Education Matters

New Academic Programs at USF Sarasota-Manatee

By Ryan G. Van Cleave 

The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee prides itself as a university that tailors its educational pathways to meet each student’s goals and interests, and also as an institution that responds strategically to trends and opportunities in the marketplace.  

With this personalized approach to providing educational opportunities that meet the needs of students and regional employers alike, USFSM developed a new Risk Management & Insurance (RMI) program that is expanding rapidly. The RMI program started as a minor in 2015 and, after a period of success, grew into a full bachelor’s degree program in 2017—one of only two such programs offered by Florida public universities.

USF Sarasota-Manatee regional chancellor Dr. Karen Holbrook explains that “our RMI program will be one of the signature programs for the USFSM campus and an important economic driver to the region.” Equally important is that it features a robust internship program that offers students the opportunity to learn directly from industry leaders in our own community, such as those at Sarasota-based FCCI Insurance Group.

Gert-Jen de Vreede, Dean of the College of Business, notes that “FCCI has been a great partner with USFSM over the years.” De Vreede adds that there’s a “natural partnership” between RMI and the growing cyber security programs within the USF system. This fall, USFSM upgraded its Information Technology degree to Cybersecurity and Information Technology, thanks to a combined $100,000 grant awarded to USFSM and Florida International University by the Florida Center for Cybersecurity, a statewide research facility located on the USF campus in Tampa. With cybersecurity having a projected job growth rate of nearly 30% by 2026, this new offering provides students new opportunities in this well-paying field. De Vreede sees the potential for future offerings that blend the two areas—RMI and cybersecurity—in exciting ways.

In addition to the new RMI and cybersecurity offerings, USF Sarasota-Manatee partnered with USF Health College of Nursing to bring a new nursing program to its campus this fall. “It has been a priority in our community to meet a critical need for well-trained, highly-skilled nurses,” says Dr. Holbrook. “Our regional health care providers have been asking us to help address the need.” A 2018 Regional Job Market Assessment reports that the health care and social assistance industry accounted for the greatest demand for jobs in Sarasota in the past 12 months, accounting for 1/3 of vacant positions. Now USFSM has a pre-nursing curriculum that leads to an associate of arts certificate. The goal is to launch a four-year nursing program on the USFSM campus by 2020 to help meet those industry needs and retain USFSM graduates here in our community.

USFSM is clearly making important academic strides that position the University—and its graduates—for success. In addition to the new RMI and nursing programs, USFSM also has added a new 4+1 option to its hospitality and tourism leadership program that enables students to earn their master’s degree while still enrolled as undergraduates. 

“This is a new program that is designed to offer our hospitality students a world-class education while at the same time saving them both time and money,” says Dr. Faizan Ali, an assistant professor who oversees the program. To make things even more convenient for students, these students also have the option to utilize “distance-live learning,” which blends in-person and online instruction. Students can opt to attend regular face-to-face classes on campus, watch the classes in real-time on their computers from anywhere they choose, or view recorded sessions at a later point. That level of choice is indeed a personalized approach to learning.

There’s more to the story: USFSM also launched a new master’s degree in social work in 2017, a one-year master’s program in criminology in 2017, and a new master’s program in teaching in secondary education in 2016, and is participating in a system-wide Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program by offering courses at USFSM. The Florida Department of Education reports that English is the highest critical shortage area in public education, and this degree program is positioned to help since it’s focused on serving students who already hold bachelor’s degrees in English or language arts and want to become middle or high school language arts teachers. 

USFSM also makes a difference in our community as the home to The Florida Center for Partnerships for Arts Integrated Teaching (PAInT), a statewide center that offers training for pre-service teachers and professional development for practicing teachers to increase their capacity to deliver high-quality instruction that integrates the arts into classrooms. USFSM recently hosted two PAInT events, a workshop on the business of computer gaming for students and teachers, and a Careers in the Arts workshop for about 200 middle school students from the region. PAInT partners with community arts organizations, area school districts, arts-focused charter schools, and teaching artists to provide much-needed professional development for faculty and students, as well as opportunities for both research and service.

It’s clear that USF Sarasota Manatee’s ongoing commitment to providing a personalized education that includes first-rate, expanding academic offerings that meet the needs of the community is what makes USFSM far more than your traditional hometown university.

For more information about USF Sarasota-Manatee, please visit www.usfsm.edu, or call 941.359.4200.

Ryan G. Van Cleave is the author of 20 books, and he runs the creative writing program at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. Web: ryangvancleave.com