The University of South Florida is introducing a new app that puts student safety first.
Through USF Safe, students, faculty and staff can automatically contact campus police in the event of an emergency, receive immediate updates about on-campus situations and report crimes and suspicious activity around campus.
This handy new app, which is available immediately for download, also includes a safety feature called Friend Walk that allows users to report their location to a friend, then alert that friend when they’ve safely reached their destination.
Based on GPS technology, the USF Safe app is customizable for each University of South Florida campus.
Users have access to campus maps, emergency contacts and other helpful features such as the Mobile BlueLight beacon. This potentially life-saving feature enables users to contact police, sending GPS coordinates and phone contact information to a police dispatcher.
Download USF Safe at the App Store or Google Play: http://apparmor.com/clients/usf.edu/.
To learn more, check out this video:
USF Sarasota-Manatee students attend SVA conference
Sami Araboghli was one of four USF Sarasota-Manatee students who joined hundreds of student veterans at the recent convention of Student Veterans of America (SVA) at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando.
“It was the best networking event I’ve ever attended, for students like myself or in general,” said Araboghli, who traveled to the resort on Jan. 3.
Joining the Marine Corps reservist and interdisciplinary social sciences major was retired Marine Gilbert Humphrey and two other USFSM students, Marissa Fleenor and Madison McMahon. Director of Business Outreach and Engagement Jay Riley attended as well.
The group mingled with hundreds of student veterans and attended sessions designed to explore issues related to college life, such as how to help vets transition to college and understand their benefits. Feedback from the convention will be used by SVA staffers to push for policy changes.
“They talked about how to increase chapter membership and engage with student veterans on campus,” he said. “There’s also a gap, or disconnect, between student veterans and non- veteran students and so they talked about how to bridge that gap.”
USFSM to hold Open House for science, medical careers
High school students interested in biology, medical or allied health careers are invited to a free Biology Open House on Saturday at USF Sarasota-Manatee’s teaching laboratories at Mote Marine Laboratory, 1703 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota.
Students will have the opportunity to tour USFSM’s chemistry and biology labs, view interactive presentations and talk with students and
professors about careers in science and medicine.
“Many people do not realize how successful our biology program is,” Interim Director of Admissions Brandon Avery said. “We have students taking international trips, going to medical and veterinary programs, and getting dual degrees in nursing. To be able to have all of these
opportunities with smaller class sizes is almost unheard of.”
The session is set from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is open to all high school and transfer students and their parents. Free tickets to the Mote aquarium will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
To register for the Biology Open House, visit http://undergrad.usfsmbound.org/biologyopenhousespring2019.
USF Sarasota-Manatee to hold online session about MBAs
Professionals, undergraduate students and recent graduates are invited to learn about USF Sarasota-Manatee’s MBA degrees during a special Online Information Session set for Thursday, Jan. 31, from 5:15 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The session can be viewed at home, work or anywhere with online connectivity. Check out USFSM’s graduate programs, chat live with professors and learn about the admissions process.
To register, visit usfsm.edu/admissions/campus-experience and click the link, Master’s Online Info Sessions.
Learn about master’s degrees at USFSM
USF Sarasota-Manatee will hold an information session about master’s degrees on Feb. 2, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the campus, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail.
This free session is for professionals, undergraduate students and recent graduates who want to learn more about the variety of graduate programs offered at USFSM. Attendees can meet with professors, graduate students, alumni and learn about the admissions process.
To register, visit usfsm.edu/admissions/campus-experience and click the link for Master’s Info Sessions.
USFSM Staff Advisory Council to meet
The Staff Advisory Council is scheduled to meet Tuesday, Jan. 15, the first meeting since the council’s charter was approved at a signing ceremony last month with USF Sarasota-Manatee Regional Chancellor Dr. Karen Holbrook.
The meeting, open to all staff employees of USFSM, is set to run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at room A217. Carolyn Dyson, associate director of Human Resources, will make a special presentation. Afterward, a discussion about the Staff Advisory 2018 Survey Report will be held.
USFSM Student Engagement Fair is next week
USF Sarasota-Manatee students can learn how to get involved with campus organizations and activities at the Spring 2019 Bullpen Student Engagement Fair on Wednesday, Jan. 23, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Selby Auditorium.
Students can learn about campus clubs and other student-centric organizations in this fun, engaging event that includes giveaways, music and free food.
Student Engagement is inviting departments and other campus initiatives to register to participate in the fair to connect with students. Registration includes one table and an electrical connection. Register by 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18.
To register, visit orgsync.com/70217/events/2565418/occurrences/6162960.
Scholarship deadlines approaching
USFSM’s Office of Admissions reminds students to submit their scholarship applications as the deadline to apply is quickly approaching.
Here are the cutoff dates for scholarships:
- January 15: Application Completion Deadline for Admissions Scholarship Consideration
- February 1: Scholarship Application Deadline for Foundation Scholarships (Freshmen)
- March 1: Scholarship Application Deadline for Foundation Scholarships (Transfer)
For more about Admissions scholarships, visit: usfsm.edu/admissions/scholarships-and-financial-aid/admissions-scholarships.aspx.
For more about Foundation scholarships, go to: usfsm.edu/admissions/scholarships-and-financial-aid/foundation-scholarships.aspx.
Business of Robotics seminar this week at USFSM
Learn about the business of robotics during a free seminar Thursday at USF Sarasota-Manatee.
Technical jobs fostering green transformation are rapidly growing in the United States and globally. This seminar will focus on the use of robotics for careers in autonomous technology, smart manufacturing and ecologically sound industries.
The event will be held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at USFSM’s Selby Auditorium, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Speakers include Dr. Ehsan Sheybani, an assistant professor of information systems and decision sciences, and Kuniko Yamamoto, of the Origami Air Art Studio in Sarasota.
This seminar is sponsored by the Andrew Mellon Foundation and New College of Florida.
To register for the seminar or to learn more, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/the-business-of-robotics-tickets-53691921984.
USFSM seeking student designs for conference brochure
USF Sarasota-Manatee is seeking some creative minds for the upcoming conference of the Southeast, Central and South American Federation (SECSA) March 1-2 at USFSM’s campus.
SECSA is asking students at the host campus to design this year’s conference brochure. The winning USFSM student will
receive a $100 prize. Send submissions in a PowerPoint document to Dr. Faizan Ali, faizanali@usf.edu.
SECSA is affiliated with the Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (CHRIE), which is supported by hospitality and tourism educators. CHRIE is comprised of six federations. For more information visit, chrie.org.
Dr. Kabongo completes Quality Matters review of course
Kudos to Dr. Jean Kabongo for successfully completing an internal Quality Matters (QM) review of his Strategic Management/Decision Making online course.
Dr. Kabongo’s course now carries the QM certification for online content. Under the Quality Matters program, online courses are studied to certify quality and alignment through the Quality Matters rubric of best practices in online learning.
Courses that successfully complete the QM review may post the USFSM Quality Matters logo on the front of their online course descriptions. They also will be noted in the Florida Virtual Campus course directory.
For more about the Quality Matters online program, contact E-Learning Services or attend an upcoming workshop.
USFSM professors organizing student trip to France, Italy
USF Sarasota-Manatee’s Dr. Joe Askren and Dr. Ken Caswell are inviting students on a four-week tour of Italy and France during summer 2019.
The USFSM History & Culture of Food & Beverage program runs from May 26 to June 21 and takes students on tours of vineyards, local farms and markets. Students will engage in chef-designed cooking classes and collaborative discussion with chefs, food scientists and hospitality experts.
The program is open to students of any major, 18 years of age or older, with an interest in Italian and French culture and language. Tuition is for six credit hours.
The $5,376.34 cost includes accommodations, a daily continental breakfast, 11 lunches, eight dinners and five tastings. It includes excursions to farms, wineries, a cheese house, and brewery and cooking
demonstrations, as well as emergency medical and evacuation insurance.
Students will be responsible for their own air fare, personal expenses and tuition costs.
For more information, or to register, visit educationabroad.global.usf.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=23719.