Strategy 9 - Actions

1. Enhance the capacity of the Center for Community Partnerships to serve as a facilitator for “transboundary” projects that involve community-based practitioners and USF faculty.

• Develop coherent, user-friendly procedures for the community to approach USF for assistance and gain access to needed expertise.
• Obtain funds (external grants, donors, internal grants) to initiate scholarly activities that include faculty from multiple disciplines and community partners representing the diversity of USF’s service areas.
• Facilitate an integrated strategy for economic development that promotes community development efforts as well as those in business and technology.
• Increase the number of students enrolled in community-based courses integrating teaching, research, and service.

2. Establish USF as a major partner in the economic development of the region (see also Strategy One).

• Establish a coherent direction for USF’s various economic development offices and functions with the Office of Research serving as the referral point for economic development initiatives and issues.
• Broker collaborative relationships between USF faculty and new companies considering a move to the region.
• Seek Challenge Grant funding for expansion of the College of Business Administration facility.
• Facilitate start-up companies through the work of the Small Business Development Center.
• Expand the role of Educational Outreach as a vehicle for work force development through the provision of life-long learning, professional development, and on-line degree programs.
• Expand the use of the Downtown Center as a site for community outreach and professional development programs.
• Increase the number of Graduate Certificates in areas where market potential exists: Biotechnology; Bioinformatics; Museum Studies; Arts Administration; Construction Management
• Launch a Center for Economic Development Policy Analysis.
• Increase the participation of corporate managers with business students in the Project Thrust Corporate Mentor program.

3. Establish USF as a center for arts and culture in the region

• Enhance the role of the College of Visual and Performing Arts as a partner with the regional arts and education communities
• Collaborate with the Master Chorale via Performing Arts Research Center with initial emphasis on Choral Music.
• Construct a new Music facility to support instructional activities and community participation in the performing arts.
• Renovate arts facilities to support instruction and community participation in the visual arts and in community architecture and design.

4. Contribute to the quality of the PreK through 12 educational system by working with school partners to:

• Produce high quality PreK-12 teachers and support service personnel to resolve the critical shortages in community schools.
• Increase the number of African American, Latino, and bilingual professionals prepared to work in PreK-12 school programs.
• Enhance curricular quality and innovative programs through collaborative efforts of the Colleges of Education and Arts and Sciences.
• Strengthen the Professional Development School Network and other P-20 educational partnerships that integrate in- service and pre-service development of educational personnel with collaborative, engaged research/ scholarship to address questions of mutual importance.
• Construct a facility on campus for the Charter school to serve neighborhood children in the University environment.
• Enhance the Research Experiences for K-12 Teachers program in the College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, and College of Education.

5. Enhance workforce development efforts by collaborating with clinical partners and community health care professionals to:

• Assist the state to resolve the critical shortage of practicing nurses and nursing educators
• Prepare healthcare professionals to appropriately respond to bioterrorism and infectious disease threats
• Prepare human service workers to respond to the behavioral health needs of the population regardless of the specific service setting.
• Establish high demand health professions programs not currently offered, e.g., physician assistant.