinational, and Interagency) core competencies and skills in leadership development, global understanding, and military/national defense strategies. The "end state" of the Center's actions is an academically structured, research-based, and values-driven program that educates, trains and prepares military Officers and Service Leaders for their leadership roles in the continuing transformation of the United States Armed Forces and in a dynamic and challenging global environment.
Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR)
The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) is located next to the USF College of Engineering on the USF Tampa Campus. CUTR, established in 1988, is nationally recognized and serves as an important resource for policymakers, transportation professionals, the education system, and the public. With emphasis on developing innovative, implementable solutions to transportation problems, CUTR provides objective transportation expertise in the form of technical support, policy analysis, and research support for its project sponsors.
A significant factor in CUTR's success is the faculty of full-time employees dedicated to conducting research. The multidisciplinary research staff includes experts in economics, planning, engineering, public policy, and geography who develop comprehensive solutions for all modes of transportation while combining academic and "real world" experience.
CUTR conducts $8 million in research annually for a variety of public and private sector sponsors in Florida and the United States, including the Florida Legislature, the Florida Transportation Commission, and state and local governments, agencies, and organizations. Areas of research include public transportation, transportation planning, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), transportation demand management (TDM), transportation economics and finance, geographic information systems, access management, alternative fuels, and transportation safety, among others.
CUTR houses the National Center for Transit Research (NCTR), designated by the U.S. Congress in 1991 and reaffirmed in 1998 and in 2002, and the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute, sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration and in partnership with the University of California-Berkeley. Through NCTR and NBRTI, CUTR conducts research projects in rapidly growing urban areas to develop innovative, pragmatic approaches that will enable public transportation to better meet the evolving needs of U.S. citizens.
CUTR has been criticized for having an anti-rail bias by a Florida state senator, an allegation which CUTR's director has denied.
Libraries
The USF Libraries consist of six libraries: the Tampa Library on the main campus; the Poynter Library on the St. Petersburg campus; the Jane Bancroft Cook Library on the Sarasota campus; a new library on the Lakeland campus; and the special libraries. The special libraries are the Shimberg Health Sciences Library and the Florida Mental Health Institute Research Library; the special libraries are also located on the main campus.
Tampa Library
Located on the main campus, the USF Tampa Library serves as the main research center for the University of South Florida.
The USF Library offers access to over 1.3 million books and an extensive selection of print and electronic resources, including 52,000 e-journal subscriptions, 443,000 e-books, and over 800 databases containing articles, media and other materials. Patrons also have access to collections of audio/visual materials including videos, CDs, DVDs, and even LPs.
The Tampa Library advertises itself as a place for students and faculty to meet, study, conduct research, and complete group assignments. Library facilities provide computer access and individual and group seating areas. The first and second floors have extensive seating, wireless access and electrical connections for laptops, and over 140 computer workstations. The first floor also houses the reference desk, a writing center, an IT help desk, a circulation desk, and a Starbuck’s Cafe. The second floor of the library includes the periodicals area, media resources, library instruction labs, and a tutoring services office.
Students and faculty also have access to specialized research assistance and information literacy instruction from librarians. Assistance is available from research and reference librarians either by appointment, on-line via the library website, by phone, or in a classroom setting.
In addition to electronic and print resources, the USF Tampa Library offers unique access to primary research materials through Special Collections, which is located on the 4th floor. Specializations include Florida history and politics, American literature, medieval manuscripts, juvenile literature, rare books, and sheet music. The Library’s Florida Studies Center is also housed in Special Collections. Established in 1998, the center draws on Special Collections materials and technological services to promote arts and humanities education on Florida and its people to students, teachers and the general public.
Overnight Access
During the majority of the Fall and Spring semesters, active students and faculty carrying their USF ID card may access the USF Tampa Library during overnight hours (Midnight to 7:30am) on a 24/5 schedule; Friday and Saturday nights the library closes at 6:00pm to all.
The Arts
The College of The Arts is continually developing as a distinguished metropolitan-based center for learning and research in the arts, preparing tomorrow's artists, scholars, and arts leaders as they explore new forms of artistic expression and examine contemporary perspectives within the arts. Faculty and students critically investigate and sustain the ideas, traditions, and practices in which the present is grounded through a full range of educational experiences; students are prepared to create, perform, present, teach, and understand through the arts. The College of The Arts consists of: Theatre, Dance, Music and more.
School of Architecture and Community Design
The School of Architecture and Community Design emphasizes architecture and community design proficiency, technical competency, and applied research. The school seeks to create environments in which students and faculty can: experience and appreciate the poetry of architecture; study all forms of community and human habitat; understand the connection between past and present architecture; master the technologies necessary to create a sound, ecological world; develop a vision of what such a world might be; and assume leadership roles in helping achieve this vision.
School of Art and Art History
The School of Art and Art History studies visual culture, both past and present and recognizes the power of an image to represent a certain society in many facets. They continue to uphold the values of their study by embracing all of the communities within their discipline. Among the programs in the school are art history, printmaking, photography, painting and drawing, sculpture, ceramics, digital video and electronic arts. The School of Art and Art History proves to be a place where growth and a higher understanding of visual culture is encouraged and expected. One of its staple events is called "ArtHouse" and it happens on the same night as the annual juried student show where all of the student studios are open with current work on display for the public to walk through.
School of Music
The School of Music invites students to gain a higher understanding of the musical nature in order to develop the necessary skills to succeed in their profession. The many studies offered include composition, electronic music, jazz, voice, winds, strings, piano, percussion, conducting, and music education as well as numerous ensembles. The school is dedicated to educate and inspire students to learn, grow and achieve. They hold many concerts for each individual study.
New music building
USF is an ever expanding institution and in their quest to improve their facilities, USF has a new School of Music Building. With the ground breaking on January 29, 2009, the building opened during the Spring semester of 2011 with a grand performance and ribbon cutting on March 31, 2011. The building consists of 104000 square feet (9,661.9 m²) of space featuring three performance venues: a 500-seat, acoustically superior concert hall, a Student Recital Hall, and a Conference Center. The building also houses three rehearsal spaces for large ensembles, fifty practice rooms, a dedicated music education classroom, four general use classrooms, as well as an electronic piano lab, and a composition lab.
School of Theatre and Dance
The School of Theatre and Dance offers an intense program with the purpose of molding the students into better artists, exposing students to multiple successful professionals in their field and communicating technique. Both Theatre and Dance avail themselves to each others’ skill, undertaking several multidisciplinary projects throughout the year. Dance programs offer disciplined study of both ballet and modern dance while Theatre offers greater understanding of performance and design. Both include classes involved with theory in their area of study.
Events
The College of the Arts puts on and sponsors well over 350 events per year all around the Tampa Bay Area, creating an environment in which patrons of the arts can have an incredible viewing and listening experience.
Research in Art
USF's Contemporary Art Museum features regular exhibitions of contemporary art, including a show of faculty work every three years and an annual juried student show. USF also operates
GraphicstudioGraphicstudio is a university-based workshop engaged in a unique experiment in art and education, committed to research and the application of traditional and new techniques for the production of limited edition prints and sculpture multiples...
, an art studio and print shop which has hosted artists like
Roy LichtensteinRoy Lichtenstein was a prominent American pop artist. During the 1960s his paintings were exhibited at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York City and along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, James Rosenquist and others he became a leading figure in the new art movement...
,
Robert RauschenbergRobert Rauschenberg was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations...
,
James RosenquistJames Rosenquist is an American artist and one of the protagonists in the pop-art movement.-Background and education:...
, and
Allan McCollumAllan McCollum is a contemporary American artist who was born in Los Angeles, California in 1944, and now lives and works in New York City. He has spent over forty years exploring how objects achieve public and personal meaning in a world constituted in mass production, focusing most recently on...
. Regular exhibitions of student work are featured in the William and Nancy Oliver Gallery and the student-run Centre Gallery in the Marshall Center.
Housing
Despite the rise in demand for on-campus housing, only fifteen percent of USF's student body (approximately 5,500 students) lives in a university residence hall in 2010. Many students find it more cost effective and desirable to live in area apartment complexes that cater to students. These "resident commuters" make up the majority of the student body. Since 2008, USF has enforced a mandatory housing requirement coupled with mandatory meal plans. This has led to criticism of the housing department. This new rule has been enforced since Fall 2009. Students exempt from this new rule include students who remain living with their parents and/or legal guardians within Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties, students above the age of 21 by the first day of fall classes, students with a dependent child or family member, or students who are married.
In recent years, Housing and Residential Education has had an on-again-off-again relationship with The Edge, one of two high rise residential buildings on the north side of campus. It has been used as overflow housing several times in the University's history. At these times, it was known as Fontana Hall. In 2011 it was announced that the building had been purchased by Landmark Residential, renamed Sky Tower Suites, and that it would be the first "Affiliated" off campus apartment in the area.
Then Andros Complex, on-campus housing, was built from 1960 to 1965. Each hall was named after a
Greek letterThe Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
. During this period, an ambitious fundraising campaign called "Dollars for Dorms" was initiated and appealed to individual and business interests in the Tampa Bay area. Older residence halls, such as Beta Hall (which houses freshmen only),
Betty CastorBetty Castor , neeElizabeth Bowe, is an American educator and former politician and elected officeholder. Castor was elected to the Florida Senate and the Florida Education Commissioner, and she later served as the President of the University of South Florida, and President of the National Board...
Hall (formerly Gamma Hall, women-only), and Kosove Apartments (formerly Alpha Hall, upperclassmen) received extensive remodeling in the early 2000s. The other Greek letter residence halls (named in order from
Delta to
Mu) are built in a confined community area known as the Andros Complex.
Newer housing subdivisions, such as the Cypress Suites and Apartments, Maple Hall, Holly Apartments, Greek Village and the Magnolia Apartments, were built in the late 1990s. The last of them, the Cypress complex, was completed in the summer of 2004. Juniper-Poplar Hall, formerly Magnolia Hall, opened August 7, 2009 adding 1,050 beds to USF and a new dining hall on the first floor.
Greek life
USF has a very large community centered around
Greek lifeFraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. Listed below are the fraternities and sororities sponsored by USF.
| Fraternities |
Sororities |
- Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates...
- Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
- Chi Phi
The Chi Phi ' Fraternity is an American College Social Fraternity that was established as the result of the merger of three separate organizations that were each known as Chi Phi. The oldest active organization that took part in the union was originally founded in 1824 at Princeton...
- Delta Chi
Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men...
- Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
- Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
- Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
- Phi Mu Alpha
- Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina...
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
- Sigma Beta Rho
The North-American Interfraternity Conference , is an association of collegiate men's fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates where each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate...
- Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
- Sigma Lambda Beta
Sigma Lambda Beta is the largest Latino-based social fraternity established on cultural understanding and wisdom. Founded on April 4, 1986 at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, the organization is committed to create and expand multicultural leadership, promote academic excellence, advance...
- Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
- Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
- Theta Chi
Theta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities.-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta...
- Zeta Beta Tau
Zeta Beta Tau was founded in 1898 as the nation's first Jewish fraternity, although it is no longer sectarian. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is one of the largest, numbering over 140,000 initiated Brothers, and over 90 chapter locations.-Founding:The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was...
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Alpha Delta PiAlpha Delta Pi is a fraternity founded on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Alpha Delta Pi is one of the two "Macon Magnolias," a term used to celebrate the bonds it shares with Phi Mu...
Alpha Kappa AlphaAlpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
Alpha Kappa Delta Phialpha Kappa Delta Phi is an Asian American interest sorority founded at the University of California, Berkeley.-History:...
Alpha Omicron PiAlpha Omicron Pi is an international women's fraternity promoting friendship for a lifetime, inspiring academic excellence and lifelong learning, and developing leadership skills through service to the Fraternity and community. ΑΟΠ was founded on January 2, 1897 at Barnard College on the campus...
Chi OmegaChi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee....
Delta Delta DeltaDelta Delta Delta , also known as Tri Delta, is an international sorority founded on November 27, 1888, the eve of Thanksgiving Day. With over 200,000 initiates, Tri Delta is one of the world's largest NPC sororities.-History:...
Delta GammaDelta Gamma is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.-History:...
Kappa DeltaKappa Delta was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School , in Farmville, Virginia. It is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university...
Sigma Delta TauSigma Delta Tau is a national sorority and member of the National Panhellenic Conference, was founded March 25, 1917 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The original name, Sigma Delta Phi, was changed after the women discovered a sorority with the same name already existed...
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Zeta Tau AlphaZeta Tau Alpha is a women's fraternity, founded October 15, 1898 at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia. The Executive office is located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
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University and student media
Beginning in 1961, USF's first student newspaper was the Campus Edition of
The Tampa Times, a now defunct local afternoon newspaper. It was succeeded by
The Oracle which was first published on September 6, 1966 as a weekly. Today
The Oracle is published four times a week (previously five, due to budget cuts) and has a circulation of more than 12,000.
In spring of 2009, an underground satire newspaper known as the Monocle began. During the school year it is published monthly.
The student radio station, Bulls Radio, is located in the Marshall Student Center.
In 1963, the school began to operate WUSF, an FM station which offers classical and jazz music and National Public Radio (NPR) programming.
The major television studio associated with USF is
WUSF-TVWUSF-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service Public television station in Tampa, Florida, broadcasting on digital channel 34. Owned by the University of South Florida, WUSF-TV signed on in 1966....
studios. The station is funded by local corporate and private contributors as well as the
Corporation for Public BroadcastingThe Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a non-profit corporation created by an act of the United States Congress, funded by the United States’ federal government to promote public broadcasting...
(CPB) and is affiliated with the
Public Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(PBS). It has been serving the Tampa Bay area for nearly 50 years. Full-time employees as well as part-time student trainees and those seeking
mass communicationMass communication is the term used to describe the academic study of the various means by which individuals and entities relay information through mass media to large segments of the population at the same time...
course credit staff the state-of-the-art facility.
Traditions
| Alma mater | Golden Brahman March (fight song) |
Hail to Thee, our Alma Mater
- May thy name be told,
- Where above thy gleaming splendor,
- Waves the green and gold.
- Thou our guide in quest for knowledge.
- Where we all are free
- University of South Florida,
- Alma Mater, Hail to thee!
- Be our guide in truth and wisdom
- As we onward go,
- May thy glory, fame and honor
- Never cease to grow;
- May our thoughts and prayers
- be with thee through eternity,
- University of South Florida,
- Alma Mater, Hail to thee!
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USF Bulls are we,
- We hold our standard upright and free.
- For Green and Gold we stand united.
- Our beacon lighted and noble to see.
- USF Bulls are we,
- For USF will always be.
- With all our might we fight the battle
- here and now, and we will win the victory!
- (shout!) S-O-U-T-H F-L-O-R-I-D-A
- South Florida, South Florida
- Go Bulls!
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Athletics
The
South Florida Bulls compete in NCAA Division I, USF is a member of the
Big East ConferenceThe Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
, and has been since 2005. The university currently sponsors varsity sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, golf, football, men's and women's soccer, softball, tennis, cross country, track, volleyball, sailing, lacrosse. USF also has a wide variety of club sports including: Aikido, Australian Football, Badminton, Bowling, Copoeira, Fencing, Climbing, Cricket, Cycling, Equestrian, Field Hockey, Fishing, Flag Football, Ice Hockey, Ice Skating, Golf, Men's and Women's Lacrosse, Men's and Women's Rugby, Quidditch, Paintball, Racquetball, Rowing, Scuba, Skateboarding, Skimboarding, Skydiving, Surfing, Swimming, Waterpolo, Tennis, Ultimate Frisbee, and Wrestling.
Aside from their growing athletic accomplishments, the USF Bulls excel in the classroom with 162 student-athletes names to the 2009-10 Big East All-Academic Team.
Notable alumni and attendees
The University of South Florida has more than 228,000 alumni. USF alumni can be found in all 50 states and 124 foreign countries.
Major business enterprises run by USF graduates include
AvonAvon Products, Inc. is a US cosmetics, perfume and toy seller with markets in over 140 countries across the world and sales of $9.9 billion worldwide as of 2007.-Business Model:...
,
BEA systemsBEA Systems, Inc. specialized in enterprise infrastructure software products known as "middleware", which connect software applications to databases and was acquired by Oracle Corporation on April 29, 2008.- History :...
, Disneyland International,
FedExFedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
,
GoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
,
Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
, TECO Energy Inc., and
SymantecSymantec Corporation is the largest maker of security software for computers. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 stock market index.-History:...
among many others. University of South Florida alumni have also led such professional and governmental regulatory bodies such as the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the
International Astronomical UnionThe International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
, and the Office of the Navy Surgeon General. In addition, USF alumni have been members of and held positions in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Florida State Senate and House of Representatives, and the Florida Secretary of State. South Florida alumni have been the presidents of the
Central Michigan UniversityCentral Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
,
Cedarville UniversityCedarville University is a private, co-educational liberal arts university located in Cedarville, Ohio.At its founding, the school was affiliated with the conservative General Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America. Today, Cedarville is a Southern Baptist school known for its...
, and
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
among others. Alumni have won many distinguished awards including Emmy Awards and the Pulitzer Prize.
External links