Danielle McDonald exits as USF Tampa Dean of Students weeks after James Fishback event draws scrutiny

University of South Florida Associate Vice President and Tampa Dean of Students Danielle McDonald has stepped down after more than a decade with the university.

McDonald recently announced her resignation after approximately 15 years at the university, according to a public statement on social media.

“I am proud to have been at the creation and implementation of the student success movement that helped USF achieve Pre-eminence and AAU. I also earned my Ph.D. while working through natural disasters, COVID shut downs, and leadership change,” McDonald stated.

“I also have been proud to work with some of the best professionals in the field. Together we ensured students were always our first priority. I am proud of the team that I built over the years and I know they will continue to do great things. I came to USF because I knew I could make a difference and I am proud to leave knowing that I did.”

Her departure comes weeks after an April 14 event at USF’s Marshall Student Center featuring gubernatorial candidate James Fishback — where Jewish students allege they were denied entry and subjected to harassment.

The situation involved three Jewish students who were blocked from entering the event despite university rules requiring access to student-hosted events. One student was reportedly labeled a “threat.” Fishback’s security team was reportedly in charge during the event, but USF police did not allow the students into the venue after they were denied entry by campaign security.

University officials have defended the decision, saying it was based on information provided at the time regarding behavior and not discriminatory. The university also emphasized that it does not tolerate antisemitism and is continuing to review the incident.

It remains unclear whether McDonald’s resignation is connected to the April 14 incident, and the university has not publicly linked the personnel change to the controversy. The timing of McDonald’s departure, however, has fueled speculation online.

The Israel On Campus Coalition noted the timing of the resignation in a social media post Sunday evening drawing attention to McDonald’s departure drawing thousands of likes and hundreds of responses.

“BREAKING: The Dean of Students at USF is out. The move follows an incident in which Jewish students were barred from an on-campus event with a Florida gubernatorial candidate,” the group wrote.

Speculation, however, has also led to some confusion involving a separate leadership change at the USF St. Petersburg campus, where the university announced the resignation of its own Dean of Students, Jacob Diaz, last week.

Diaz, who is not involved with the Tampa campus situation, is stepping down after roughly 12 years in his role. Diaz is leaving May 15 to become Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

USF has not announced a permanent replacement for McDonald, and her USF profile is largely no longer available. The USF website lists Allison Crume as Associate Vice President and Dean Undergraduate Studies and Interim Dean of Students Student Affairs, while Winston Jones Sr. serves as Associate Dean of Students.

“While I am not sure what is next for me, I am ready to rest a little and then reimagine this next stage of my life. If anyone has ideas or opportunities that could use my skills feel free to reach out,” McDonald wrote. “Thank you to everyone that has been along with me in this journey and continue to cheer me on and provide support through the hard and messy. Ready for the gorgeous to come!”