11-02-2007, 06:24 AM
She speaks !!!!!
Fret not, parents of USF students Oct. 31, Sue Carlton column
Sue Carlton's column did a disservice to the University of South Florida on many levels. Her attempt at satire would have been more fitting in a tabloid rather than a paper such as the St. Petersburg Times.
Despite what "critics" would have the public believe, the administration at USF is concerned about salaries and staffing in the University Police Department. Negotiations are under way with the police union, and we've put a solid contract proposal on the table. We want to increase the salaries of police officers to help our recruiting and retention efforts and to improve the officer/student ratio. We have made this a top priority.
No administrator has said that the security officers who will augment the police department will be considered as part of that officer/student ratio. Instead, we have a dozen police positions open and we are moving aggressively to fill them. The security guards that we will hire, as our police Chief Thomas Longo has said, will be additional eyes and ears and will effectively take over routine duties around residence halls and some campus events while the armed, sworn officers focus on the law enforcement duties we need them to perform. This is a system that is working very well at other universities, as Chief Longo pointed out. The bottom line is the safety of our students, faculty and staff, and I believe the security officers will add an extra layer of security to our campus, with the ability to call in the police if necessary.
Ms. Carlton used the phrase "Jihad University" as a reference to USF because of unfortunate events involving a former professor many years ago and two students this summer. This comment has no place in civilized discussion, but it has been repeated often by intolerant people who believe that students and faculty from a particular part of the world, belonging to a particular religion, should be automatically treated as criminals. Is this the editorial stance of the Times?
I don't object to opinion pieces, and as president of USF, I expect to be held accountable for policies and decisions. But I am stunned at the insulting and misleading style of commentary written by Ms. Carlton, and the unfair characterization of the people who work hard to make USF a great place to get an education.
Judy Genshaft, president, University of South Florida, Tampa
Fret not, parents of USF students Oct. 31, Sue Carlton column
Sue Carlton's column did a disservice to the University of South Florida on many levels. Her attempt at satire would have been more fitting in a tabloid rather than a paper such as the St. Petersburg Times.
Despite what "critics" would have the public believe, the administration at USF is concerned about salaries and staffing in the University Police Department. Negotiations are under way with the police union, and we've put a solid contract proposal on the table. We want to increase the salaries of police officers to help our recruiting and retention efforts and to improve the officer/student ratio. We have made this a top priority.
No administrator has said that the security officers who will augment the police department will be considered as part of that officer/student ratio. Instead, we have a dozen police positions open and we are moving aggressively to fill them. The security guards that we will hire, as our police Chief Thomas Longo has said, will be additional eyes and ears and will effectively take over routine duties around residence halls and some campus events while the armed, sworn officers focus on the law enforcement duties we need them to perform. This is a system that is working very well at other universities, as Chief Longo pointed out. The bottom line is the safety of our students, faculty and staff, and I believe the security officers will add an extra layer of security to our campus, with the ability to call in the police if necessary.
Ms. Carlton used the phrase "Jihad University" as a reference to USF because of unfortunate events involving a former professor many years ago and two students this summer. This comment has no place in civilized discussion, but it has been repeated often by intolerant people who believe that students and faculty from a particular part of the world, belonging to a particular religion, should be automatically treated as criminals. Is this the editorial stance of the Times?
I don't object to opinion pieces, and as president of USF, I expect to be held accountable for policies and decisions. But I am stunned at the insulting and misleading style of commentary written by Ms. Carlton, and the unfair characterization of the people who work hard to make USF a great place to get an education.
Judy Genshaft, president, University of South Florida, Tampa