Students say that USF St. Petersburg’s rich academic core in the arts and sciences, business, and education, combined with a stellar faculty and exceptional community-outreach programs, creates a contagious energy and an unstoppable can-do spirit on its waterfront campus. A premier urban university, USF St. Petersburg is a vibrant community of scholars that offers its diverse student body a unique educational experience.
The university is ideally suited to students seeking a small-college atmosphere that also offers access to a large metropolitan research university. Our distinguished faculty conduct far-reaching, collaborative research that yields ground-breaking discoveries. At the same time, faculty members engage students in service projects and partnerships that complement their formal education and enhance the community’s social, economic and intellectual life.
As we prepare students to become active and engaged citizens of the world, USF St. Petersburg fosters a superior learning environment that demands academic excellence while promoting student retention through participation in both curricular and co-curricular programs. Through thoughtful planning and policy implementation, the university has created an inviting and culturally enriching community that values and respects all individuals, and one in which students, faculty and staff represent the diversity of the region. At USF St. Petersburg, it is people that make us unstoppable.
A Facility Designed for Business
Currently headquartered in the Bayboro Station building on the south side of campus, the USF St. Petersburg College of Business will move to a new facility that will expand upon and enhance the historic Dali Museum. By remodeling existing space along with adding new construction, the university will create a state-of-the-art, multi-use facility that will include modern classrooms, computer labs, faculty offices, study rooms, an auditorium and combined-use areas to serve groups for both academic and community outreach functions.
The new College of Business facility is anticipated to be a three- or four-story structure of more than 60,000 square feet. When completed, it will broaden academic and research opportunities for students and will be designed as an environmentally responsible building to meet the rigorous standards of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
Your generous gift to help revitalize this prestigious building may be recognized through the naming of a significant space within the facility in your honor or that of a loved one. Possible naming opportunities include the lobby, special-events atrium, dean’s suite, board room, auditorium and faculty offices. Your gift may also be eligible for state matching funds.
Scholarships to Fund the Next Generation
Financial aid to deserving students is an essential component in the recruitment of a diverse and talented student body that is central to a vibrant university community. USF St. Petersburg is committed to meeting the demonstrated financial need of all qualified students who are admitted. As the expenses associated with academic scholarships and other financial aid programs continue to rise, the university relies ever more heavily on the generosity of alumni and friends to support our students through endowed and current-use scholarship programs.
Florida Leader Scholarships, which can be worth up to $10,000 per academic year, are awarded to Florida residents who show particular aptitude for scholarly leadership or research. USF Opportunity Scholarships reward deserving undergraduates who are the first members of their families to attend college or whose financial circumstances make college beyond their reach. These need-based awards provide up to $5,000 per academic year.
By making a generous gift to support scholarships at USF St. Petersburg, you are investing in the future by making it possible for qualified students to reach their full potential. Those students represent a solid return on your investment as they go on to become the scientists, educators and cutting-edge entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
Recognizing the value of private support for public higher education, the state of Florida provides an exciting incentive to donors who support scholarships at USF St. Petersburg. Your gift to student financial aid will have a great deal more impact when combined with a matching contribution through one of the state’s matching gift programs.
Program Enhancements
The future is bright at USF St. Petersburg, but substantial additional funding is required to ensure that the university’s quest for excellence continues unabated. Many of our forward-thinking initiatives are supported through endowed funds and current-use gifts that make it possible for students and faculty to thrive in a robust intellectual environment.
For example, our Honors Program offers talented, highly motivated students an exceptional college experience that is not only challenging but deepens their overall education. The program, which includes specifically designed seminars that span the sciences and humanities, encourages rigorous scholarship in small classes where students and professors can freely exchange ideas.
USF St. Petersburg is also home to the Wally and Louise Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership, which promotes the study and practice of good leadership through interdisciplinary research, teaching and experiential learning across the university’s curriculum. The center develops and offers academic courses, workshops and special programs to help students understand the challenges, opportunities and rewards associated with ethical leadership.
Through a wide variety of similar cutting-edge academic and cultural programming, USF St. Petersburg will continue to challenge conventional thinking and pave the way toward a successful future. We hope you will join us on the journey.
