University of Central Florida

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University of Central Florida

Seal of the University of Central Florida
Motto Stands for Opportunity
Established 1963
Type Public
Space Grant
Endowment $95,580,670 [1]
President Dr. John C. Hitt
Faculty 1,515
Undergraduates 39,545
Postgraduates 7,174
Location Orlando, Florida, USA
Campus 1415 acres (5.73 km²)
Colors Black and Gold
Nickname Golden Knights
Mascot Knightro
Website www.ucf.edu

The University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida, and is a member institution of the State University System of Florida. As of 2005, UCF is the largest undergraduate public university in Florida and the second largest university in the state by total enrollment, trailing the University of Florida by fewer than 5,000 students. UCF is also the sixth largest university in the nation. As of Fall 2006, total enrollment included 46,719 students, consisting of 8,284 freshmen; 6,201 sophomores; 10,132 juniors; 14,681 seniors; 247 non-degree seeking students, and 7,174 graduate students. [2] UCF awards bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctorates, as well as certificates and specialist degrees. The main campus is located approximately 13 miles east of downtown Orlando and 55 miles south of Daytona Beach. The university also has twelve satellite campuses in eastern central Florida, though none is as large as the 1,415 acre (5.73 km²) main campus.

UCF's official colors are black and gold, the various sports teams go by the name of "Golden Knights" and the official mascot is a male gold-armored black knight named Knightro. The UCF academic logo, however, is a Pegasus.

The University of Central Florida is listed in “The Best 361 Colleges: 2006 Edition” by The Princeton Review.[3] The Princeton Review’s recognition comes as the academic quality of UCF students continues to rise. In the Fall of 2006, UCF's admission rate declined drastically from 61% of prospective students admitted to only 46%. This is as a result of more and more students applying to the university each year. Now the sixth largest in the nation, UCF has become a more selective university. Freshmen admitted in Fall 2006 posted average SAT scores of 1201, ACT scores of 26 and high school GPA of 3.68.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

The university was established on 10 June 1963 when the Florida State Legislature passed Bill 125. The first classes began in October 1968 with the university's total enrollment at 1945. UCF was known as Florida Technological University, nicknamed Florida Tech, from its establishment until December 6, 1978, when it was renamed to University of Central Florida by the State Legislature. FTU's former rival, the Florida Institute of Technology, has since been known as Florida Tech. In 2003, UCF had the distinction of being the fastest growing university in the United States in terms of undergraduate enrollment, and as of Fall 2006, more than 47,000 students attend the school. UCF is on pace to become one of the largest universities in the country.

One of the founding goals of the university was to act as a support system for the Kennedy Space Center, which is located about 50 miles (80 km) away. Additionally, the nearby Central Florida Research Park, which infuses research funds into the university and draws many interns and graduates from it, has a major focus of simulation as well as space- and defense-related research.

The official colors of the university were chosen by Dr. Charles Millican, UCF's Founding President. When the first student handbook was being drafted, the University had no mascot. So, Norman Van Meter, one of the designers of the university's official seal, created the Citronaut, an orange with the head of an astronaut, as a possible mascot for FTU, and it was put on the cover of the handbook. This remained the University "mascot" for a year until students petitioned Student Government to establish an official mascot. The student newspaper, the Future, drafted up their ideas of what the mascot should look like. The night nurse at the Health Center, Judy Hines, proposed a mascot with these criteria, along with a graphic representation drawn by her husband Gene, to SGA. "Vincent the Vulture" remained the schools unofficial mascot for over a year. Eventually, the students voted and selected the "Knight of Pegasus" as their official mascot. Until 1994, the Knights were represented by a jouster from the Medieval Times dinner show. That year, Knightro was introduced at the homecoming event, Spirit Splash. Two years later, UCF students were introduced to Knightro's girlfriend, Glycerin. [4]

[edit] Academics

As of 2005, UCF's academic programs included 92 Baccalaureate Programs, 94 Master's Programs, 3 Specialist Programs, and 24 Doctoral Programs. In addition, 70% of the Faculty have Doctorate Degrees, and 42% currently have tenure at the university. UCF was ranked a Tier 4 University in the 2006 edition of US News. In terms of six-year graduation rates, UCF ranks fourth in the state of Florida at 56%, trailing New College of Florida (NCF) at 65%, Florida State University (FSU) at 66%, and the University of Florida (UF) at 78%.[5]

[edit] Colleges

The university currently houses eleven colleges: College of Arts & Humanities; Burnett College of Biomedical Sciences; Burnett Honors College; College of Business Administration; College of Education; College of Engineering and Computer Science; College of Health & Public Affairs; College of Nursing; College of Optics & Photonics; Rosen College of Hospitality Management; and College of Sciences.

[edit] College of Arts & Humanities

Dean: José B. Fernández

The College of Arts & Humanities was established in January 2006 after the division of the former College of Arts & Sciences into two separate colleges. It comprises two divisions: the Division of Visual and Performing Arts and the Division of Humanities. The Division of Visual and Performing Arts consists the departments of Art, Music, and Theater, as well as the School of Film and Digital Media, and the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, which was established in partnership with Electronic Arts and offers a curriculum that trains students to become professional video game designers and producers. The Division of Humanities consists of the departments of English, History, Modern Languages, and Philosophy. The college is currently in an adjustment stage resulting from its recent creation out of the former College of Arts & Sciences.

[edit] Burnett College of Biomedical Sciences

Dean: Pappachan Kolattukudy

The Burnett College of Biomedical Sciences houses the Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, the Biomolecular Science Center, the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program and the Pre-Health Professions Advisement Office. The college offers two undergraduate degrees: a Bachelors of Science in Molecular Biology and Microbiology, and a Bachelors of Science in Medical Laboratory Science. Two graduate degrees are also offered: a Masters of Science in Molecular Biology and Microbiology and a Ph.D. program in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Science. In addition to these, the college also offers an accelerated Bachelors to Medicine program, in conjunction with the University of South Florida. Students complete three years at UCF, before matriculating into the University of South Florida College of Medicine. At the end of the program they are awarded a bachelors in Molecular Biology and Microbiology, and a Medical Doctorate.

The Burnett College of Biomedical Sciences became the 9th college at the university on August 10, 2004 after receiving a $10 million donation from Al and Nancy Burnett. The goal of the College is to build a nationally recognized biomedical research and education enterprise. It will serve as the foundation of the planned medical college, with plans to build a new 113,000-square-foot Burnett College of Biomedical Sciences building on the medical campus.

[edit] Burnett Honors College

Dean: Alvin Y. Wang

In 1998, the UCF Honors Program was granted college status. Al and Nancy Burnett donated almost 1.5 million dollars toward the completion of a building to house the new honors college, and it was subsequently named the Burnett Honors College in their honor. The Burnett Honors College's building was completed in May 2002, and dedicated on October 23, 2002. The mission of the college is to provide a challenging academic program and a foundation for future achievement to UCF's most academically talented undergraduate students. With only about 1500 students a part of the college during an academic year, the Burnett Honors College combines the intimacy of a small liberal arts college with the advantages of a large metropolitan research university. The Burnett Honors College does not have any departments or offer any degrees by itself; all of its students are also students of one of the other colleges at the university. Honors students benefit from being able to take smaller Honors-versions of both lower-division and upper-division university courses (most of which are limited to a 20-student capacity whereas some regular class sections at the university have hundreds of students), being able to enroll in Honors Interdisciplinary Seminars, usage of a private Honors Computer Lab and an Honors Reading Room, extended library privileges, scholarship opportunities, and other advantages. It offers two distinct Honors programs for students: University Honors, which is a 4-year program (students must apply as high school seniors) that requires students to take a certain number of Honors-level courses, and Honors in the Major, which allows juniors and seniors to conduct original research within their major and write an Honors Undergraduate Thesis (these programs are not mutually exclusive). If a student completes one of these programs, an Honors distinction corresponding to the program that they completed will appear on the student's diploma and transcript. The college also offers many events and programs--such as the Student-Mentor Academic Research Teams (SMART) Program--that are open to UCF students regardless of whether they are Honors students or not, as well as the Office of Student Scholarship and Fellowship Advisement, which provides information and preparation services for all UCF students interested in applying for prestigious scholarships and fellowships.

[edit] College of Business Administration

UCF's Business Administration building in 2006, after a recent renovation
UCF's Business Administration building in 2006, after a recent renovation

Dean: Thomas L. Keon

In response to the demands of the local business community, the business programs offered by the College of Business Administration were completely redesigned in 1993. Through work by alumni, faculty, business leaders, and students, the college developed the Business Education 2010 (BE2010) curriculum that is still used today. This curriculum focuses on specific competencies that are integrated throughout all coursework: Teamwork, Communication, Creativity, Adaptation to Change, Diversity, and Ethics. The College of Business presently offers 17 academic degrees and is poised to be the largest college of business in the nation after the completion of its third building in the next few years, and has become a leading business college in the South.[6]

[edit] College of Education

Dean: Sandra L. Robinson

The College of Education awards nearly 60 academic degrees to prepare students for a career in education. The college is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and houses the UCF Academy for Teaching, Learning and Leadership.

[edit] College of Engineering & Computer Science

Dean: Neal C. Gallagher

Housing some of the university's premier majors, the College of Engineering and Computer Science has three major divisions: the Engineering and Computer Science Division (which houses UCF's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), the Engineering Technology Division, and the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Division. The Engineering and Computer Science Division consists of the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (School of EECS) founded in 1999 as a result of the merger of the School of Computer Science with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, plus three other engineering departments: the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

UCF College of Engineering
UCF College of Engineering

Department, the Industrial Engineering and Management Systems (IEMS) Department, and the Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering (MMAE) Department. The School of EECS separated back into its constituent parts in 2003, but then merged again into its current form. The Engineering Technology Division consists of the Engineering technology (ENT) Department. The ROTC Division consists of the Aerospace Studies Department (Air Force ROTC) and the Military Science Department (Army ROTC). Overall, the college offers more than 100 degree programs. The college recently saw the completion of a third Engineering Building which was designed in 2000-2002 for the School of EECS with a $15 million allocation from the State of Florida. Although many students refer to the new building as Engineering 3, the Harris Corporation recently donated $6 million to the College of Engineering & Computer Science, causing the building's name to be the Harris Corporation Engineering Center. UCF's College of Engineering & Computer Science was recently classified as a research university (very high research activity) by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. This is the highest level of classification.

[edit] College of Health & Public Affairs

Interim Dean: Joyce Dorner

The College of Health and Public Affairs houses six departments and schools: the School of Nursing, the School of Social Work, and the departments of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, Health Professions, and Public Administration. Twenty-six degrees are offered to students through this college. In December 2006, UCF President John Hitt announced that the School of Nursing will become the university’s 12th college on July 1, 2007.

[edit] Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Dean: Abraham Pizam

Located off the main University of Central Florida campus on Orlando's Universal Blvd., the Rosen College of Hospitality Management offers three degrees: Hospitality Management (BS), Restaurant and Foodservice Management (BS), and Event Management (BS). Orlando is the destination for over 42 million tourists each year, has over 400 hotels with 120,000 rooms, 5,000 restaurants, and 75 theme parks and attractions, making it the ideal setting for this college to thrive. The College also recently opened up two on-campus housing buildings, able to hold 400 students and 8 resident assistants. The Rosen College of Hospitality Management also has a Masters of Science and PhD in Hospitality Management. It is also the only school in the nation to offer a degree track in theme park management.[citation needed]

[edit] College of Optics & Photonics

Dean: Eric W. Van Stryland

In 2004, UCF's Board of Trustees voted to give UCF's School of Optics and Photonics full college status, making it the first college dedicated specifically to Optics and Photonics at a public university in the United States. It currently offers only Masters and Doctoral degrees in Optics. The college consists of two divisions: Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) and Florida Photonics Center of Excellence (FPCE).

[edit] College of Sciences

Interim Dean: Peter Panousis

The College of Sciences was established in January 2006 after the division of the former College of Arts & Sciences into two separate colleges. It consists of two divisions: the Division of Natural Sciences and the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The Division of Natural Sciences consists of the departments of Biology, Chemistry and Forensic Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics. The Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences consists of the departments of Anthropology, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology, and well as the Nicholson School of Communication, one of the largest schools of communication in the nation. The college is currently seeing the construction of a Psychology Building. The college is currently in an adjustment stage resulting from its recent creation out of the former College of Arts & Sciences, with Interim Dean Panousis overseeing the transition of faculty, programs and budget into the new college while a national search is conducted to find a permanent dean.

[edit] College of Medicine

Dean: Deborah C. German

On October 25, 2006, UCF campus officials announced Dr. Deborah German as the founding dean of the College of Medicine. She is set to begin work on January 1, 2007.

On March 23, 2006, the Florida Board of Governors voted 15-1 in support of UCF's proposal to build a medical college.

The medical college will constitute a new UCF medical campus that is being constructed at Lake Nona, located on the eastern edge of Orlando near the Orlando International Airport. Upon completion, the base of this medical college will include a 113,000-square-foot building for the Burnett College of Biomedical Sciences, a 130,000-square-foot medical college instructional building and a 60,000-square-foot library.

In October 2005, a local Orlando investment company, the Tavistock Group, donated $12.5 million and 50 acres of land to UCF to help establish the UCF Medical School at Lake Nona, and issued a challenge to the Orlando community to help the university raise an additional $12.5 million to boost the total amount of raised funds to $25 million. This $25 million would be eligible for a matching state grant, thus giving UCF the needed $50 million needed to create the medical college. As of March 23, 2006, UCF had received $100.3 million in donations, state-matching funds, and land value for the medical college's establishment.

Its four-year curriculum is anticipated to begin clinical education in Fall 2009 and the college is expected to produce about 120 medical graduates a year, starting with 40-60 students in the first class and increasing in subsequent years. [7]

[edit] Regional campuses

In addition to the main campus in Orlando, The University of Central Florida also has several other campuses to service the central Florida region. In Orlando, there are three other campuses, located in Downtown, MetroWest, and South Orlando.

Outside Orlando, there are campuses in Daytona Beach, Heathrow, Sanford, Lake Mary, Cocoa, Palm Bay, South Lake, Ocala, and Osceola County. In addition to having standard classes there, some classes offered at these campuses are offered via alternative methods, such as 2-way TV from the main campus, for convenience.

[edit] Online@UCF

UCF also offers many classes and several degree and graduate certificate programs online. Students enrolling in Web-based classes and programs are subject to the same policies, procedures and tuition rates as campus-based students.

Some programs include required internships, practicum or clinical experiences that are not completed online.

Go to the online@ucf website for information on program scope, prerequisites, advising contacts and College information.

Online Undergraduate Degree Completion Programs

  • Health Services Administration, B.S.
  • Liberal Studies, B.A. or B.S.
  • Nursing R.N. to B.S.N.
  • Radiologic Sciences A.S. to B.S.
  • Technical Education and Industry Training, B.S.

Online Graduate Programs

  • Criminal Justice, M.S.
  • Exceptional Education, MA or M.Ed
  • Forensic Science, M.S.
  • Instruction Technology/Media, M.A. or M.Ed.
  • Nonprofit Management, M.N.M.
  • Nursing, M.S.N.
  • Vocational Education, M.A.

Online Graduate Certificate Programs

  • Community College Education
  • e-Learning Professional Development
  • Gifted Education
  • Initial Teacher Professional Preparation
  • Instructional Design for Simulation
  • Instructional/Educational Technology
  • Nonprofit Management
  • Nursing Education
  • Online Educational Media
  • Pre-kindergarten Handicapped Endorsement
  • Professional Writing
  • Special Education

[edit] Library

UCF Library and Reflection Pond
UCF Library and Reflection Pond

[edit] UCF Libraries

From any location, at any time, University Libraries resources and services are available to the UCF community. The University of Central Florida Libraries supports the research, teaching, learning and service commitments of students and faculty through widely-available access to collections of library resources, and to services to assist in resource use. The collections of the Libraries serve as a resource for the entire Central Florida community. Access to collections is provided through services at the main campus library, the Curriculum Materials Center located in the UCF College of Education, and the Universal Orlando Foundation Library at UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, as well as at regional joint-use campuses at the Brevard Community College Cocoa and Palm Bay campuses, Daytona Beach Community College, the MetroWest campus of Valencia Community College, and South Lake campus of Lake Sumter Community College. Collections, services and library information are available to all students and faculty online.

UCF Libraries collections include over 1,600,000 print volumes, 16,000 serial subscriptions, 60,000 e-books, 2.9 million microforms, 304,000 government documents, 40,000 media titles, special collections, university archives materials, and 9,200 full text electronic journal subscriptions. Most of the print and media collection is housed in the main campus library, which is open to the public 105 hours weekly. Materials can be searched and located, using the WebLUIS online public access catalog. UCF Libraries is a partner with Florida’s state universities in collaborative development of university collections, giving UCF students access to a growing, robust, statewide electronic collection.

Electronic holdings are available to students and faculty from on-campus, home, or classrooms at any time. Scholars have direct access to source materials that are part of several unique Special Collections at the main library. Notable collections include the Bryant West Indies collection, the Van Sickle Leftist Pamphlet collection, the Book Arts Collection, collections of materials on tourism and hospitality, and materials on the history of Central Florida. Books, manuscripts, and art can be examined and used by researchers in the Special Collections Department, assisted by staff. The University Archives collects and makes available official records, publications, and materials on the history of the University of Central Florida.

[edit] Main campus library

The main campus library is 5 stories tall, and is located at the center of the campus. Leonardo Nierman's sculpture, Flame of Hope, stands at the entrance to the building. Nierman's stained glass Genesis window is on the third floor of the library building. 40 wireless laptops are available to be checked out and used by students in the building, which has wireless access. Students may also check out the key to one of the 28 group study rooms.

A UCF legend holds that the library was UCF's first building. Contrary to popular belief, a UCF utility building was the first structure to be built but the library was in fact the second building to be built, although it was the first building to hold classes on the main campus, beginning in 1968. In the early and mid-1970s, the basement of the library had a closed-circuit radio station that broadcast by cable to the student center and the dorms. Students volunteered as unpaid disc jockeys and newscasters. The basement also housed a small, low-ceilinged television studio for television production classes. The campus newspaper, the Central Florida Future, had offices on an upper floor of the library. Classrooms and faculty offices continued to share floors of the library for many years. In 1984, renovation of the original library building was completed, as well as an addition to the building. The dedication took place in February, 1985. UCF is currently preparing for a 3 year, $110 million renovation and expansion project which will double the size of the current library and add a new entrance near the student union. The exterior as well as the interior of the library will be completely redone to be more consistent and modern.

Recently, the library implemented a new online system, Ex Libris Group's ALEPH. Aleph has been deployed as part of a project by the Florida Center for Library Automation at all of the state universities in Florida. Infusion, an exciting new learning space, is now open near the library entrance, featuring computers, enhanced wireless connectivity, books, classrooms, and a Java City coffee shop.

Until a few years ago the transmitter tower for WUCF 89.9 FM was also on top of the library, but the tower was removed after they moved to a new tower on the southwestern edge of the main campus.

[edit] Athletics

UCF Golden Knights logo
UCF Golden Knights logo

[edit] Football

Main article: UCF Golden Knights football

UCF is an NCAA Division I school. In 2005, UCF joined Conference USA and left its football-only membership in the Mid-American Conference and its membership in the Atlantic Sun Conference (for other sports). UCF is the alma mater for NFL stars Daunte Culpepper and Asante Samuel, among others.

The program began at the Division III level in 1979, when the school was known as Florida Technological University. Don Jonas, a former professional football player and Orlando dignitary, became UCF's first head football coach on a volunteer basis. UCF would move up to Division II in 1982.

Gene McDowell took over as head coach and athletic director in 1985. During his tenure, the program moved up to Division I-AA in 1990 and was a playoff team in 1990 and 1993.[1]. In 1996, the program made its foray into Division I-A. After a cell phone scandal caused the resignation of McDowell, offensive cooridinator Mike Kruzcek was named head coach in 1998.

In 1998, Culpepper led UCF to its best season ever with a 9-2 record (with losses only coming to Purdue and Auburn).

In 2000, UCF defeated the University of Alabama 40-38.

In 2003, following a string of disappointments on and off the field, UCF relieved coach Mike Kruczek of his duties. Assistant coach and former player Alan Gooch finished out the dismal 3-9 season with losses to Mid-American Conference rivals Marshall and Miami (OH). The Marshall game marked UCF's first nationally televised home football game as it was aired on ESPN2.

In 2004, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator George O'Leary was named UCF's head coach. This was a controversial hire on several fronts. O'Leary had previously been named head coach of the University of Notre Dame, but was relieved of his duties five days into his tenure after inconsistencies were found on his resume. UCF also paid O'Leary a hefty salary which upset many UCF professors who were in contract negotiations with the university administration at the time. O'Leary cleaned house, and in that rebuilding season, UCF did not record a single win as they went 0-11 in their worst season in school history.

In 2005, the team's luck changed when they defeated Marshall University 23-13 to end the school's 17 game losing steak. UCF fans celebrated by storming the field and tearing down the goal posts. Students came back to the campus and celebrated further by jumping into UCF's Reflection Pond (a practice normally reserved for Spirit Splash), which is regarded as the central point on campus. UCF then went on to win eight out of the remaining nine games on their schedule, beating Memphis, Tulane, and Houston at home and Louisiana Lafayette, Eastern Carolina, UAB, and Rice on the road. Only Southern Mississippi defeated UCF in regular-season conference play in 2005. Their 7-1 conference record enabled UCF to win the 2005 Conference USA East Division championship. UCF progressed to the inaugural Conference USA Championship Game at their home stadium on December 3, 2005 where they suffered a 44-27 defeat against western division champion Tulsa, who subsequently went on to defeat WAC power Fresno State in the Autozone Liberty Bowl. On December 4, 2005 the Golden Knights accepted a bid to play in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 24, 2005 against the University of Nevada Wolfpack. The Golden Knights ended up losing the game 49-48 in overtime due to a missed point after an attempt (PAT) by Matt Prater that would have tied the game. UCF finished the season 8-5.

On May 24, 2006, UCF (who already had O'Leary inked to a lucrative contract) extended the contract for 10 years and increased his pay to $1M plus incentives per year after O'Leary, having engineered the third-largest turnaround in college football history, was targeted by larger programs. In 2005 O'Leary was chosen by Sports Illustrated.com for the coach of the year award and received votes for the larger Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year award.

O'Leary and the Knights followed up a surprising and successful 2005 season with a disappointing 4-8 year in 2006. Knight fans hope UCF's fortunes will change in the future as they move into new facilities. UCF currently plays its home games in downtown Orlando's Citrus Bowl stadium. In 2007, they will move into Bright House Networks Stadium, a new on-campus facility.

On April 26, 2006, UCF hired Keith Tribble, the Chief Executive Officer of the Orange Bowl Committee, to replace departed Athletic Director Steve Orsini. Although Tribble has never been the Athletic Director of a university (withdrawing from the 2003 athletic director search conducted by Pittsburgh after they had decided on another candidate [8]), he has enjoyed associate AD stints at both the University of Florida and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

The University of South Florida and UCF have attempted to establish the natural football rivalry between the two schools. The inaugural War on I-4 was played in Tampa, Fla., and was won by USF 31-14. The second installment of the rivalry was won once again by USF 24-17. The two programs are signed on for games in 2007 and 2008 before their recent contract expires.

[edit] Stadium

On November 9th, 2005, the UCF Board of Trustees unanimously approved plans to build a 45,000 seat on-campus football stadium, despite protests by some nearby residents.[citation needed] The stadium will be placed on the north side of the campus, near the existing UCF Arena and the Golden Knight Plaza residential/commercial area, which is now under construction. Despite arguments of unrealistic cost estimates for the project, construction of the stadium has begun and is projected to be complete by the 2007 football season. The stadium will carry the name of Bright House Networks. There is a popular movement on the UCF campus to refer to Bright House Networks Stadium as "The Dungeon". However, some students disagree with this movement, as the basketball arena already bears this name.

[edit] UCF Fight Song

"UCF charge onto the field, with our spirit we’ll never yield. Black and Gold - Charge right through the line Victory is our cry... V-I-C-T-O-R-Y. Tonight our Knights will shine! U-C-F Knights... UCF Knights, Go Knights!"

[edit] Basketball

UCF played its first intercollegiate basketball game before the team even had a nickname.

In the Division II era, under Torchy Clark, UCF found great success including a DII Final Four appearance.

UCF has been a member of Division I since 1994 and has advanced to the NCAA tournament 4 times (94, 96, 04, 05), all under coach Kirk Speraw.

UCF competed in the Atlantic Sun Conference (formerly called the Trans American Athletic Conference) until 2005 when all sports joined Conference USA.

In October, 2005, the basketball court inside the UCF Arena (nicknamed the Dungeon) was dedicated to former coach Torchy Clark and now bears his name.

The Golden Knights made their debut in the Conference USA Championship Tournament in the 2006 season, falling to Houston in the second round and closing out the season with the program's first losing record (14-15) since 2000-2001. The Knights made a huge turnaround in the 2006-07 season, finishing 2nd in conference play, and earning a first round bye in the Conference USA tournament.

UCF will move from the 5,000 seat UCF Arena to a 10,000 seat UCF Convocation Center in the 2007-2008 season. It has been rumored that AirTran Airways has purchased the naming rights for this facility.

Two fan groups, the Kirk's Jerks (composed of both alumni and students) and Rowdy Knights (an official student organization), are the lifeblood of the basketball fan base.

[edit] Baseball

Stadium: Jay Bergman Field, capacity: 1000 (capacity doubles with temporary seating) Atlantic Sun Championships: 93, 95, 96, 97, 00, 01, 02, 04 NCAA Regional Appearances: 89, 93, 95, 96, 97, 00, 01, 02, 04 Highest national ranking: #8 in 2001.

On February 3, 2001, UCF opened and dedicated Jay Bergman Field, named after the current coach of the Golden Knights. This naming represents a career marked by championships, NCAA appearances and consistent Top 25 rankings.

[edit] Soccer

UCF has produced a number of soccer stars. Most notably, Michelle Akers. Akers went on to play in the Olympics and was a part of the 1999 USA National Team that won the World Cup. The men's program has developed midfielder Eric Vasquez, who now plays for Miami F.C. in the United Soccer Leagues' First Division. As well, former Golden Knights Goalkeeper Ryan McIntosh signed a development deal with D.C. United of Major League Soccer. Both players were a part of the 2004 Central Florida Kraze amateur soccer team that won the Premier Development League's championship by defeating the Boulder Rapids Resevers, 1-0 at the UCF soccer stadium.

[edit] Cheerleading

The UCF cheerleading squad captured its second national title as the College Cheerleading and Dance Team Nationals concluded on Sunday January 14th, 2007.

Ranked fifth in the south region entering this year's competition, UCF earned a bye through to the finals, where the team performed 14th in the 15-team field. The Golden Knights finished ahead of Alabama in second place and two-time defending champion Kentucky in third place.

It was the team's second national championship as the Golden Knights took home the trophy in 2003.

[edit] Campus Life

UCF has a highly active campus life, with over 400 registered student organizations, intramural sports, and Student Government Association. Students are encouraged to get involved on campus in any way that they can. Greek life also thrives at the University of Central Florida, with 44 fraternities and sororities. This includes multicultural and honor Greek organizations, but also social sororities and fraternities as well. Alpha Xi Delta, Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Delta Delta Delta, Pi Beta Phi, Chi Omega, Kappa Alpha Theta, Zeta Tau Alpha, and Kappa Delta are the social Panhellenic sororities. The Interfraternity Council fraternities are Sigma Chi, Pi Kappa Phi, Alpha Tau Omega, Theta Chi, Lambda Chi Alpha, Delta Tau Delta, Delta Upsilon, Beta Theta Pi, Kappa Sigma, Sigma Nu, Phi Delta Theta, Lambda Theta Phi, Sigma Lambda Beta, Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI), Tau Kappa Epsilon, and Alpha Epsilon Pi. Some recently deactivated sorrorities and fraternities at UCF include Delta Gamma, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Sigma Phi Epsilon.

[edit] Housing

Approximately 10% of the UCF student population (4,500 students) live on-campus. The university currently has over 4,500 beds (5,700 by 2007) on-campus in six different housing communities. Residence hall style suites are available in the Libra, Apollo, Hercules, and Nike communities. All of the residence hall suites have bathrooms shared between 2 or 3 rooms as opposed to communal bathrooms. Apartment style housing is available in the Academic Village (Nike and Hercules) communities, the Towers at Golden Knights Plaza (Gemini and Orion), and the Lake Claire Courtyard Apartments Community. UCF also has 400 beds at the off-campus Rosen College Apartments Community, located adjacent to the Rosen College of Hospitality Management campus. The residence hall suites, are almost completely inhabited by first-year students, whereas the apartment-style communities house many upper-classmen.

The Gemini and Orion Community, formerly known as the Convocation Center Apartments due to their proximity to the planned Convocation Center, now commonly known as the Towers at Golden Knights Plaza or increasingly commonly just "The Towers" is currently under construction. The planned housing capacity of the community is 2,000 beds. Final construction will comprise four apartment "towers" and is scheduled to be finished by Fall 2007; as of Fall 2005, Gemini South ("Tower 1") has finished construction and is completely occupied. Construction was completed on Gemini North and Orion East (II and IV) in 2006 and students began moving in immediately prior to the beginning of UCF's Fall 2006 semester, in August of that year. The buildings were constructed using large pieces of prefabricated chunks of cement poured off site and bought onto campus on flatbeds. Apartments in the Towers are offered in various plans ranging from 1 bedroom/1 bathroom to 4 bedroom/4 bathroom. The availability of one bedroom studio apartments is limited to 7 rooms for Gemini South (One per floor). The other 8 one bedrooms are used for RAs and GAs. Most of the building is composed of 4 bedroom/4 bathroom and 4 bedroom/2 bathroom apartments. Tower 3 is slated to become the home of the students in the Burnett Honors College (Orion West). The towers are owned by the athletics department. Through a loophole in NCAA regulations (because the teams really only get a whole floor), there is one building that is almost completely comprised of UCF athletic students.

All residents of the Gemini and Orion Communities and Rosen College Apartment sign annual contracts to rent their apartments for a full calendar year, whereas residents of all other standard housing communities on the main campus sign academic contracts to rent their rooms only for one or two semesters at a time. [9]

The Towers are being constructed as a part of the planned Golden Knights Plaza, which will include the new Convocation Center as well as 183,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, to be built in three phases over the coming years. Some retailers and restaurants scheduled to fill this space are McDonald's, Ron Jon Surf Shop, Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, UPS, Outback Steakhouse and many others. [10]

Greek housing is also available on campus in the Greek Park 1 community, which consists of over 400 beds. Sororities currently housed on campus are Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Delta Delta, Pi Beta Phi, Zeta Tau Alpha, and Kappa Delta. Fraternities with houses on campus are Sigma Chi, Alpha Tau Omega, and Kappa Sigma. As noted above, three houses are currently unoccupied with their future remaining unclear. A few fraternities also have houses off campus. The university plans on building another Greek housing community, Greek Park 2, in the coming years, however it will most likely be dorm style housing as opposed to the mansion style that is currently on Greek Park 1.

Furthermore, upwards of 3,750 beds are available at the University-affiliated housing communities of Pegasus Landing and Pegasus Pointe, which are off-campus apartment communities that have housing affiliation agreements with the school. Pegasus Landing was built in three stags. The communities are more commonly referred to: Pisces (Phase 1), Aries (Phase 2), Capricorn (Phase 3).

All communities have staff living in each community. There is at least one Resident Assistant per 20-70 residents. There are also at least one Graduate Assistant per community. Finally, there is an Area Coordinator. At any given time, there are Resident Assistants on duty, Graduate Assistants and Area Coordinators on duty. UCF has over 140 RA's, 18 GA's, and 11 Area Coordinators.

Housing on the main campus typically fills to capacity well before the start of the Fall semester, and can not accommodate everyone who applies; however, this is not the case for the Rosen College Apartments, since the Rosen College of Hospitality only accepts a tightly-controlled, limited number of students and many of those opt to live off-campus. Some students receive special housing priorities- for example, many first-year Burnett Honors College students are housed in Flagler Hall in Libra Community (Soon changing to the Orion Community), and LEAD Scholars in Hercules. Many student athletes are housed together in the Towers at Golden Knight Plaza.

[edit] Communities

Below is a complete listing of all University-based housing communities, all of which are located on the UCF main campus unless otherwise noted:

Standard Housing Communities

  • Apollo Community
  • Libra Community
  • Lake Claire Courtyard Apartments Community
  • Nike Community (Academic Village 1)
  • Hercules Community (Academic Village 2)
  • Gemini Community (Tower 1 and Tower 2)
  • Orion Community (Tower 3 and Tower 4)
  • Rosen College Apartments Community (off-campus adjacent to Rosen College of Hospitality Management campus)

Greek Housing

  • Greek Park 1
  • Greek Park 2 (prospective)

Affiliated Housing (off-campus)

  • Pegasus Landing
  • Pegasus Pointe

[edit] Rankings

  • The University of Central Florida is listed in “The Best 361 Colleges: 2006 Edition” by The Princeton Review.[11]
  • UCF was ranked a Tier 3 university in the 2006 edition of US News and World Reports. [12]
  • UCF is one of the Top 60 schools in the country in enrollment of National Merit Scholars, a ranking aided by its offering of full-ride scholarships to most National Merit Finalists.
  • UCF is the sixth largest university in the nation, and the second largest in the state of Florida (yet, is the largest in terms of Undergraduates).
  • The Student Government Association is ranked number one in the state of Florida by the Florida Student Association.
  • UCF had the highest passing rate in the nation on the National CPA exam in Fall 2003.
  • The UCF trial team took first place at Yale University's annual Invitational Mock Trial Tournament, beating 61 other teams including Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Brown.
  • Team UCF was a part of the semi-finals for the 2005 DARPA grand challenge.
  • UCF is ranked 38th in the nation for the strength of its research and patents by Technology Review, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's magazine of innovation. Only the University of Florida, at 20th, ranks higher among Florida state universities.
  • The Computer Science Programming Team placed 1st in the 2007 southeast ACM Regional Programming Competition. The college’s now 25-year-old record of "top three in the southeast" continues. Faculty advisor, Dr. Ali Orooji, says that out of more than 6,000 teams from 75 countries, UCF is one of about 80 teams advancing to the World Championship round in Spring 2007. The Programming Team has placed as high as 2nd in past World Championships. Programming Team Record
  • UCF was ranked fifth by High Times Magazine for its activist efforts in the drug reform movement for 2006, mainly because of its campus NORML and SSDP chapters.
  • As of September 2005, Hispanic Business Magazine ranked UCF as the number three engineering school for Hispanics (after University of Texas at El Paso and Georgia Tech). [13]
  • UCF Digital Media students won the first Red Bull Build game design competition in the summer of 2006.
  • A UCF Digital Media student won the first Yahoo! Emoticon Contest - where a new emoticon icon was chosen for Yahoo! Messenger, as well as an Avatar made to his likeness....Yahoo! Avatar Face #7
  • The UCF Police have the lowest rate of solving crimes of any major university in Florida [14]
  • UCF has the lowest rate of crime per capita of all Florida state universities. [15]

[edit] Famous Alumni

Craig Miller, CEO of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Richard Walsh, Senior VP of Darden Restaurants

[edit] Points of interest

  • UCF Arboretum
  • UCF Student Union -- administered by UCF's Student Government Association
  • UCF Challenge Course -- UCF is one of the few universities in the country to have a challenge course -- paid for by UCF's Student Government Association
  • Lake Claire Recreation Area -- offers reservable pavillions with grills, Gazebo, a sand volleyball court, and equipment freely available to students, including canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, frisbees, volleyballs
  • UCF Recreation and Wellness Center -- offers a 3,000 ft² (300 m²) cardiovascular floor, 12,000 ft² (1,200 m²) weight floor (selectorized weights, free weights and stretching area), 3 multipurpose group exercise rooms, 4 indoor basketball courts and a 41 foot (12 m) Climbing Rock Tower with about 20 routes, each with different levels of difficulty. Additional student recreation facilities include a 230,000 US gallon (870 m³) 6 lane outdoor pool, a resort/lagoon style swimming pool, 7 tennis courts, 9 sand volleyball courts, an 18 hole disc golf course (which is not currently maintained), 2 softball/baseball fields, 9 acre (36,000 m²) multipurpose field.

[edit] Trivia

  • UCF holds the Guinness Book of Records entry for most people on a waterbed (108).
  • Citronaut was the school's mascot when it was Florida Technical University.
    FTU Citronaut
    FTU Citronaut
  • The university has asked to be identified as UCF when being referenced as opposed to Central Florida. Television networks and other media outlets, most notably ESPN, have been slow to adopt this policy, and often make jokes about it. Schools such as the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Nevada - Las Vegas (UNLV) have not received the same resistance.
  • Actor James Best (best known as Sheriff Roscoe from the Dukes of Hazzard TV Series) taught classes at UCF for several years.

[edit] Filmography

  • The syndicated 1990s TV Series Superboy was filmed throughout the UCF Campus. The Library and Phillips Halls were prominently featured.
  • In 2004, the WB recorded and produced a reality television series called "Big Man on Campus" (BMOC) on the campus of UCF with enrolled students.
  • One special episode of Most Extreme Elimination Challenge (MXC) featured on Spike TV was filmed at Universal Studios and showcased UCF students.
  • The popular and successful film, The Blair Witch Project, was filmed by UCF students. The film became one of the most successful independent films ever made.
  • UCF is the film location for a new Amanda Bynes movie called Sydney White, which is this modern retelling of the classic fairytale following a beautiful college freshman as she pledges her late mother's once dignified sorority. But after discovering that today's sisterhood is not what it used to be, Sydney finds her new home away from home with seven outcasts. With the help of her socially challenged new friends, Sydney will take on the reigning campus queen to attempt to transform the school's misguided social hierarchy. Written by Morgan Creek Productions.

[edit] University Mottos

  • One orginal motto of the university was "Reach for the Stars". On the FTU version of the official seal, it was inscribed between the wing of the Pegasus and the ear.
  • During the tenure of founding president Charles Millican, two of the University's themes were "Accent on the Individual" and "Accent on Excellence". The former was meant to emphasize the more intimate, individualized environment that was to be offered at the small, young FTU as opposed to the large, established schools.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ "UCF Freshman Class Profile - Fall 2006" University of Central Florida.


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