Support Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society in our campaign to Increase Black Enrollment at USF and to Demilitarize the USF Police Department! When our demands are met, they will provide material changes for current and future Black USF students. These demands make campus safer and will secure a path to graduation that Black students deserve. 

We decided to reopen our 2019 campaign after checking in on the enrollment numbers after all the promises USF Administration made to black students during the Summer of 2020 George Floyd Uprising. In the 2020-2021 school year Black enrollment was at 9.6%, in the 2021-2022 School year Black enrollment was at 9.5%. These numbers have been on the decline since 2008, with the highest Black enrollment being at an abysmal 12% in the 2008-2009 school year. These numbers must be increased, at a minimum. to reflect the black population in the general Tampa area which was at 23.6% in 2019 according to the US Census Bureau. To retain the Black Students USF must do more to financially support Black students and make University More accessible to students who did not attend high schools with adequate funding to do well on standardized tests. This means more than 5 scholarships, 4 of which are only $1000 and 2 of those are nonrenewable. USF administration must make the faculty and staff reflect the student body as well. 

• Increase Black Enrollment
  • At minimum, the Black student population should reflect the Tampa Community
  • More substantial and renewable scholarships for all undergraduate and graduate Black students
  • Hire more Black tenured faculty
  • Hire more Black counselors
  • Increase recruitment in predominantly black schools in Tampa
  • Drop ACT and SAT requirements for admission
  • Drop legacy status

To make Campus a safer place for black students, the USF Police Department must withdraw from the National 1033 Program which allows Campus Police Departments to purchase surplus military weapons from the Department of Defense. The 1033 program also requires police departments to prove the use of the military equipment  in order for the departments to keep it. Studies have shown that access to military equipment increases the level of police brutality. We just saw this in the summer of 2020, when campus police were deployed to Downtown Tampa to suppress and brutalize people demanding Justice for George Floyd, Ahmaud Abrey, and Brianna Taylor. 

• Demilitarize USFPD
  • Withdraw from the National 1033 program.
  • Return all items obtained from the National 1033 program
  • Reduce the overinflated budget of USFPD which is over $7 million

If you are interested in joining our campaign we have weekly meetings every Thursday in EDU 258 at the Tampa USF Campus to discuss actions for our campaign. Follow us on Instagram @TampaBaySDS and Twitter @TampaBaySDS!

Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win!

Yours in Struggle, 

Tampa Bay SDS