By Marc R. Masferrer, University Communications and Marketing
Dignitaries on Monday cut the ribbon for the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee's new Campus Student Center and Atala Residence Hall — and for a new era in USF’s nearly five-decade history in the region.
USF Sarasota-Manatee, which opened in 1975 and moved to its current location on U.S. 41 across from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in 2006, is no longer just a “commuter school” that serves students who live elsewhere in the community.
It is now a full-service campus of the only preeminent global research university and only member of the prestigious Association of American Universities in the region, complete with a student center comprised of a dining hall, book store, study lounges, game room and other amenities; and more dramatically, the campus’s first-ever residence hall. Named after a rare tropical butterfly that frequents the campus, Atala Hall will be home to 200 students empowered to help build a new campus community at USF Sarasota-Manatee.
USF President Rhea Law and Spence Gerber, student governor at USF Sarasota-Manatee.
The opening of the new building is a landmark moment not only for USF Sarasota-Manatee but for the entire community. The new building, especially the residence hall, will continue to raise the higher education profile of the region by making the campus a more attractive option for prospective students.
“The University of South Florida is experiencing incredible momentum, and watching the Sarasota-Manatee campus evolve throughout this era of growth and opportunity is a powerful reminder of how far we have come as an institution," said USF President Rhea Law. "The students who will soon move into the new Campus Student Center and Atala Residence Hall will create history together as the first USF Bulls to live, learn and grow in this transformational facility. We look forward to seeing all the ways in which they will contribute to our campus community."
USF Sarasota-Manatee Regional Chancellor Karen Holbrook.
Campus Regional Chancellor Karen Holbrook thanked USF officials, on the campus and across the university, for their work on the new building, as well donors — CORE Construction, the construction manager for the project; USF Federal Credit Union; Banyan Group Ventures; and Charlie and Victoria Tokarz — who have provided the first naming gifts for parts of the building.
Holbrook said the opening of the new building, as well as of a new student wellness center and expanded fitness center across the courtyard in the Crosley Campus Center, represent an expansion of what makes USF Sarasota-Manatee unique.
“While today marks a new era for this campus, it is not about changing our culture, but rather adding to the fabric of our personalized approach to learning and creating deeper connections with all students,” Holbrook said.
A building for USF students
As soon as the first students move into Atala Hall on Friday, Aug. 23, the campus will be infused with an unprecedented energy.
“Those of us who chose the Sarasota-Manatee campus embraced the natural beauty of the grounds, the unique architecture of the buildings, smaller class sizes, great sense of community and collaborative opportunities,” said campus student Gov. Spence Gerber. “Our new student center checks off one box that has been empty for too long. Living on campus!”
One of the suites on the sixth floor of Atala Hall at USF Sarasota-Manatee.
The new building has drawn wide support from the Florida Board of Governors to the USF Board of Trustees and President Law. But perhaps the most crucial backing came from Sarasota-Manatee students who voted to have a portion of the activity and service fees they pay each year go toward the $43.9 million cost of construction.
Former students involved in the planning for the 100,000-square-foot building, which will include offices and meeting rooms for student government and other student organizations, as well as USF World, said they were excited to see their work and their vision for the future of the campus come to fruition.
Student government leaders met with administrators for several years to plan and design the building and “intentionally held onto massive funds in order to earmark them for the student center,” said Evan Fruehauf, the student body vice president in 2018-19.
“We knew how transformative it could be for the campus, even if we weren’t there to use it,” Fruehauf said. “While no student is solely responsible, the combined efforts of informed student leaders helped guide that path.”
More than 300 people attended the ribbon cutting ceremony in the ballroom in the new Campus Student Center.
Isabelle Dempsey was student body president in 2019-20, the final year before USF’s consolidation. She recalled how she and other students researched features found in student centers at other universities.
“This building will expand the community that has already been built on campus,” Dempsey said. “Every student needs a place that they can belong to, and I believe this building will be that place for many students to come. I know it certainly makes me proud to be a Bull from USF Sarasota-Manatee.”
Evelyn De Oliveira, the student governor in 2022-23, helped interview prospective architectural firms for the project.
“I am very excited to see the student areas and how they make it homey for the students and see what areas they provide for them to just relax and destress,” De Oliveira said. “The students' mental health is just as important as their academic growth, so I am excited to see how that translates into the building.”
Rocky enjoys a view of Sarasota Bay from a sixth-floor window in the Campus Student Center and Residence Hall at USF Sarasota-Manatee.
The Campus Student Center and Atala Residence Hall highlight USF’s bold commitment to student success in all facets of the college experience at the Sarasota-Manatee campus.
“This place is set to become the heartbeat of our campus,” said Brett Kemker, the regional vice chancellor for academic affairs and student success at USF Sarasota-Manatee. “Our first residential students are the trailblazers. They will shape the culture and experiences here, working alongside our student success professionals to guide the future of our campus. These trailblazers will play a crucial role in defining what it means to live and learn at USF Sarasota-Manatee.”
Students will live in suites and apartments of various configurations on the top four floors of the building, many offering expansive views of Sarasota Bay, the airport and the surrounding area.
About 40 USF students will be members of a new Living Learning Community, or LLC, co-sponsored by the Muma College of Business, the College of Education and the Judy Genshaft Honors College. The LLC will be designed to provide a cohort experience with peers who share similar academic, career and co-curricular interests.
Why 'Atala Hall'?
Holbrook explained for attendees why she and President Law chose “Atala” for the new residence hall’s name, which a survey had found had wide support on campus.
“They symbolize transformation, resilience and the importance of harmony with the natural world,” Holbrook said. “Inspired by these rare butterflies who live in the USF Sarasota-Manatee courtyard, our unique students come here for a short while, to live, learn and grow. They then fly away to their next adventure and fly back as alumni to enjoy the campus year after year.
“Now they have a dedicated place to call home,” she said.
After the ribbon cutting ceremony in the student center’s ballroom, attendees were offered tours of the student center and parts of the residence hall on the sixth floor.
Rick Piccolo, chair of the USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus Board, called the Campus Student Center and Atala Residence Hall “a game-changer,” for USF and the entire Sarasota-Manatee community.
“This expansion allows USF Sarasota-Manatee to attract new markets of students locally, nationally, and globally - and enhances the student experience for commuter students alike. We are now able to provide the facilities and services that they demand and deserve.”