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Community Leadership and Giving is Key
to 30-year Success
By Sandra Hice, Staff Writer

(Sarasota, FL, October 11, 2004) “Build it and they will come,” applies well to USF Sarasota-Manatee as it celebrates the new Crosley Campus Center. But the support of many community businesses, civic leaders and volunteers over the past 30 years is what has helped the regional campus realize the dream of becoming an indispensable asset to the region. Through these partnerships, the campus has introduced new academic programs and enhanced existing ones, and it is through community giving that funds are available for a legacy of education, academic programs, faculty, and campus facilities.

USF Sarasota-Manatee has developed lasting donor partnerships that create a beneficial environment for the economic development and stability of the region. “These partnerships provide financial support for hiring qualified faculty and developing programs specific to community needs,” said Campus CEO Dr. Laurey Stryker, “as well as the means for accessing higher education through scholarships, and providing funds for enhancing facilities and equipment.”

The community comes together in many ways to support USF Sarasota-Manatee and the regional campus has received more than $6 million in gifted endowments. Endowed funds are managed by the USF Foundation in Tampa and provide ongoing funds through investment earnings. The Foundation reports that in this year alone, through earnings from funds raised by donors, they were able to award more than $3 million in scholarships, university wide.

In addition to donors, volunteer groups, such as the Community Leadership Council, the Manatee/Sarasota Chapter of USF Alumni, and the USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus Board play important roles in the decisions surrounding facilities and program direction. The Student Government Association provides valuable insight from the student perspective on classes, special events and facilities. Several USF colleges, schools, the Senior Academy, and the Institute for Public Policy and Leadership also have volunteer advisory groups.

The driving force behind a group of local hospitality business owners resulted in the USF School of Hotel and Restaurant Management (SHRM) being located at Sarasota-Manatee, the first school on a site other than the USF Tampa campus. The generosity of donors has ensured the SHRM’s continued growth, including the recently announced McKibbon Hotel Management Professorship, the first endowed professorship at USF Sarasota-Manatee. Another important partnership that affects SHRM is the Fred and Traudel Martin Endowed Scholarship, which provides financial aid for students working in the hospitality industry in order that they may complete a baccalaureate degree in this field.

“USF Sarasota-Manatee has always listened to the community,” said Dr. Robert Barylski, associate professor in Government and International Relations who was the first dean of USF Sarasota-Manatee in 1979. “That hasn’t changed and we still strive to align programs to support the needs of the local economy.”

Proceeds from Brunch on the Bay, now in its 11th year, provide scholarship funds for local USF students. The affair has raised nearly $1 million for Brunch on the Bay Scholarship endowment, and this year, 30 students received awards from this program alone.

Jeffrey Eckert, a single father of two young children, is a Brunch on the Bay scholar, and he appreciates the opportunity to work toward his goal of becoming a teacher. Local access to classes allows him to continue his higher education in a convenient setting that doesn’t disrupt his family and employment schedules.

Another scholarship recipient, Amy Hoogerhyde, is studying psychology. “If it weren’t for financial assistance, I wouldn’t be able to attend college. I’m thankful to the donors and USF Sarasota-Manatee for the opportunity to work toward becoming a counselor for abused children, and perhaps to continue on for a master’s degree,” she said.

The Builders of Lakewood Ranch – a 7,000-acre master-planned community set within the 28,000-acre Schroeder-Manatee Ranch (SMR) – are Pillar sponsors of Brunch on the Bay, and understand the importance of having a nationally-ranked research-1 university in the neighborhood. “The growing number of programs at USF is attracting more local students, many of whom need financial support. These young people, who will be the workforce of the future, are necessary for our economy to grow and to create an exciting future for Lakewood Ranch,” says C. John Clarke, SMR president.

Manatee Memorial Hospital Foundation Inc. has partnered with the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to encourage nursing education and to answer the nursing care needs of the community. Through an endowed scholarship program, funds will be used for recruiting nurses wishing to further their education through the baccalaureate and master's degree programs in nursing at USF Sarasota-Manatee.

Organizations such as W.G.Mills Inc., and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice support expanding programs and enhancing facilities. Funds from W.G. Mills, Inc. support the new Crosley Campus Center, scheduled to open in 2006.

“USF Sarasota-Manatee is our corporate community’s talent reservoir from which we are proud to draw our workforce,” said W.G. Mills President Lem Sharp III.

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice provided a grant for the South Sarasota County Higher Education Initiative, bringing convenient and affordable access to higher education to South Sarasota communities. These funds made it possible for USF Sarasota-Manatee to offer classes, using Manatee Community College Venice campus facilities, for people in Venice, North Port and surrounding areas.

Many donors focus on specific academic areas and others are more general. The William G. Selby and Marie Selby Foundation supports scholarships for outstanding students as well as facilities and program expansion. The Tropicana Scholarship encourages African-American and Hispanic students to continue education once they receive an A.A. degree in any major or an A.S. in nursing. The Gulf Coast Chapter of the Florida Institute for Certified Public Accounts (FICPA) has been providing scholarships for 10 years to accounting majors.

“Our purpose is to attract students to the study of accounting; assist them while they are in school; and have them become productive members of the CPA community in the Sarasota-Manatee area,” said Dr. William Quilliam, coordinator of the College of Business Administration (COBA ) programs and Gulf Coast FICPA chapter president.

USF Sarasota-Manatee has two endowed chairs: the Culverhouse Chair in Education and the Evelyn Millis Duvall Chair in Family Development.

The Culverhouse Chair in Education, established in 1989, creates an endowment to support excellence in teaching, research and service. The late Hugh Culverhouse said he made the gift “because it will encourage our faculty and administrators, and support them as they tackle the challenges facing education today and in generations to come.”

The Evelyn Millis Duvall Chair in Family Development, established in 1985, was the first endowed chair in Family Development in the nation. Dr. Duvall said, “Family Development bristles with questions to be explored.” The endowed chair serves to encourage excellence in research, teaching and service through workshops, conferences, lectures, and seminars.

“USF Sarasota-Manatee is thankful for our community support,” said Campus Board Chairman Jan Smith. “We are here today largely because of the civic and business leaders that give us financial support and advice on economic trends. Together, we look forward to another 30 years.”