Judy Genshaft Honors College - New Building, New Heights
As a member of the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College, you’ll enjoy tons of honors benefits – such as priority course registration, dedicated academic advising, and exclusive scholarship opportunities. But what you’ll really love are the connections you’ll make in one of the finest honors facilities in the country.
Located at the heart of the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus, the new five-story, 85,000-square-foot Judy Genshaft Honors College building provides the ultimate learning environment for any student, with features designed to engage both the academic and creative interests of the world’s most talented scholars.
Get Inspired
When you enter the Judy Genshaft Honors College building, the first things you’ll notice are the treehouse-like wood latticework and 39 unique “learning lofts” suspended above the central atrium. These cantilevered lofts offer students more than just spectacular views of the college: They’re the perfect place to study, socialize, hold meetings, chat with faculty, or just hang out between classes.
Surrounding the learning lofts and atrium are the building’s five main levels, which feature:
- Fully equipped honors classrooms
- Indoor and outdoor event spaces
- Dedicated student collaboration areas
- Multiple creative and studio spaces
- A second-level terrace
- A Buddy Brew Coffee café for when you need to refuel
Find the Right Study Space for Every Project
From networked classrooms to luxurious study spaces (with plenty of power outlets), every detail in the new Judy Genshaft Honors College building has been thoughtfully designed with direct input from students, faculty and program directors to meet the needs of our honors students.
- Seeking an academically stimulating environment? You’ll feel instantly at home in your small, discussion-based classes in the honors building’s bright, naturally lit classrooms.
- Looking to get started on a big group project? Expansive student collaboration lounges on the second and fourth levels provide students with room to meet, work, and plan.
- Need time to focus? The quiet study room on the fourth level is the perfect place for reflection and test prep.
- Ready to present? The third-level Student Leadership Center offers a student collaboration space and executive-style conference room where students can refine their skills and practice presentations like a professional.
Get Creative
Get ready to be blown away by the creative classrooms inside the honors building: you can move desks around, write on the whiteboards and truly think outside the box. Plus, with an array of studio spaces designed for art, music, multimedia, and technology, the possibilities for creative expression are nearly limitless. You can:
- Start a podcast
- Perform with an honors ensemble
- Create a sculpture
- Design a mural
- Explore virtual reality
- Use the 3D printing lab
There’s even a food and culture studio where classes can meet in a professional teaching kitchen and prepare dishes from the regions or periods they’re exploring. That’s right – the Judy Genshaft Honors College building provides literal “food for thought!”
Take Your Academic Career to the Next Level
Our new honors facility is more than just a new building: It’s a testament to USF’s commitment to academic excellence and empowering student achievement. That’s why the Judy Genshaft Honors College provides students with expert academic advising and the type of personal advising resources more typically associated with smaller, liberal arts or private colleges. Our fourth-level academic advising suite is where you’ll be able to drop in on your dedicated honors advisor, who’ll help guide you through all your thought-provoking course options, research opportunities, resume-enhancing extra-curricular activities, honors-exclusive study abroad trips and more.
Ready to take your academic journey even further? On the second level of the honors building, the USF Office of National Scholars (ONS) guides students and alumni seeking prestigious award and scholarship programs for research, international education, graduate study, and professional development. Working with the Office of National Scholars will allow you to have a richer understanding of your own academic and career goals while navigating the competitive application process for life-changing awards like the Fulbright, Gilman, Rhodes and other national and international scholarships.
Bring Your Friends
The new honors building is a great place to connect with friends, meet new people, and build your network. You’ll enjoy honors activities and events like Honors Convocation, the Tapas Night study abroad fair or "Off the Wall" Fine and Performance Arts Festival in our active atrium and forum event spaces.
For those who love the open air, the second-level terrace offers a refreshing change of scenery, with an adjoining amphitheater that allows for outdoor gatherings, guest speakers, performances, or impromptu classes outside.
Of course, when you join our community, you aren’t limited to just one campus. You’ll be free to branch out and enjoy events and activities at our stunning St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses as well.
Discover Your Home
An eye-catching, color-shifting exterior. The treehouse-like latticework learning lofts suspended above the central atrium. An outdoor terrace and amphitheater custom-made for Tampa Bay sunshine. It’s easy to see what makes the new Judy Genshaft Honors College building stand out. But it’s the brilliant students who call it home that really make it shine. So, don’t wait. Plan your visit to get a first-hand look inside our honors community and discover everything the University of South Florida has to offer.
