University of South Florida (USF) has the Hillel Morris & Bertha Escol Center for Jewish Campus Life, Chabad, Jewish Greek life and a Holocaust and Genocide Studies Center.

Litigation & Investigations

In February 2024, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened a Title VI investigation into USF.

What’s Happening on Campus?

In January 2024, at an anti-Israel rally organized by From Tampa to Palestine at the University of South Florida, protesters held signs with messages that included: “Yemen, Yemen, make us proud; turn another ship around,” a slogan used to support the actions of the Houthis, an antisemitic U.S.-designated terrorist group.

In April 2024, the USF Student Government Senate narrowly passed a resolution supporting Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel.

That same month, a protest resulted in law enforcement intervening to disperse an anti-Israel encampment protest, resulting in ten arrests.

In April 2024, at an anti-Israel rally organized by groups including Students for a Democratic Society, USF Divest Coalition and Freedom Road Socialist Organization, protesters chanted, “Gaza will free us all, Zionism will fall” and "From the water to the water [Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea], Palestine is Arab" (in Arabic).

University Policies and Responsive Action

Over the summer of 2024, USF updated its campus policies regarding activities and discrimination. The updated policy now requires prior approval for activities such as erecting tents, canopies, and using audio amplifiers. These revised policies explicitly prohibit antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate based on religion or cultural heritage.

In October 2024, USF issued a statement ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel offering support to campus community members impacted by the conflict and reiterating a commitment to safety.

In August 2024, the Chancellor of the State University System of Florida called for a review of all state university courses for anti-Israel or antisemitic bias, including at University of South Florida.

In March 2025, USF announced that it had established a Presidential Advisory Committee on Antisemitism; scheduled workshops on antisemitism for students, faculty and staff; and added a calendar of religious holidays as a webpage resource for faculty and students.

*Following the implementation of new policy actions, USF’s 2025 grade was revised from a C to a B on April 4, 2025.