USFSM survey shows greater student satisfaction

SARASOTA, Fla. (Dec. 22, 2017) – Students are reporting greater satisfaction with their USF Sarasota-Manatee experience.

An annual survey of student attitudes shows higher marks for school pride, growth and development, overall satisfaction and other factors compared with the previous year. The surveys were administered to students due to graduate in the 2016-17 academic year and represent a 96-percent response rate.

Under the category “Overall USFSM Experience,” 90 percent of the respondents reported a “positive” experience compared to 86 percent the year before.

For the statement, “I would recommend USF to a friend or family member who is considering college,” 87 percent of the students agreed, compared with 86 percent the previous year.

Under “USF cares about me,” 81 percent supported that statement, and for “I am proud to be a Bull,” 84 percent responded favorably. Both responses surpassed previous-year results as well.

In response to, “How satisfied are you with your overall experience in your major?” 90 percent said they were “satisfied,” meaning they indicated a “4” or “5” rating on a 1-5 scale. The mean for that question was 4.43, which compares with 4.37 from the year before.

Laura Hoffman, director of institutional research & effectiveness at USFSM, said the favorable responses might be tied to outreach efforts by Student Engagement, Student Success, faculty, administrators and others. In addition, USFSM last year launched a career advisory model to better guide students in their academic and career choices and help them secure internships and jobs.

“As we continue to reach out to our students to engage them intellectually and advise them in their studies and in their careers, I think we’re seeing a positive response and that’s being reflected in these survey results,” Hoffman said. “I think this trend will continue in the coming years.”

Three USFSM students published in online journal

Three USF Sarasota-Manatee students are being celebrated in a national online academic journal for their essays.

Catherine Dublin, Caden King and Matthew Mercandetti, students in Prof. Kelley Curtis’ online Anthropological Perspectives class, wrote essays based on five case studies that examine the extent to which test subjects should be informed about the tests they’re undergoing.

The studies, drawn from real-life examples, were meant to elicit opinions about researchers’ moral obligations to their test subjects and how far they should push the boundaries of basic human rights and cultural norms in the pursuit of knowledge.

Some of the studies leaned toward stringent regulation and oversight while others emphasized looser rules in favor of academic freedom.

“I wasn’t expecting to be published,” said Dublin, an accounting major, who favored greater oversight to protect test subjects’ health and dignity. “I was completely surprised by it.”

Dublin said she’s always enjoyed research and writing and signed up for the class to expand her understanding of different cultures. “I enjoy learning about the world and seeing from others’ perspectives,” she said.

Likewise, King said he was taken aback by the publication. Like Dublin, he received an email congratulating him from the Center for a Public Anthropology, which posted the essays as part of its Community Action Project. The students received certificates as well.

“It was nice. I’d never been recognized, at least not for something that’s not my core topic,” said King, an IT student. “It was a nice surprise. I’ve always enjoyed writing.”

Curtis said she signed up for the online Community Action Project to extend the students’ learning beyond the classroom.

“Participating in the project gives my students the opportunity to critically, and personally, examine an ethical issue of concern to the discipline of anthropology, academic research and the wider public,” she said. “I am especially pleased that they have this opportunity for their special talents to shine and to receive recognition.”

USFSM’s Dr. Black honored for research in aging

Kudos to Dr. Kathy Black for being named a USF Research & Innovation Faculty Honoree for her studies in aging and, in particular, earning recognition as one of Next Avenue’s National Top 50 Influencers in Aging.

The top-50 list acknowledges advocates, researchers, writers and others who “push beyond traditional boundaries” to change our understanding of aging. Next Avenue, an initiative of AARP and PBS, added Dr. Black to the list in September.

Her selection put her in notable company including, among others, famed TV writer Norman Lear, former Disney executive Michael Eisner, former U.S. HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, the late Glen Campbell, journalists Maria Shriver and Ellen Goodman, and U.S. Sen Susan Collins, R-Maine.

AARP Florida Director Jeff Johnson nominated Dr. Black this past spring.

USFSM’s Dr. Ngo, Kabongo among USF travel grant winners

USF Sarasota-Manatee congratulates Dr. Fawn Ngo and Dr. Jean Kabongo for receiving USF Faculty International Travel Grants.

The USF System Research Council received 22 applications this fall from faculty within the USF System – USF in Tampa, USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee – and this December recommended that 15 faculty trips receive funding.

Dr. Ngo, an associate professor of criminology at USFSM, received funding for her Jan. 8-15 trip to Hong Kong to present, “Stalking, Victimization and Perpetration among Asian American College Students,” at the 16^th International Symposium on Victimology.

Dr. Kabongo, an associate business professor, received funding to travel to Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, Jan. 2-7 to present, “Firm Foreign-Ownership Structure and Organizational Resilience: Insights from a Multi-Country Analysis of African Firms,” at the Africa Academy of Management’s 4th Biennial Conference.

###