From the Assistant Vice President / OGCS Director

I am also pleased to announce the well-deserved promotion of the following veteran staff members.

Angela Ward has been named Director of OGCS Operations Support after serving as assistant director during the past year. Among her new duties will be supervision and leadership for the Graduate Assistantship Program, graduate hooding ceremonies, graduate and continuing studies student retention and degree completion, as well as providing operational support for Winter and Summer Sessions, new OGCS student orientation, and OGCS events management.

Tina Brewster-Gutierrez and Jason Melton have been appointed Assistant Director of OGCS Admissions. In addition to continuing to be responsible for the recruitment and enrollment of assigned graduate degree programs, both have assumed leadership for key initiatives.

Tina is recognized throughout campus as the leader of the highly successful UT2UT initiative. She took what began as a simple concept – creating pathways for UT undergraduate student to continue into graduate programs – to tangible components including the expansion of 4+1 programs, the development of guaranteed admissions, graduate assistant opportunities for UT undergraduates, multiple virtual and in-person information session, and classroom presentations.

An offshoot of UT2UT has been the increase of student-athletes enrolling in graduate programs. Tina is the OGCS athletic liaison and has worked extensively with the Athletic Department to improve the enrollment process.

The recruitment and admissions processing of “Continuing Studies” students was added to Jason’s responsibilities this year and includes oversight of the application and enrollment process for the various categories of students (adult bachelor’s degree, post-secondary baccalaureate, non-degree, transient, auditors, etc.). Jason is also responsible for the new non-degree technology certificate programs launched last Fall.

Please join me in welcoming our new team members, and in congratulating the advancement of our veteran staff members.

ART GOON

Assistant Vice President / Director of Graduate and Continuing Studies

Graduate and Continuing Studies Admissions Team

Shannon O’Brian, Nancy Phillips, Jason Melton, Maria Quillen, Maria Popel, Vicky Repp,

Tina Brewster-Gutierrez, Lisa Henry and Cahlen Fogg

UTampa Online Team

Becca Collar, Oma Singh, Beth Jordan

Graduate and Continuing Studies Advising Team

Jana Kreger, Darryl Johnson, Deborah Gonzalez

Graduate and Continuing Studies Operations Support Team

Catherine Alvis, Symon Williams, Angela Ward

Strong Summer Enrollment

Enrollment in the Summer 2023 terms was the second highest in the university’s history.

The largest enrollment occurred in 2020 when all summer courses were virtual and via zoom due to COVID. This summer’s unduplicated headcount was 3,964 students compared to 3,611 last summer and represents a 9.7% increase.

The convenience of virtual courses accounted for 65% of the total summer registrations. 46% of the total registrants enrolled in online courses, while another 19% enrolled in zoom courses. In-person courses represented 31% of the total summer enrollments.

UT undergraduates prefer to take UT courses over the summer as opposed to a similar transient course at their local community college. The ability to take a UT course while returning home to their family and work over the summer made the virtual options a popular choice.

Fall 2023 Graduate Enrollment

Student recruitment for the Fall 2023 semester contributed to 967 total graduate students enrolled on the first day of classes compared to 964 last Fall.

The MBA program enrolled 59 new students into the program marking the highest new cohort in the last ten years. After moving it’s program to online delivery, enrolment in the MEd.in Curriculum and Instruction doubled compared to last Fall. New students in the Executive Doctor in Business Administration more than doubled the inaugural cohort in Fall 2022.

Other programs that had increases in new student enrollments include the Executive MBA, MS in Accounting, MS in Nursing, MS in Exercise and Nutrition Science, MA in Social and Emerging Media, and the Non-Profit Certificate.

Fall 2023 New Graduate Student Profiles

UT – Where Super Bowl Champions and NFL Stars Enroll

Christopher Pressley

Former NFL Player, Community Leader and Youth Motivational Speaker

Fall 2023 Non-Profit Certificate Program

Cameron Brate recorded three catches for 26 yards for the 2020 NFL Super Boal champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His greatest catch was during the boat parade celebration where he caught the Lombardi Trophy thrown from Tom Brady. A graduate of Harvard University, he recently retired from football and has settled in the Tampa area with his family. He enrolled in his first semester in the Executive MBA program this Fall.

UT2UT Guaranteed Admission

UT2UT 4+1 Program

Saluting Success: Five Green to Gold Soldiers Selected for Graduate Programs

Five military cadets have been selected for the prestigious Army Green to Gold (G2G) Program and have chosen UT for their graduate school pursuits. The G2G Program is designed to offer Active Army Enlisted Soldiers a pathway for both their degree and a role as commissioned Army Officers

This fall our campus welcomes the following GTG students into our graduate programs: 

Career Advancement for Tampa Police Officers

Officer Jasmine House

Tampa Police Department

Fall 2023 MS in Criminology and Criminal Justice

A graduate of the Tampa Police Department Recruited Scholarship Program, Jasmine was sworn in with TPD in April 2019. Prior to joining the department she served honorably in the U.S. Army where she received accolades from the 3^rd Infantry Division Heavy Combat Team. As a result of her work on the police Street Anti-Crime Unit, and first-hand experience with the community, Officer House is pursuing a career as a sex crime detective for the Tampa Police Department.

Passion for Helping People

Welcoming 39 Student-Athletes into Fall Graduate Programs

Celebrating the Success of the UT2UT Initiative in Recruiting Graduate Students for Fall 2023

The Office of Graduate and Continuing Studies loves to “spill the tea” about UT2UT

We are thrilled to share the accomplishments of The University of Tampa's UT2UT initiative as we gear up for the Fall 2023 term. UT2UT is an accelerated track into graduate programs for current students and alumni. It has been instrumental in attracting a diverse and talented pool of graduate students who are poised to make significant contributions to our academic community. This Fall 23% of new graduate students came from the UT2UT pathway.

4+1 and Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s Program: Nurturing Ambitious Minds

Our 4+1 and accelerated bachelor’s to master’s programs continue to flourish, showcasing the eagerness of our undergraduates to delve deeper into their academic pursuits. This innovative program is designed to help UT students take graduate level courses during their senior year, earning their graduate degrees within one calendar year, and jumpstarting their careers. This fall, we are proud to welcome 36 accelerated students from the programs below:

MBA

M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction

M.S. in Accounting

M.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice

M.S. in Marketing

M.A. in Social and Emerging Media

Guaranteed Admission Pathways: Paving the Way for Success

The guaranteed admission pathways offered through UT2UT have proven to be a beacon of opportunity for students seeking a streamlined path to graduate studies. With 45 graduate students earning guaranteed admission, we see their determination to excel in their chosen fields. These pathways not only reflect the quality of our students but also the dedication of our faculty and staff in nurturing their academic journey.

UTampa Online Updates

UTampa Online (UTO) team members had a busy summer. The team collaborated closely with the Academic Solutions, ITS team to assist faculty in the Blackboard to Canvas LMS migration. Team members assisted more than 30 faculty and participated in more than 15 ITS/UTO LMS migration training sessions. UTO also held individual workshops to guide faculty through the steps of migrating their courses and pedagogical perspectives on various Canvas features. UTO also curated, reviewed, addressed issues for 78 online courses after they were migrated to Canvas.

There were 14 faculty, across disciplines, that participated in the UTO Course Design and Development Consultation cohort for Summer 2023. In this 6-sessions cohort, faculty collaborated with the UTO instructional designers to develop their online courses. Cohorts are held once every semester, and currently the UTO team is working with 20+ faculty. If you are interested in developing an online course, please chat with your Dean and Chair and then contact us at utampaonline@ut.edu.

Congratulations to Dr. Beth Jordan for the publication of her book chapter titled Behind the Scenes Action Makes Shift to Online Possible. The chapter describes the work and collaborative spirit exhibited by the Office of Academic Affairs to ensure college-wide success despite numerous challenges for a college of pharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jordan, B.E., DeVries, D.M., Fratus, D.L., Holt, B.L., & Schwartz, A.H. (2023). Behind the Scenes Action Makes Shift to Online Possible. In: D. Cockerham, R. Kaplan-Rakowski, W. Foshay, M.J. Spector. (Eds.), Reimagining education: Studies and stories for effective learning in an evolving digital environment (pp.49-53). Educational Communications and Technology: Issues and Innovations. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25102-3_8

Master of Physician Assistant Medicine First Accelerated Admissions Class

This summer the Master of Physician Assistant Medicine (PAM) faculty and staff hosted the first student interviews as part of the new UT2UT Accelerated Admissions program. 

The program allows qualified UT undergraduates to apply early for admissions into the program before the first regular candidate interviews. Five top candidates are then selected for admission into the highly selective program.

Each year the PAM program received 2,000 applications for one of the 48 seats in the Physician Assistant Medicine program. Under the accelerated admissions program, UT undergraduates do not compete with the external applicants, and are the first students selected for the new starting cohort.

Congratulations to the following UT students who have been admitted to the Fall 2024 PAM program:

Rachel Frias- B.S. In Allied Health

Mallory Kozik- B.S. in Biology

Lizzie Pierpont- B.S. in Allied Health

Jahnel Villalba – B.S. in Biology

Mia Brantley – B.S. in Biology

Tampa Bay Business Journal Best Places to Work

Last Spring The University of Tampa (UT) co-sponsored Tampa Bay Business Journals (TBBJ) Best Places to Work event at Steinbrenner Field. There were over 900 attendees, representing 60 companies.  The event offered a unique opportunity for UT to network with thriving Tampa Bay companies. This annual event hosted music, food, games on the field and much more. 

The University of Tampa’s ‘s continued pursuit to provide continued education to our Tampa Bay community was represented at this event by a video on the big screen highlighting our university. The offices of Graduate and Continuing Studies, Career Services, and Public Information represented UT. Staff met with and provided attendees with information about UT graduate programs. 

Graduate Council Ready to Start New Academic Year

With the start of the new academic year, the Graduate Council would like to welcome several new members. Dr. Holley Tankersley joins GC as the new dean of the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education. Dr. Kristen Foltz is the new program director for the MA in Professional Communication, and Dr. Christopher Boulton is the new co-program director for the MA in Social and Emerging Media.

New ex-officio members of Graduate Council include Bea Smith, Senior Director of Academic Support Services. and Michelle Pelaez, University Registrar.

Graduate Council Members

Fall 2023

Graduate Council Chair:

Art Goon                                            Asst. Vice President/Director of Graduate and Continuing Studies             

College Deans:

David Gudelunas                             College of Arts and Letters

Frank Ghannadian                          Sykes College of Business

Paul Greenwood                             College of Natural and Health Sciences

Holley Tankersley                            College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education

Graduate Program Directors:

Kristen Foltz                                     MA in Professional Communication

Lena Gomez-Vasquez                    MA in Social and Emerging Media (co-director)

Christopher Boulton                       MA in Social and Emerging Media (co-director)

Amy Harris                                       Graduate Business Programs

Alper Yayla                                       MS in Cybersecurity

Lonnie Bryant                                  Executive Doctor of Business Administration

Susan Berg                                       MS in Nursing / Doctor of Nursing Practice

Nauris Tamulevicius                       MS in Exercise and Nutrition Science

Johnna Yealy                                    Master of Physician Assistant Medicine

J.C. Anderson                                   MS in Athletic Training

Adrianne Wilson                             MEd in Educational Leadership

Theoni Soublis                                 MEd in Curriculum and Instruction

Suzanne Ensmann                           MS in Instructional Design and Technology

Chivon Fitch                                     MS in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Ex-Officio Members:

Gina Firth                                         Assistant Vice President for Wellness     

Alisha Miles                                     Executive Director of Library

Fernando Nolasco                          Graduate Advising Task Force Representative

Bea Smith                                        Senior Director of Academic Support Services

Michelle Pelaez                               University Registrar

SAAHP Health Advisors Conference Breakfast and Tour

The Southeastern Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (SAAHP) is comprised of colleges and universities in the Southeastern U.S. concerned with the preparation of students for further study in a wide variety of health-related professions, including allopathic and osteopathic medicine, dentistry, optometry, podiatry, physician assistants, nursing, pharmacy, medical technology, chiropractic, and others.

The SAAHP Regional Conference was held in Tampa this Spring. During the conference the graduate program directors for UT’s Physician Assistant Medicine, Nursing, Exercise and Nutrition Science, and Athletic Training programs welcomed 55 pre-health advisors from the region to our campus for an information breakfast and tour of the health program facilities.

UT presenters included Jackie Mikulski, Johnna Yealy, Art Goon, Paul Greenwood, Rhonda Sturgill, and J.C. Anderson.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Join us on October 6th as we celebrate the cooler weather with pie and games located by the Ars Sonora.

Want to learn more about our programs and events? Join one of our Fall 2023 Virtual Information Sessions. Full schedule here.

NEW ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay up to date on all new initiatives, programs and events by connecting with our NEW LinkedIn page