We are current and former USF Sarasota–Manatee Campus Board members, campus student leaders, former regional chancellors, community partners, and donors who have been part of the campus's 50-year history. Together, we have contributed to building USFSM to reflect the aspirations of our fast-growing, forward-thinking region.

We write today because the Governor’s budget proposes shutting down the USF Sarasota–Manatee campus within six months. The stated motivation? To give New College of Florida access to modern dorms, academic facilities, and land for athletic fields—resources NCF has not built for itself.  It is easier to displace the students, faculty, staff, and supporters who built this campus with donor investment and USFSM student fees than to undertake that work independently. This is unacceptable.

Twenty-five years ago, our legislative leaders, generous donors, and the USF System made a commitment to build a state-of-the-art campus offering high-demand programs that matched the energy and ambition of this region. And we delivered.

Today, 2,000 students study, live, and work here. USF Sarasota–Manatee offers 40 accredited undergraduate and graduate programs designed with employers and community partners. As one of three campuses within the USF system, USFSM also provides access to 200 degree programs, world-class research, and the strength of a top-ranked AAU university.  

Nearly 60 percent of SCF AA graduates transfer into USFSM bachelor’s programs seamlessly, and local high school students earn college credit through our dual-enrollment pathways. And the cost of education is a bargain, at $22,000 per student. We deliver degrees without draining the budget.

Just last fall, we opened our first on-campus residence hall and student center—critical steps toward expanding opportunity and elevating student life. These hard-won gains will not be surrendered.
 

Last year, thanks to the voices of this community, our legislative delegation stopped this same proposal. We must do it again. We ask you to join us. Share how USF Sarasota–Manatee has shaped your life, your business, or your family. Visit the SAVE USFSM Facebook page and make your voice heard. Tell our legislative delegation, clearly and firmly, that shutting down this campus is not only short-sighted—it is a bad deal for our students, our workforce, and our region’s future.

USF Sarasota–Manatee is worth fighting for.  And together, we will fight.

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