The University of South Florida Faculty Senate on Wednesday endorsed a student resolution opposing any handover of the Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College of Florida, as outlined in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ budget and a House bill.
“I know our campus in Sarasota-Manatee is on everyone's mind, and it is on my mind,” USF’s new president, Moez Limayem, told faculty leaders who gathered in Tampa — and via Teams from campuses in St. Pete and Sarasota-Manatee — for the meeting.
Limayem’s comments were similar to those made by Board of Trustees chair Will Weatherford, who has said discussions are happening in Tallahassee and USF doesn’t control the outcome.
“We're going to do everything we can,” Limayem told faculty.
“The way I understand things, again, after 36 hours (on the job), is a lot of these decisions are not ours.”
He said he would try to make sure USF has “the resources to take care of our faculty, so that regardless of the outcomes, they stay with USF. Our students who came here to USF, that they graduate from USF, same thing for staff. That's what I can commit to.”
Limayem, a former dean of the USF Muma College of Business who left to become president at the University of North Florida, returned to USF in his new role as president on Tuesday.
“My mantra is always transparency,” he said.
ALSO READ: Transfer of USF Sarasota-Manatee to New College passes first test in Florida House
Scott Perry, a professor of history who began teaching at USF Sarasota-Manatee in 2007, addressed the long ordeal faced by staff and students, beginning with the rumors of a handover that began early in 2025, followed by the release of public records that showed both USF and New College were working behind the scenes toward a handover.
“It's not just the past two months that we've been suffering from the uncertainty. It’s been a full year,” Perry said. “These are your fellow faculty who have been left without a great deal of transparency, frankly, as we've heard. So that is something that I hope that you will understand.”
DeSantis’ proposed budget was released in December, containing language outlining the transfer of USF Sarasota-Manatee’s land and facilities, including new dormitories and the $53 million in debt acquired from building them.
Concerns about students enrolled at USF Sarasota-Manatee, including those pursuing nursing, education and hospitality careers that benefit the local economy, were raised by Democrats at a House subcommittee meeting earlier this week. The bill advanced in a party-line vote.
USF has promised to protect Sarasota-Manatee students and find a way for them to finish their studies, but Weatherford signaled the House bill erodes that capability by transferring $22.5 million from USF to New College, as part of the deal.
ALSO READ: Student leaders oppose transfer of USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College
There is no Senate companion bill yet. The matter could also appear again in the governor's final budget.
“The people who matter the most at any university are the students in the university,” said Perry, who serves as Faculty Senate vice president.
Perry read aloud parts of the student resolution, which was signed by students at all three USF campuses, highlighting their “opposition to any structural changes that would transfer governance programs or identity of the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to another institution without —here's that word again — full transparency, shared governance and demonstrated student benefit.”
Two USF student government leaders were in Tallahassee on Wednesday to meet with lawmakers and appeared via video at the Faculty Senate meeting.
“It speaks to the importance of our Sarasota-Manatee campus and the importance of transparency, and really speaking on the importance of ensuring that students are at the center of discussion,” said vice president Dennis Kukharenko.
USF philosophy professor Richard Manning said he supported the student resolution and pointed to bigger issues that require a stronger response from USF — namely that Florida government leaders are acting as part of a “coordinated national right-wing movement to take control of higher education,” he said.
“Their manifest purpose is to purge higher education of elements that do not align with their partisan political and ideological interests,” he added.
The proposed property transfer “would, in effect, bleed USF, which, despite facing challenges, is ascendant in quality and reputation, so as to transfuse New College, which, by all reasonable measures, has been failing dismally since suffering a hostile political takeover,” Manning said. “We must not be complicit. We must make clear our opposition.”
During his remarks to faculty, Limayem pledged to work closely with them to improve matters and encourage civil discourse, recalling his upbringing in Tunisia.
“That's personal, because I grew up in a country where, if you say anything against the government, you disappear,” Limayem said.
WUSF broadcasts from studios at the University of South Florida, including one on its Sarasota-Manatee campus, which is the subject of this story. Its broadcast license also is held by USF.
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