Three-campus system closes six days as a hurricane's track shifts toward the coast

Dear USF System students, faculty and staff – The USF System will remain closed through Tuesday, September 12. As Hurricane Irma approaches Florida, the storm’s projected path and magnitude is becoming more clear. It’s very important that all our students, faculty, and staff remain safe. Only USF System employees who are classified as essential personnel and those identified by their supervisors as vital to campus operations should report to work on Tuesday. We anticipate inspection of over 350 buildings across our campuses by damage assessment teams once conditions are safe. Based on these inspections, if it is determined that additional closures are needed beyond Tuesday, updates will be posted on the university’s website, official social media channels, MyUSF and shared through email. All USF System students, faculty, and staff are urged to plan carefully, follow local weather reports, stay informed through updates from county and state emergency management officials and take all precautions necessary to remain safe.

Dear USF System Students, Faculty and Staff, As always, we remain very focused on the safety of the entire USF community. We are very proud and grateful that our students, faculty and staff have gone to great lengths to ensure their own safety as well as that of each other and their families. It’s just the USF way. Now that Hurricane Irma has passed through the Tampa Bay area, our teams are completing a comprehensive assessment of each USF System campus to identify any unsafe areas, and confirm that our facilities did not suffer any major structural damage. As a result, we’ve established an updated timeline for returning to normal business operations. Provided you can safely return to campus, USF Tampa and USF St. Petersburg will resume classes on Thursday, September 14. USF Tampa and USF St. Petersburg faculty and staff should report to work as scheduled on Wednesday, September 13. Unfortunately, USF Sarasota-Manatee remains without power and a reopening time is still to be determined. As soon as power is restored, USF Sarasota-Manatee students, faculty and staff will be updated regarding plans to reopen. Please be assured, students will not be considered absent this week when classes resume if they are still returning from evacuating or dealing with impacts from Hurricane Irma. To be clear, no student assignments will be due and no quizzes or exams will be administered before next week. Students who are unable to return for classes on Thursday because of a storm-related hardship should notify their instructors as soon as possible. Employees unable to return to work because of a storm-related hardship should notify their supervisor as soon as possible. Faculty members and supervisors are asked to be patient and understanding with their students and staff during these unique circumstances. At USF Tampa, the Marshall Student Center, USF Library, Campus Recreation Center, Student Health Services and the Counseling Center will reopen at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. USF St. Petersburg residence halls that were evacuated during the storm will reopen at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. USFSP students can contact Dean of Students Jacob Diaz with any questions at (727) 873-4826 or jacobdiaz@mail.usf.edu. All USF Health clinics will reopen on Wednesday. Clinical staff will receive additional guidance in a separate communication. We have established two toll-free phone numbers for anyone with questions about the reopening schedule: USF System students or parents can call 1-855-382-5049. USF System faculty or staff can call 1-855-456-0649. Both phone numbers will be staffed from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. beginning on Tuesday.