Left: Christy Gilfert, acting vice president for FSW's Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, represented FSW this week at the FUSE signing ceremony.
Right: FSW joins seven other colleges in the USF FUSE Transfer Program.
Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) students will have a more intentional pathway to earning a bachelor’s degree at the University of South Florida (USF) through the FUSE Transfer Program.
Facilitated by the State University System of Florida, FUSE is a highly structured, guaranteed admission transfer program. It will help FSW students make informed academic choices, prepare for transfer and progress toward bachelor’s degree completion. FSW is joining the program as a new partner this year, strengthening an established relationship between the two institutions.
“We are excited to be the newest partner in the USF FUSE program and to strengthen a partnership that already has such a strong foundation,” said Christy Gilfert, acting vice president for FSW's Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. “USF is consistently one of the top three to five transfer destinations for FSW students, and this agreement creates an even more intentional pathway for our students to continue their education and reach their goals.”
Through FUSE, FSW students will benefit from a clearer and more coordinated transfer process, including academic planning and collaboration between FSW and USF advisors.
The program provides students with:
- Defined graduation paths: Major-specific coursework, prerequisites, GPA expectations and preferred course sequencing to help students plan their academic journey.
- Coordinated advising: Collaboration between FSW and USF advisors before students transfer.
- Earlier engagement with USF: Opportunities for students to connect with USF and gain a clearer understanding of transfer and major requirements.
- Greater confidence in course selection: Improved alignment between coursework completed at FSW and the requirements for students’ intended bachelor’s degrees.
- Alignment of program requirements: Coordination of prerequisite and program requirements to help minimize excess credit hours and support timely degree completion.
Together, these resources are designed to reduce uncertainty in the transfer process, help students make more intentional academic choices and support successful progression from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree.
“FSW and USF share a commitment to student success, and our partnership provides a strong foundation for helping students achieve their educational goals,” said FSW President Jeff Allbritten. “The Fuse Transfer Program strengthens that partnership by creating clear academic pathways, coordinated advising and opportunities for early engagement with USF. We want our students to know that when they choose to continue their education, they have clear paths forward. This collaboration helps ensure they have the support and resources they need to take that next step.”
Among FSW associate in arts degree completers who transferred to institutions within the State University System of Florida, USF accounted for approximately 9% of transfers in 2020-21, 9% in 2021-22 and 8% in 2022-23.
This sustained transfer activity reflects the existing connection between FSW and USF, including student engagement through campus visits and transfer events.
“Strong partnerships with exceptional Florida College System institutions are essential to creating seamless pathways for students to continue their education and achieve their goals,” said USF President Moez Limayem.
The renewed agreement reinforces the commitment of both institutions to helping students navigate the transition from community college to university and pursue their academic and career goals.