Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, the North Port Chamber of Commerce and the City of North Port invite the community to meet USF Sarasota-Manatee VP and CEO

SARASOTA, FL (May 6, 2008) – On Wednesday, May 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee will hold a special event at the North Port City Hall to introduce CEO Dr. Arthur Guilford to the community and celebrate USF’s continued commitment  to the North Port area.

The event is being presented by the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of North Port and Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice.  South Sarasota County residents, students, alumni, and community leaders will also celebrate increased programs, enrollment, and community leadership.

USF Sarasota-Manatee offers coursework on the campus of Manatee Community College in Venice, which is located just north of the growing communities of North Port and Englewood. 

The South County program, which started in the spring of 2004 with 66 student enrollments and 21 classes, has grown to over 400 student enrollments and 36 classes each semester.  The program has also added graduate coursework and faculty, gotten recurring funding from the state, and increased community involvement.  An advisory council consisting of leaders from the area helps gauge the educational needs of the community.

Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, the largest community foundation in Florida, gave an initial two-year grant of $476,137 to establish the south county program in 2003 and another $138,500 grant to sustain the program through October 2006. Since October 2006, state funding has continued the program.

For more information about the event, contact Pam Gleason at (941) 359-4603 or email pgleason@sar.usf.edu.

Located in South Sarasota County at 8000 S. Tamiami Trail, USF Sarasota-Manatee at MCC Venice offers coursework to people in North Port, Port Charlotte, Venice, Englewood and Punta Gorda. The program serves people of all ages who have at least an associate’s degree or 60 transferable credit hours and who want to pursue their bachelor’s degree.