The USF Graphic Design Program is in Jeopardy
The students are asking for your support this FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2008 @ 2PM
The Faculty Council is having a meeting concerning the future of the Graphic Design Program at USF Saint Petersburg. We are in fight not only for our program, but also the entire art curriculum in Saint Petersburg. The dean is planning on closing the whole art department, leaving a Junior class in limbo as well as a large amount of declared Pre-Graphic Design hopefuls looking to submit for the Fall 2009 year. We are going to an open meeting with the Faculty Council to show that the current and future students are overwhelmingly concerned, as well as the community of artists, friends and family of the students here at USFSP.
So friends, I hope we can look forward to your presence on 11/14/08 @ 2PM. We are going to be meeting at the East End (Airport Side) of Davis Hall for the meeting.
The Graphic Design students greatly express their gratitude to all that are able to lend us your time.
The following is an e-mail that was forwarded to me from the Director of the Graphic Design program:
I wanted you all to know that USF St. Petersburg has plans to eliminate the Program in Graphic Design. My students were told of this just last week. At this point, it is not known if the juniors in the program will matriculate; they may have to transfer to other programs. The seniors will graduate with adjunct professors.
I have resigned my position from USF St. Pete due to a variety of reasons, all related to a lack of support for this vibrant, important and interesting program. The program is currently the only public BFA granting graphic design program on the west coast of Florida. It is popular, successful and at this point, I fear, doomed.
After being told that a national search was to be conducted for my successor, the students were then told that, due to budget cuts, the program would be eliminated. This makes little sense. The program is one of the most cost effective to run (according to the administration) and it is the only art program that is currently being offered on the St. Pete campus. This is a terrible situation for my students and for the arts community in general. The university seems to think of art in general and the Program in Graphic Design specifically as a dispensable. I hope that you share my outrage and concern.
There is a meeting of the College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Council at 2:00 on Friday, November 14 to discuss this situation. The meeting is open to the public and is currently scheduled to be held in the Dean’s Conference Room, Davis Hall 100. I will update you on any change of venue.
Thank you for your support!
Warm Regards,
Joani
ETA: You can contact the College of Arts and Sciences at this phone number: 
(727)873-4156
You could also help us contact the media: St. Pete times (http://www.sptimes.com/connect/
) and BayNews9(http://www.baynews9.com/E-mail-staff.html?tips). The more people we get to email them, the more likely it is they’ll cover the story.
You can also drop off a letter at the dean’s office or mail it to:
Dean Frank Biafora
University of South Florida St. Petersburg,
140 7th Avenue South, DAV 100,
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
But contacting administrator above him may be an even better idea. He just doesn’t get it. But maybe others above him will correct the situation.
Chancellor for St. Pete campus: Karen White
State Senator and professor at USF: Charlie Justice
Congressman and professor at USF: Bill Heller
http://www.stpete.usf.edu/portals/uadmin.htm
And once again, the facebook event can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=46565299496
