University of South Florida The University of South Florida , also known as USF , is a member institution of the State University System of Florida and a public research university located in Tampa , Florida , USA . Founded in 1956 , USF is the eighth largest university in the nation and the third largest in the state of Florida , with a total enrollment of 47 , 122 as of 2009 . USF has an autonomous campus in St . Petersburg , and branch centers in Sarasota and Lakeland . USF is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a " very high research " institution . In its 2010 ranking , the Intellectual Property Owners Association placed USF 9th among all universities worldwide in the number of US patents granted . The university has an annual budget of $ 1 . 8 billion and an annual economic impact of $ 3 . 7 billion . In a ranking compiled by the National Science Foundation , USF has the 50th highest research expenditure in the United States and in the state of Florida only trails the University of Florida . Twenty USF graduate programs are ranked in the top 100 of the 2012 America ’ s Best Graduate Schools edition of U . S . News & World Report . USF is also one of the nation ' s top centers for the advancement in research of treatments for Alzheimer ' s , Parkinson ' s and Huntington ' s diseases . History . USF was founded in 1956 . However , the university was not officially named until the following year , and courses did not begin until 1960 . Some of the original proposed names included " Citrus State University , " " Sunshine State University , " " The University of the Western Hemisphere , " and " The University of Florida at Temple Terrace " . Former US Representative Sam Gibbons was instrumental in the school ' s creation when he was a state representative and is considered by many to be the school ' s founder . It was built on the site of Henderson Air Field , a World War II airstrip . Although located in west - central Florida , at the time of its establishment USF was the southernmost public university in the State of Florida , a geographic situation that lent USF its sometimes confusing name . The university grew under the leadership of John Allen , who served as its first president from 1957 until his retirement in 1970 . During this time , the university expanded rapidly , due in part to the first graduate degree programs commencing in 1964 . Under Allen ' s leadership , USF touted itself as the " Harvard of the South " . Allen was known for his opposition to college sports in favor of an environment more academically centered . Allen ' s ultimate legacy was to be the first person to build a modern state university from scratch : " As a completely new and separate institution , the University of South Florida became the first new institution of its kind to be conceived , planned and built in the United States in the 20th century . " Today , the main administration complex is called The John and Grace Allen Center , named after him and his wife . USF emerged as a major research institution during the 1980s under the presidency of John Lott Brown President Brown appointed scholarly administrators such as James F . Strange , Dean of Arts and Letters , and Andor Szentivanyi { " The Beta Adrenergic Theory of Asthma " } Dean of Medicine . He also recruited basketball coach Lee Rose , one of the most popular coaches in Bulls history . Two university hospitals , The H . Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and USF Psychiatry Center , as well as the college of public health , were built during Brown ' s presidency . The Brown administration planned for an on campus children ' s hospital that never materialized and eye institute that opened after Brown ' s retirement . Brown ' s final accomplishment was giving Andor Szentivanyi authority to create a second Department of Pediatrics at All Children ' s Hospital under the leadership of Time coverman Robert A . Good while simultaneously obtaining a Certificate of Need for a Tampa Children ' s Hospital . USF played its first football game in 1997 . Its marching band , the Herd of Thunder formed in 1999 . Prince Turki Al - Faisal visited USF and was given a ceremonial entrance on October 28 , 2010 . USF system . Campuses . The University of South Florida System has four institutions : University of South Florida , USF St . Petersburg , USF Sarasota - Manatee and USF Polytechnic . There is also a downtown center in downtown Tampa . A fourth satellite campus , in Fort Myers , was in operation from 1974 until 1997 when campus operations were folded into the new Florida Gulf Coast University . The Fort Myers campus was at the time shared with Edison College , and Edison now controls the entire campus . USF Polytechnic . USF Polytechnic was established in 1988 as USF Lakeland . It serves over 2 , 000 students offering over 20 complete undergraduate and graduate degrees through the areas of arts and sciences , business , education , engineering , and information technology . The campus also supports a number of individual classes , electives , web - based courses , certificate programs and program partnerships with the main campus in Tampa . On July 1 , 2012 , USF Polytechnic will become Florida Polytechnic University , the 12th member institution of the State University System of Florida . Sarasota - Manatee campus . USF Sarasota - Manatee was established in 1975 , and shared a campus with the New College of Florida . New College and USF Sarasota - Manatee continued to share campuses until a new campus was built for USF Sarasota Manatee . The new campus opened on August 28 , 2006 . St . Petersburg campus . USF St . Petersburg was established in 1965 in downtown St . Petersburg , Florida as the " Bayboro Campus " . In 2006 , USF St . Petersburg was accredited as a separate entity within the University of South Florida system by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools starting with the 2006 – 2007 school year . Administration and organization . Student government . The Student government , like all Florida student governments , is an agency of the state created under Florida Statute 1004 . 26 . The student government is responsible for advocating for students at the university , local , state and national levels , provides enhancements to student life on and off campus , and the Student Senate allocates and expends over $ 10 million in Activity and Service fees a year by Florida law . The student government is set up much like the federal government and is bound by the Student Body Constitution , student government statutes , university regulations , and applicable law . The student government employs over 200 students and is housed in the Marshall Student Center building . The executive administration , headed by the student body president and vice president , oversees several departments ( Department of Government Affairs , Department of University and Community Affairs , Department of Student Life and Traditions , and Department of Marketing ) and service agencies ( SAFE Team , Student Government Computer Services , and Bulls Radio ) which allow them to carry out their duties . The Student Body President sits on the University Board of Trustees and is a member of the Florida Student Association ( FSA ) . In accordance with the Florida Constitution , the chair of FSA ( elected by all other student body presidents ) is a member of the Florida Board of Governors which oversees the State University System of Florida . The student senate , headed by the senate president and senate president pro - tempore , is the voice of the student body , which creates legislation and allocates and expends activity and service fee funds per Florida Statute 1009 . 24 . The senate has 60 seats that are filled by the college . Each college is allotted a certain numbers of seats depending on the size of the college . The Senate carries out its duties mostly through committees . The Senate Executive Committee ( SenEx ) is made up of the senate president , senate president pro - tempore , and all standing committee chairs and oversees administrative functions of the Senate . The student supreme court , headed by the chief justice , hears cases involving students and student government and also hears all final parking appeals for students at the Tampa campus . The SAFE Team Agency is dedicated to providing a heightened level of safety at the University of South Florida . They provide this service by constantly patrolling parking lots throughout the evening and into the early morning , watching for illegal activities . SAFE Team also provides students with a safe and free escort around the campus . Academics . In the 2009 – 2010 academic year , the university awarded 10 , 805 degrees : 7 , 863 undergraduate degrees , 2 , 526 masters degrees , 17 education specialists degrees , 243 doctoral degrees and 156 first professional degrees . In fall of 2012 , the university had a first - time - in - college acceptance rate of 38 % . The student - to - faculty ratio was reported as being 20 : 1 . Also for the 2009 – 2010 academic year , the mean first - time - in - college graduation period was 4 . 19 years . , of the total student population , there were 36 , 358 undergraduate students ( 76 percent ) , 9 , 355 graduate students ( 20 percent ) , 1 , 863 non - degree seeking students ( 4 percent ) . , the university offers : 89 undergraduate degrees programs , 97 master degree programs , 2 Ed Specialist degrees , 36 Doctoral Degrees and 4 First Professional degrees ( MD ) . 87 percent of USF faculty members hold terminal degrees : 28 hold endowed professorships and 62 are Distinguished University Professors . There is a total of 1 , 937 instructional faculty members , 1 , 303 adjunct professors , and 183 post - doctoral appointees . The student faculty is composed of 1 , 763 graduate assistants and 2 , 419 student assistants . ( Figures are for the 2006 – 2007 academic year ) . USF faculty continue to be recognized on the global academic stage with over 35 scholars receiving prominent scholarly awards since 2009 , including Fulbright , National Science Foundation , AAAS , Guggenheim , and National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships . Student profile . the student ethnicity profile of the university consisted of : 62 . 9 percent white students ( 24 , 518 ) , 11 . 8 percent African American students ( 4 , 599 ) , 15 . 8 percent Hispanic students ( 6 , 155 ) , 6 . 5 percent Asian / Pacific Islander ( 2 , 775 ) , 0 . 4 percent American Indian ( 171 ) and 1 . 7 percent of students did not report ( 665 ) . The Princeton Review has ranked the university 17th in nation for diversity among students . The class of 2014 earned admission to the university with academic credentials of a middle 50 percent SAT score range of 1110 to 1280 , average ACT score of 27 , and middle 50 percent high school GPAs of 3 . 81 to 3 . 91 . While official enrollment figures will not be available until the end of the first day of classes on August 24 , USF estimates approximately 4 , 250 students will be part of the freshman class . Faculties and schools . USF ' s 13 colleges and their respective schools are listed below : ROTC . USF is one of only 38 institutions that host all three ( Army , Naval and Air Force ) ROTC programs . With almost 400 students enrolled in the programs and proximity to three major military commands ( Central Command , Special Operations Command and Southern Command ) , the University became the home of the nation ' s first Joint Military Leadership Center ( JMLC ) . The Center is charged to provide the student cadets / midshipmen and officer candidates with unique ( Joint , Multinational , and Interagency ) core competencies and skills in leadership development , global understanding , and military / national defense strategies . The " end state " of the Center ' s actions is an academically structured , research - based , and values - driven program that educates , trains and prepares military Officers and Service Leaders for their leadership roles in the continuing transformation of the United States Armed Forces and in a dynamic and challenging global environment . Center for Urban Transportation Research ( CUTR ) . The Center for Urban Transportation Research ( CUTR ) is located next to the USF College of Engineering on the USF Tampa Campus . CUTR , established in 1988 , is nationally recognized and serves as an important resource for policymakers , transportation professionals , the education system , and the public . With emphasis on developing innovative , implementable solutions to transportation problems , CUTR provides objective transportation expertise in the form of technical support , policy analysis , and research support for its project sponsors . A significant factor in CUTR ' s success is the faculty of full - time employees dedicated to conducting research . The multidisciplinary research staff includes experts in economics , planning , engineering , public policy , and geography who develop comprehensive solutions for all modes of transportation while combining academic and " real world " experience . CUTR conducts over $ 8 million in research annually for a variety of public and private sector sponsors in Florida and the United States , including the Florida Legislature , the Florida Transportation Commission , and state and local governments , agencies , and organizations . Areas of research include public transportation , transportation planning , intelligent transportation systems ( ITS ) , transportation demand management ( TDM ) , transportation economics and finance , geographic information systems , access management , alternative fuels , and transportation safety , among others . CUTR houses the National Center for Transit Research ( NCTR ) , designated by the U . S . Congress in 1991 , and reaffirmed in 1998 and 2002 . CUTR ' s NCTR was selected as a Tier I University Transportation Center in 2012 in partnership with North Dakota State University , Florida International , and the University of Illinois - Chicago . CUTR also houses the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute , sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration and in partnership with the University of California - Berkeley . Through NCTR and NBRTI , CUTR conducts research projects in rapidly growing urban areas to develop innovative , pragmatic approaches that will enable public transportation to better meet the evolving needs of U . S . citizens . CUTR has been criticized for having an anti - rail bias by a Florida state senator , an allegation which CUTR ' s director has denied . Libraries . The USF Libraries consist of six libraries : the Tampa Library on the main campus ; the Poynter Library on the St . Petersburg campus ; the Jane Bancroft Cook Library on the Sarasota campus ; a new library on the Lakeland campus ; and the special libraries . The special libraries are the Shimberg Health Sciences Library and the Florida Mental Health Institute Research Library ; the special libraries are also located on the main Tampa campus . Tampa Library . Located on the main campus , the USF Tampa Library serves as the main research center for the University of South Florida . The USF Library offers access to over 1 . 3 million books and an extensive selection of print and electronic resources , including 52 , 000 e - journal subscriptions , 443 , 000 e - books , and over 800 databases containing articles , media and other materials . Patrons also have access to collections of audio / visual materials including videos , CDs , DVDs , and even vinyl LPs . The Tampa Library advertises itself as a place for students and faculty to meet , study , conduct research , and complete group assignments . Library facilities provide computer access and individual and group seating areas . The first and second floors have extensive seating , wireless access and electrical connections for laptops , and over 140 desktop computer workstations . The first floor also houses the reference desk , a writing center , an IT help desk , a circulation desk , and a Starbuck ’ s Cafe . The second floor of the library includes the SMART Lab , library instruction labs , tutoring services and the office of undergraduate research . Students and faculty also have access to specialized research assistance and information literacy instruction from librarians . Assistance is available from research and reference librarians either by appointment , on - line via the library website , by phone , or in a classroom setting . In addition to electronic and print resources , the USF Tampa Library offers unique access to primary research materials through Special Collections , which is located on the 4th floor . Specializations include Florida history and politics , American literature , medieval manuscripts , juvenile literature , rare books , and sheet music . The Library ’ s Florida Studies Center is also housed in Special Collections . Established in 1998 , the center draws on Special Collections materials and technological services to promote arts and humanities education on Florida and its people to students , teachers and the general public . The Arts at USF . The USF College of The Arts is continually developing as a distinguished metropolitan - based center for learning and research in the arts , preparing tomorrow ' s artists , scholars , and arts leaders as they explore new forms of artistic expression and examine contemporary perspectives within the arts . Faculty and students critically investigate and sustain the ideas , traditions , and practices in which the present is grounded through a full range of educational experiences ; students are prepared to create , perform , present , teach , and understand through the arts . The College of The Arts consists of : Architecture , Art , Dance , Music and Theatre . School of Architecture and Community Design . The School of Architecture and Community Design emphasizes architecture and community design proficiency , technical competency , and applied research . The school seeks to create environments in which students and faculty can : experience and appreciate the poetry of architecture ; study all forms of community and human habitat ; understand the connection between past and present architecture ; master the technologies necessary to create a sound , ecological world ; develop a vision of what such a world might be ; and assume leadership roles in helping achieve this vision . School of Art and Art history . The School of Art and Art History studies visual culture , both past and present and recognizes the power of an image to represent a certain society in many facets . They continue to uphold the values of their study by embracing all of the communities within their discipline . Among the programs in the school are art history , printmaking , photography , painting and drawing , sculpture , ceramics , digital video and electronic arts . The School of Art and Art History proves to be a place where growth and a higher understanding of visual culture is encouraged and expected . One of its staple events is called " ArtHouse " and it happens on the same night as the annual juried student show where all of the student studios are open with current work on display for the public to walk through . School of Music . The School of Music invites students to gain a higher understanding of the musical nature in order to develop the necessary skills to succeed in their profession . The many studies offered include composition , electronic music , jazz , voice , winds , strings , piano , percussion , conducting , and music education as well as numerous ensembles . The school is dedicated to educate and inspire students to learn , grow and achieve . They hold many concerts for each individual study . New music building . USF is an ever expanding institution and in their quest to improve their facilities , USF has a new School of Music Building . With the ground breaking on January 29 , 2009 , the building opened during the Spring semester of 2011 with a grand performance and ribbon cutting on March 31 , 2011 . The building consists of of space featuring three performance venues : a 500 - seat , acoustically superior concert hall , a Student Recital Hall , and a Conference Center . The building also houses three rehearsal spaces for large ensembles , fifty practice rooms , a dedicated music education classroom , four general use classrooms , as well as an electronic piano lab , and a composition lab . With the construction of the new building , USF organized fund raising efforts that have successfully made the university an All - Steinway School ( See : Steinway & Sons ) . School of Theatre and Dance . The School of Theatre and Dance offers an intense program with the purpose of molding the students into better artists , exposing students to multiple successful professionals in their field and communicating technique . Both Theatre and Dance avail themselves to each other ' s skill , undertaking several multidisciplinary projects throughout the year . Dance programs offer disciplined study of both ballet and modern dance while Theatre offers greater understanding of performance and design . Both include classes involved with theory in their area of study . Events . The College of the Arts puts on and sponsors well over 350 events per year all around the Tampa Bay Area , creating an environment in which patrons of the arts can have an incredible viewing and listening experience . Institute for Research in Art . The USF Institute for Research in Art is composed of USFCAM , Graphicstudio , and the Public Art Program . USF ' s Contemporary Art Museum features regular exhibitions of contemporary art , including a show of faculty work every three years and an annual juried student show . USF also operates Graphicstudio , a sculpture and print atelier which has hosted artists like Roy Lichtenstein , Robert Rauschenberg , James Rosenquist , Allan McCollum , Christian Marclay , Vito Acconci , and Vik Muniz . USF ' s Public Art Program focuses on site - specific commissions and has been nationally recognized . Commissioned artists include Nancy Holt , Robert Thiele , Alice Aycock , Teresita Fernández , Siebren Versteeg , Alyson Shotz , and Janaina Tschäpe . Student life . Housing . Despite the rise in demand for on - campus housing , only fifteen percent of USF ' s student body ( approximately 6 , 500 students ) lives in a university residence hall in 2010 . Many students find it more cost effective and desirable to live in area apartment complexes that cater to students . These " resident commuters " make up the majority of the student body . Since 2008 , USF has enforced a mandatory housing requirement coupled with mandatory meal plans . This has led to criticism of the housing department . This new rule has been enforced since Fall 2009 . Students exempt from this new rule include students who remain living with their parents and / or legal guardians within Hillsborough , Pasco , and Pinellas counties , students above the age of 21 by the first day of fall classes , students with a dependent child or family member , or students who are married . In recent years , Housing and Residential Education has had an on - again - off - again relationship with The Edge , one of two high rise residential buildings on the north side of campus . It has been used as overflow housing several times in the University ' s history . At these times , it was known as Fontana Hall . In 2011 it was announced that the building had been purchased by Landmark Residential , renamed Sky Tower Suites , and that it would be the first " Affiliated " off campus apartment in the area . Then Andros Complex , on - campus housing , was built from 1960 to 1965 . Each hall was named after a Greek letter . During this period , an ambitious fundraising campaign called " Dollars for Dorms " was initiated and appealed to individual and business interests in the Tampa Bay area . Older residence halls , such as Beta Hall ( which houses freshmen only ) , Betty Castor Hall ( formerly Gamma Hall , women - only ) , and Kosove Apartments ( formerly Alpha Hall , upperclassmen ) received extensive remodeling in the early 2000s ( decade ) . The other Greek letter residence halls ( named in order from " Delta " to " Mu " ) are built in a confined community area known as the Andros Complex . Newer housing subdivisions , such as the Cypress Suites and Apartments , Maple Hall , Holly Apartments , Greek Village and the Magnolia Apartments , were built in the late 1990s . The last of them , the Cypress complex , was completed in the summer of 2004 . Juniper - Poplar Hall , formerly Magnolia Hall , opened August 7 , 2009 adding 1 , 050 beds to USF and a new dining hall on the first floor . Greek life . USF has a very large community centered around Greek life . Listed below are the fraternities and sororities sponsored by USF . University and student media . Beginning in 1961 , USF ' s first student newspaper was the Campus Edition of " The Tampa Times " , a now defunct local afternoon newspaper . It was succeeded by " The Oracle " which was first published on September 6 , 1966 as a weekly . Today " The Oracle " is published four times a week ( previously five , due to budget cuts ) and has a circulation of more than 12 , 000 . In spring of 2009 , an underground satire newspaper known as the Monocle began . During the school year it is published monthly . The student radio station , Bulls Radio , is located in the Marshall Student Center . In 1963 , the school began to operate WUSF , an FM station which offers classical and jazz music and National Public Radio ( NPR ) programming . The major television studio associated with USF is WUSF - TV studios . The station is funded by local corporate and private contributors as well as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting ( CPB ) and is affiliated with the Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS ) . It has been serving the Tampa Bay area for nearly 50 years . Full - time employees as well as part - time student trainees and those seeking mass communication course credit staff the state - of - the - art facility . Athletics . The South Florida Bulls compete in NCAA Division I , USF is a member of the Big East Conference , and has been since 2005 . The university currently sponsors varsity sports : baseball , men ' s and women ' s basketball , golf , football , men ' s and women ' s soccer , softball , tennis , cross country , track , volleyball , sailing , lacrosse . USF also has a wide variety of club sports including aikido , Australian football , badminton , bowling , Copoeira , fencing , climbing , cricket , cycling , equestrian , field hockey , fishing , flag football , ice hockey , ice skating , golf , men ' s and women ' s lacrosse , men ' s and women ' s rugby , Quidditch , paintball , racquetball , rowing , scuba , skateboarding , skimboarding , skydiving , surfing , swimming , water polo , tennis , Ultimate Frisbee , and wrestling . In 1976 USF won its only national championship , at the club or varsity level , in Chess ( see Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship ) . Aside from their growing athletic accomplishments , the USF Bulls excel in the classroom with 162 student - athletes named to the 2009 – 10 Big East All - Academic Team . Notable alumni and attendees . The University of South Florida has more than 228 , 000 alumni . USF alumni can be found in all 50 states and 124 foreign countries . Major business enterprises run by USF graduates include BAE systems , Disneyland International , FedEx , Google , Norwegian Cruise Line , TECO Energy Inc . , and Symantec among many others . University of South Florida alumni have also led such professional and governmental regulatory bodies such as the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services , the Office of National Drug Control Policy , the International Astronomical Union , and the Office of the Navy Surgeon General . In addition , USF alumni have been members of and held positions in the U . S . House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate and House of Representatives , and the Florida Secretary of State . South Florida alumni have been the presidents of the Central Michigan University , Cedarville University , and Virginia Commonwealth University among others . Alumni have won many distinguished awards including Emmy Awards and the Pulitzer Prize .