Dear USF community,
Today, Gov. Ron DeSantis officially signed into law the state budget for fiscal year 2024-25.
I am pleased to share that the budget includes significant increased recurring operational funding and support for important USF projects. The investments in USF are a recognition that we continue to provide great value to our state and we serve as an extremely valuable resource that impacts our communities in so many ways. The funding will help us pursue bold initiatives to further enhance our position in the Association of American Universities, progress toward our aspiration of becoming a top-25 public university and support the critical work of the dedicated members of the USF community to advance the goals outlined in our strategic plan.
Today the governor approved the following:
- A $50 million recurring increase to USF’s operational budget to support the work of
each of our three campuses and USF Health, as well as to expand cybersecurity research
and the cyber workforce. A portion of this increase was funded through a new $100
million recurring investment in the state’s Preeminent State Research Universities
Program, which will be split equally between the four institutions that are expected
to meet the necessary preeminence benchmarks this year.
- A $35 million nonrecurring operational support increase to fund strategic projects
for the institution, including completing the major clinical trial underway at USF
Health to measure the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on alleviating the
symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries in military
veterans.
- $31 million for critical infrastructure and safety improvements to ensure appropriate
capacity for the present and future growth of the USF Tampa campus.
- $10 million to upgrade our facilities for student veterans, military families and
first responders on all three campuses. More details on this initiative are available
here.
- $7.2 million to invest in campus life facility projects on all three campuses and
USF Health funded through the state’s Capital Improvement Trust Fund.
- $750,000 for the USF Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience Research Lab that will
go toward the development and operation of a statewide human trafficking data repository.
- The legislature also agreed to invest $100 million in nonrecurring funds for the State University System’s Performance-based Excellence Recognition Program, which was created to recruit and retain top faculty and research talent in the state. USF is estimated to receive $12.7 million nonrecurring from these funds. However, the exact amount of USF’s funding from this state investment will be determined by the Board of Governors later this month based on our 2024 performance-based funding scores and the number of full-time faculty and researchers employed in programs of strategic emphasis.
In addition, Gov. DeSantis previously approved Senate Bill 330, which included a $5 million recurring appropriation for our College of Behavioral and Community Sciences to establish and operate the
new Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce. The bill also designated Tampa General Hospital, in affiliation with USF, as one of the state’s first four
behavioral health teaching hospitals.
While this was another successful year for USF, the governor did exercise his line-item
veto authority to remove $3.9 million in nonrecurring funds for a newly proposed joint
project between USF’s College of Nursing and College of Behavioral and Community Sciences.
The proposal would have used a portion of the state’s Opioid Settlement Funds to work
to lower opioid abuse statewide and better plan for and respond to opioid overdoses.
We are incredibly grateful to the Florida Legislature for enacting, and to Gov. DeSantis
for approving, such an impactful budget for USF. I want to thank Senate President
Kathleen Passidomo, House Speaker Paul Renner and the entire Tampa Bay Area Legislative
Delegation for recognizing and rewarding USF’s trajectory. I appreciate the Board
of Governors, including Chair Brian Lamb and Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, for their support
of USF and advocacy for the State University System. I also wish to recognize our
Board of Trustees, under the leadership of Chair Will Weatherford and Vice Chair Mike
Griffin, for their tireless commitment to USF.
Thank you to all members of our university community for everything you do that makes
ßÙßÇÂþ» such a compelling investment for our state leaders.
Go Bulls!
Sincerely,
Rhea F. Law
President