THE ORACLE
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U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H F L O R I DA
Half of the USF Ambassadors are graduating, recruitment is underway to replace them
By Alyssa Stewart N E W S
E D I T O R
With their trademark green sport coats, the USF Ambassadors work under the Alumni Association and directly with the Office of the President to serve as the student face on campus for events. Although this will mark the 40-year anniversary, changes to the organization and university are making this a year to remember. With 15 out of 30 ambassadors graduating and USF President Judy Genshaft’s retirement, the organization is going to look very different next year. On Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the Gibbons Alumni Center, the USF Ambassadors will conduct their annual meet and greet to reach out to prospective candidates.
Latoya Wider, associate director of Student Relations, said the event will give students an opportunity to learn more about what the program will offer. “We try to make it casual and light,” Wider said. “We give a short program about the overview of the organization and then the last hour is about mingling to get to know each other.” Wider said the USF president invites the ambassadors to attend their hosted events such as the Commencement Brunch and the Iron Bull reception, which is a partnership with USF Athletics donors. Genshaft is heavily involved in the recruitment process because the university president conducts the final interview and chooses the candidates.
However, this will be Genshaft’s last recruitment year since she will be retiring July 1. Wider said she hopes that the new president will continue the relationship that the previous system presidents have had with the ambassadors. “The president has been involved since the beginning of the organization, so our hope is that it will continue with the next,” Wider said. This recruitment year is bittersweet for President of the USF Ambassadors Gina Rotunno because of Genshaft’s announcement to step down, but she is still hopeful for the future. “While President Genshaft has had a huge role in my time as an ambassador, ultimately
With 15 of the 30 USF Ambassadors graduating, the organization n See AMBASSADOR on PAGE 3 is recruiting new students to fill the void. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/USF AMBASSADORS FACEBOOK
University to increase orientation fee
By Leda Alvim S T A F F
W R I T E R
Future first-year students attending orientation this summer will pay a higher fee than years prior due to a budget review. According to Marnie
Hauser, director of orientation, every three years the Office of Orientation does a budget review to analyze the fees and determine whether there will be an increase to cover the costs. This year’s orientation will cost $195 for first-year students,
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compared to last year’s $175. “We don’t love increasing fees for anybody,” Hauser said. “If it were up to us we would lower the fee or not charge at all. But the reality is that there’s overhead and cost to providing great programming and to
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support that programming, so, be provided more time to solve unfortunately, we have to charge financial aid information and for it. Besides, this increase in registration holds. fees would allow us to keep the With the implementation of fees stable for the next couple of the Privacy Act and changes in years as well.” the financial aid verification Despite the fee increase, firstyear students and parents will n See ORIENTATION on PAGE 3
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