About
Community Survey
In September 2024, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg surveyed community and business leaders to gather feedback on how effectively we serve and engage with our local community. The survey results highlight USF St. Petersburg’s strong community presence, valuable contributions, and areas for growth.
This report summarizes the responses from 75 community leaders, highlighting key insights to community sentiment, identification of USF strengths and areas for improvement. Feedback provides actionable opportunities to enhance partnerships, improve visibility, and strengthen community integration. By examining these results, USF St. Petersburg hopes to refine its strategic planning, strengthen its community relations, and foster more impactful collaborations with local government, businesses, and non-profits. Thank you to all who participated in this survey. Your candid feedback serves as a cornerstone for our continued efforts to build meaningful connections and create a stronger, more engaged community.
employer focus group
As a unique way to engage community in dialogue, in Summer 2023, the Office of Community Relations invited regional-area employers in sectors or fields correlated to USF St. Petersburg campus’ most popular majors to participate in a series of focus groups.
Utilizing the Customer Experience Lab at USF’s Muma College of Business, the focus groups convened industry employers with the aim to:
- confirm skills and competencies needed to enter the local workforce within particular sectors;
- assess experiences of local employers who hire university/USF students in terms of their level of preparedness to meet the needs for said skills and competencies
- determine gaps and what would be needed to address them
Sessions included industry leaders and hiring agents in Journalism, Media and Communication; Criminal Justice; Business and Financial Services; Marine Biology and Environmental Sciences; Creative Arts/ Design; and Health Sciences.