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Dear Bulls Advocates, 

Thank you for your support of the University of South Florida System and our legislative priorities which are critically important in helping us continue to climb in the national rankings.  Due to the efforts of the Bulls community, including our leaders in the Florida Legislature, USF is on an unparalleled trajectory towards becoming one of the best preeminent research universities in the country while delivering a world-class education to all of our students.  

The University of South Florida System had a very successful legislative session thanks to the support of our advocates in the Florida Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis. Below is a breakdown of our funding priorities that were passed by the legislature and approved by Governor DeSantis: 

  • $12.4 million towards completing the construction of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute in the new Water Street district of downtown Tampa. It was critical that USF received the final portion of funding this year in order to complete construction so the facility can open on-schedule in December 2019. This state-of-the-art facility is one of the most significant projects in USF System history and will be transformational for the Tampa Bay region and state of Florida.
  • USF Sarasota-Manatee received $5 million in recurring funds for operational support, which will help provide new course and degree program options for students on that campus.
  • USF St. Petersburg received $3.5 million in recurring funds for operational support, which will help provide new course and degree options for students on that campus.
  • USF St. Petersburg’s Citizen Scholar Partnership program received $300,000 to continue their partnership with the YMCA Youth in Government program. 
  • USF received $200,000 to implement and oversee a new pilot program to provide “alternative treatment options” for veterans certified by the U.S. VA or a branch of the U.S. Military as having PTSD or a TBI. Alternative treatments include such things as accelerated resolution therapy (ART), hyperbaric oxygen therapy, music therapy and others.

We are extremely grateful to our lawmakers and Governor Ron DeSantis for their unwavering support of our students, faculty and the University of South Florida System. Please take a minute to contact your legislators and thank them for their tireless work and commitment to the mission of the USF System. 

Go Bulls! 

Judy Genshaft 
USF System President