Digging into the Archives: Looking Back on 40 years of Honors at USF

BY DR. CAYLA LANIER, ASSISTANT DEAN, SARASOTA-MANATEE CAMPUS, CLASS OF ‘03

THE 2022-2023 ACADEMIC YEAR reflects two special anniversaries: 40 years since the inception of the University Honors Program in 1983, and 20 years since the transition to an Honors College in 2003. To celebrate these milestones, Honors alumna and Assistant Dean Cayla Lanier dug into the archives, and her memories, to reflect on how the program has evolved over the years.

I FIRST STEPPED FOOT on USF’s Tampa campus in March 1999. I had already put down a housing deposit at that university a little further north up I-75, but an invitation to USF’s Honors Program had me second-guessing my choice. So, my mom and I visited USF and I quickly fell in love with the bright pink bougainvillea, tropical climate, and palpable energy and excitement on campus.

I came back a few months later for Orientation, and got lost navigating my way from the old Marshall Student Center to Cooper Hall for the required Honors Program meeting. Upon entering the classroom, I was offered two triangles of a Publix ringleader sandwich, a spot on the floor, and a warm welcome from a quirky fellow in black jeans and a golf shirt, who was in dire need of a haircut. When he introduced himself as the dean, my eyebrows shot up and I sneaked a few looks around the room to see if any- one else was as surprised as I was. First impressions aside, Dr. Silverman quickly ingratiated himself to me and others with his advice. “When it gets hard, and it inevitably will, come find me. We’ll work it out and you will be just fine here.” Since that day, I have called on his advice more times than I can count and he has never failed me.

After graduating with a B.S. in Marketing and Honors College distinction (one of the first to graduate under that new name in 2003), I pursued a Master’s degree, got married, and eventually found my way back to Tampa to start my career. When I saw an opening for an Honors Academic Advising job, I applied immediately. My interview committee was made up of Dean Silverman, all of my old advisors, and a few new faces. I was thrilled to get a call just a few hours later from Dr. Silverman welcoming me to the team.

I began my professional career with the Honors College in October 2008, joining a team of just eleven people: Dean Silverman and Dr. Kleine, the Associate Dean, a development officer, five advisors, two admin support staff, and of course, Mr. Friday, longtime college receptionist at the front desk. We had 275 freshmen in our 2008 class, and the entire college totaled around 1,200 students. Today, fourteen years later, we inhabit our fourth location on campus while our fifth and final location is nearing completion. Our second dean, Dr. Charles Adams, leads a staff of over 30 professionals, including a cohort of full-time Honors faculty, and we serve over 2,500 students on three different campuses. Despite this growth, the fabric of the college has not changed. When I first walked into Dr. Silverman’s office, I noticed a sign that proclaimed, “It’s the students, stupid!” The sign is now in Dean Adams’s office, along with the sentiment; the Judy Genshaft Honors College remains committed to serving students, mentoring their academic and personal growth, and sharing in their successes.

When Dr. Silverman planned his retirement in 2014, it felt like the end of an era. He had spent nearly 40 years at USF, most of them directing the Honors Program. Sharon Geiger, 2002 the program’s second employee and Dr. Silverman’s right-hand woman, planned to retire at the same time, meaning the bulk of the institutional memory was leaving. I recruited five students to undertake a joint senior thesis to capture oral histories and document as much of the history of the college as they could. Many of the pictures in this article were preserved thanks to their work.

As I listened to the interview recordings in preparation for this article, my heart warmed at hearing familiar voices. During an interview with Ms. Geiger, I could hear Dr. Silverman walking down the hall greeting every individual with a hearty, “Good morning!” He treated each person as a member of the family, establishing a college culture of acknowledging and caring for each member that persists to this day. The results are tangible. The Honors College continues to be a home for students on campus, a place where students know they will be listened to, cared for, and supported. This caring community empowers them to go out and push themselves to achieve their goals.

Cayla Clark Lanier proudly wore her Honors College medallion to the 2003 USF Commencement, cheered on by her grandparents and family.

Some traditions have held up over the years, such as grilling burgers at the annual Fall Honors Picnic at Riverfront Park and awarding Honors medallions at the Honors Graduation Ceremony. In the early years, there were so few graduates that Dr. Silverman and Ms. Geiger would take students to Outback Steakhouse for dinner after the university commencement. In time, we expanded to University Lecture Hall, and eventually to Traditions Hall at the Sam and Martha Gibbons Alumni Center. The medallions changed too, as we transitioned from an Honors Program to the Honors College, and now to the Judy Genshaft Honors College.

As I reflect on my own history with the Honors College, I am struck by two things. The first is a deep sense of gratitude to be part of this amazing organization. I have quite literally grown up with the Honors College, as a young woman starting college, and as a young professional learning leadership, problem solving, and program management. Who I am as a person, a mother, a friend, and a leader is due in large part to the people I met through the Honors College – my deans, my professors, my first college roommate in the honors dorm, my co-workers, and all of the students I’ve been blessed to know over the years.

The second is pride in how much this organization has grown, and how much we have accomplished over the last 20 years. Back in 2014 our Honors History research team asked everyone they interviewed about their hopes and dreams for the future of the Honors College. All of them have been realized.

• Sharon Geiger: “I hope they find a new dean that will continue our work. We’re just getting started with scholarships and study abroad. Those programs are critical and I hope they continue.”

• Mark Friday: “I hope we continue to serve students, giving them opportunities that are enriching and make a difference in their lives.”

• Arnie Mejias: “I hope our student-centered ethos does not change; it distinguishes the Honors College at USF from other honors colleges in the state and around the country, and parents tell me so. Going forward, I hope we are granted a new, more comfortable building, and it would be nice to have the College named, as are many other honors colleges. Finally, I hope we increase the travel courses and maybe a campus abroad.”

Above: Genshaft and Greenbaum make history by naming the Judy Genshaft Honors College and create a vision for the future home of the college on the Tampa campus.

In many ways, it still feels like we are just getting started. Our newly named college continues to expand in geography and physical space. We are now on three campuses across the Tampa Bay area. A five-story, 85,000 square foot dedicated Judy Genshaft Honors College building will open its doors on the Tampa campus in May 2023, increasing our capacity to offer exciting courses and establishing a physical home that can accommodate all of our students at once. Students on our branch campuses are actively contributing to honors communities that reflect their distinct campus cultures. International partnerships continue to offer one-of-a-kind learning opportunities that prepare our students for their future careers. It’s an exciting time to be part of the USF Hon ors College … just as it has been for the last 40 years.