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USF and other Florida universities join nationwide effort to improve college access

Together, they will "create a playbook of adaptable student success reforms," USF said.
 
Published Nov. 13, 2018

The University of South Florida and three other state universities are joining higher education institutions across the county to crack the code on student success.

USF, the University of Florida, Florida State University and Florida International University join a group of 130 who will collaborate to improve college access and equity to get more students to graduation.

The universities will share data with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), which organized the effort, called Powered by Publics: Scaling Student Success.

"At USF, we are driven by our desire to make a difference in the lives of our students, our communities and society at large," university president Judy Genshaft said in a statement. "Our institutional focus on student success has been central to these efforts, and we're proud to be at the forefront of developing positive changes on a national level."

The participating universities are diverse, according to the APLU, and that's by design. Together, they will "create a playbook of adaptable student success reforms," USF said in a press release.

In a video announcing the project, APLU president Peter McPherson calls it "the most ambitious effort" the organization has ever undertaken.

"On their own, public universities have the power to do remarkable things," he said, "but together they can achieve truly extraordinary results."

Contact Megan Reeves at mreeves@tampabay.com. Follow @mareevs.