EDUCATION INTERVIEW
Student benefits Consolidation of USF is expected to provide students with greater flexibility when taking courses offered at other campuses
Steven Currall President University of South Florida What curriculum changes are you applying to maintain an edge in the face of a changing labor market? Florida state law passed in 2018 requires us to consolidate all three of our campuses into a single, accredited university. One aspect of this consolidation is integrating what we call general education. It is the core curriculum for undergraduates. One of the great advantages of consolidation is that it will facilitate students taking advantage of courses that are offered at other campuses. A student in Saint Petersburg will now have greater access to courses offered in Tampa and vice versa. The same applies to Sarasota. We think this will strengthen our region as a whole. We are investing in information technology resources that enable students to capitalize on online resources to connect to the courses electronically across all three campuses. How is USF preparing students to enter the growing workforce in the Tampa Bay region? We tackle this issue through collaborations with our corporate partners. Mainly, the employers. We launched the Jabil Innovation Institute, which is a seven-figure commitment spearheaded by Jabil as an addition to the collaborative research we undertake with their engineers. There are also internship opportunities and input that Jabil will give us on curriculum requirements in terms of the qualifications they need from their present and future employees. It allows us to update our curriculums and maintain a solid spirit of improvement, staying fresh and current for our employers. The key to the future of USF and the region is the symbiotic relationship between the university and employers. Engagement with investors in Tampa Bay and other corporate partners, including the analytics that come from either nonprofit or forprofit consulting firms, also enables us to stay up-to-
date on labor market trends. We continually engage in conversations surrounding evolving labor market dynamics and how we can continue to adjust to them as they change in the Tampa Bay region. What is your near-term outlook for higher education in the state of Florida? The state of Florida has been quite generous to higher education in recent years. We are grateful for it but we are far from done. We still need to elevate our higher education sector to compete with other states, such as California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania and many others. We have great universities but there is still much work to do to develop an even more mature higher education market to fuel economic growth in the state. www.capitalanalyticsassociates.com
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