Leadership of the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) is part of the State University System of Florida (SUSF), which is governed by the Florida Board of Governors. Like all SUSF institutions, USF operates under a 13-member Board of Trustees (BOT), which includes the Faculty Senate President, the Student Body President, six members appointed by the Governor of Florida, and five appointed by the Florida Board of Governors. The Governor and Board-appointed members must be confirmed by the Florida Senate and serve five-year terms.
The BOT is responsible for key decisions, such as setting the university’s budget, defining strategic goals, and establishing policies for academic programs. It also appoints the USF president, who serves as the chancellor of the Tampa campus and is responsible for selecting the chancellors of the St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses.
USF is currently led by Rhea Law, who was initially appointed interim president in August 2021 following Steven C. Currall’s retirement. She was officially named president in March 2022. Christian Hardigree serves as chancellor of the St. Petersburg campus, while Karen Holbrook holds the same position at the Sarasota-Manatee campus.
USF Presidents
- John S. Allen (1957–1970)
- Harris Dean (Interim, 1970–1971)
- M. Cecil Mackey (1971–1976)
- W. Reece Smith, Jr. (Interim, 1976–1977)
- Carl Riggs (Interim, 1977–1978)
- John Lott Brown (1978–1988)
- Francis T. Borkowski (1988–1993)
- Robert A. Bryan (Interim, 1993–1994)
- Betty Castor (1994–1999)
- Thomas Tighe (Acting, Fall 1999)
- Richard Peck (Interim, 1999–2000)
- Judy Genshaft (2000–2019)
- Steven C. Currall (2019–2021)
- Rhea Law (Interim, 2021–2022; President, 2022–present)