TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 20, 2018) – ±«Óătv students, faculty, staff and community members in the Tampa Bay region are invited to attend three upcoming town hall meetings of the ±«Óătv Consolidation Planning, Study and Implementation Task Force.
The first town hall is scheduled for 3-5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at ±«Óătv Tampa in the Marshall Student Center, room 3707. Meetings at ±«Óătv St. Petersburg and ±«Óătv Sarasota-Manatee will be held over the next several weeks.
A portion of each town hall will be dedicated to public comment, however any individuals who are unable to attend a meeting in person can submit their comments online.
“An important part of the process is hearing from students, faculty, staff and community members. In order to do so in a meaningful way, we invite them to hear a status update on the task force’s work and share their comments,” said Dr. Jonathan Ellen, President of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg and chair of the task force.
Full town hall schedule:
- Wednesday, Aug. 22, 3-5 p.m., ±«Óătv Tampa Marshall Student Center, room 3707.
- Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2-4 p.m., ±«Óătv St. Petersburg Student Center Ballroom.
- Tuesday, Oct. 2, 3-5 p.m., ±«Óătv Sarasota-Manatee Selby Auditorium.
As a result of legislation passed during the 2018 session and signed by Gov. Rick Scott, the ±«Óătv System – comprised of ±«Óătv Tampa, ±«Óătv St. Petersburg and ±«Óătv Sarasota-Manatee – must consolidate accreditations under one umbrella by July 1, 2020. The law requires the task force to make recommendations to the ±«Óătv Board of Trustees on key areas of student access, shared governance, academic programs and campus identity.
The task force is divided into three subcommittees, with each holding a series of public hearings that community members are also encouraged to attend. A full meeting schedule is available online.