As Dr. Judy Genshaft’s 19-year tenure as president of the University of South Florida (USF) System comes to an end, the system has seen graduation rate gaps by race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status close; significant economic impact in the Tampa Bay region; and, among other successes, a new designation as a “Preeminent State Research University” – only the third institution in Florida to receive the honor.
Such accomplishments exemplify the “spirit and determination” of USF, Genshaft says, adding that they speak to a system-wide effort among administrators, faculty, staff and other stakeholders to fully invest in a mission to achieve “very clear outcome-based metrics.”
Driving Genshaft’s leadership over the years is her affinity for bringing teams together around impactful goals, she says. It is the Ohio native’s background in psychology, and specific focus on the psychology of gifted students, that has given her an appreciation for the “transformative” role that higher education plays in cultivating creativity and shaping lives for all student populations.
“The USF presidency was a perfect fit because it combined my professional experience in educational psychology with my foundation in research and my passion for helping others,” Genshaft says of becoming the system’s sixth president in 2000. Prior to USF, she served as vice president of academic affairs at the University of Albany in New York.
Genshaft sums up her guiding philosophy to serving students in three words: support, comprehensive and unstoppable. She chooses these words because, at USF, leaders believe in creating a “culture of care” where everyone makes student success a priority, student supports go beyond academic interventions and students are empowered to achieve anything with hard work and talent, she says.
“Every student at USF has so much potential,” she says of USF’s more than 50,000 students. “We believe every one of them will succeed if given the opportunity.”
“We like to say, we are more interested in ‘supporting’ than ‘sorting’ our students,” Genshaft continues. “It’s our responsibility to make sure students have all the resources and opportunities that will help them be successful – including a vibrant campus life, study abroad experiences, career development and so much more.”
