A Unique Convocation

CONVOCATION IS A SPECIAL CEREMONY to mark the beginning of the new class of Honors students’ academic journey at USF. It is traditionally a ceremony full of pageantry – with new students processing across the MLK Plaza on the Tampa campus to the Marshall Student Center’s Oval Theater, accompanied by executive leadership and music from the Herd of Thunder’s Horns Up brass marching band.

The coronavirus pandemic necessitated a new take on that tradition for the 2020 Honors Convocation, and the College was up to the task. A special welcoming video was created and streamed live during each freshman Acquisition of Knowledge class and on Honors social media pages to allow new students to still feel the strong community connection.

The virtual event included special appearances from USF President Steven Currall, USF Provost and Executive Vice President Ralph Wilcox, Honors Dean Charles Adams, USF President Emerita Judy Genshaft and her husband Steve Greenbaum, Honors Student Council President Krista Cummings, as well as members of our faculty, staff, and current student body.

“As a member of a class of 2024 you join the most accomplished class ever enrolled in the Judy Genshaft Honors College, with an average SAT score of 1407, average ACT score of 32, and an average high school grade point average of 4.37,” Provost Wilcox said to the new students. “You’re also a member of the first consolidated Honors class with students joining us from all three campuses.”

President Currall complimented the students on their success thus far, and assured them that the university is here to help them go even further. “As Honors scholars you exemplify the academically strongest students in our university community,” he said. “We commend your outstanding commitment to academic excellence and we are committed to your continued success at USF.” President Emerita Genshaft and Mr. Greenbaum addressed the new class together, offering welcoming words and advice. “I believe that you chose to join us here in Honors because you are driven to make a difference, to think creatively, and to transform the world around you,” said President Emerita Genshaft. “This is the place, and now is the time, to do just that. You are starting your college career at a time unlike any other, and while many things are being done in a non-traditional way (like today’s Convocation) we hope that you will see the opportunity for innovation that comes with new challenges. You and your peers will find new avenues for connection and new ways to make an impact.”

“The Honors College is in a unique position to help you find creative solutions because it cuts across all disciplines on every one of our three USF campuses,” added Mr. Greenbaum. “You and your classmates come from all different backgrounds and major in every possible discipline, from Arts and Sciences to Engineering to Business to Public Health and everything in between. The collective power of that diverse skillset is immeasurable, and the possibilities are endless.”

As someone who has already benefited from the many possibilities of Honors, Cummings echoed this guidance. “If I can give you any advice besides getting involved, it would be to connect with your faculty and staff,” she said. “In Honors our class size is capped at 19 students – take advantage of that! Go to office hours, talk with your Honors professors and advisors - they want you to succeed. As an Honors student you also get access to special events and opportunities, all made just for you. Make the most of it.”

The AOK instructors incorporated Honors Convocation into their lesson plans, and the new students were able to reflect on the event together as a step toward a full appreciation of the values and opportunities that the Honors community represents.