After meeting with several heads of local school districts, University of South Florida administrators announced Friday they would preserve some undergraduate education programs in the College of Education.
The fate of the College has been in question after a proposal that would eliminate undergraduate education and transition the college to a graduate school was announced last month to faculty as part of the university’s drastic cost-cutting measures over the next two years.
The proposal received harsh criticism from students, faculty, staff, local school district leaders, elected officials and the university’s own board of trustees.
President Steve Currall, provost Ralph Wilcox and interim dean of the College of Education Judith Ponticell released a statement Friday reiterating their commitment to teacher preparation after the meeting with school district superintendents, who had previously written an op-ed criticizing the idea.
“Let us reiterate that no final decisions have been made regarding the College of Education,” the statement said. “Meetings like the one today, and many others that Interim Dean Judith Ponticell continues to participate in with school superintendents, faculty, staff, students and community members, serve as critical opportunities to share ideas and listen to input as we reimagine our education programs during a period of significant budget challenges.”
The statement said that while the College would likely offer fewer undergraduate offerings than it currently does in light of its 63 percent decline in enrollment over the past decade, it would still offer some. The College currently houses nine undergraduate degree offerings, 15 majors, five minors and 18 concentrations.
The statement also said the university will continue to review the demand for students who graduate with undergraduate degrees in the K-12 system and make “informed and evidence-based decisions that align with the data.”
“As our university-wide process of strategic realignment moves forward, USF remains committed to our responsibility of meeting the needs of the surrounding communities while continuing to be responsible stewards of the university’s financial resources,” it said.
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USF administrators reverse course: Some undergraduate programs will stay in the College of Education - Tampa Bay Times
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