University of Central Florida

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"UCF" redirects here. For other uses, see UCF (disambiguation).
University of Central Florida
Motto: Reach for the Stars[1]
Established: 1963[2]
Type: Public
Space Grant[3]
Endowment: $115.33 million[2]
President: Dr. John C. Hitt
Provost: Terry Hickey
Faculty: 1,734[2]
Students: 48,497[2]
Undergraduates: 41,320[2]
Postgraduates: 7,177[2]
Doctoral students: 1,618[2]
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
Campus: 1415 acres (5.73 km²)[2]
Former names: Florida Technological University
Colors: Black and Gold          
Nickname: Knights
Mascot: Knightro
Athletics: NCAA Division I, C-USA
16 varsity teams
Website: www.ucf.edu

The University of Central Florida (commonly referred to as UCF) is a university located in Orlando, Florida. UCF is the largest undergraduate school in the state of Florida, the second largest school-including graduate programs, and is the sixth-largest university in the nation.

UCF is a member institution of the State University System of Florida. It was founded in 1963 as Florida Technological University with the goal of providing highly trained personnel to support the Kennedy Space Center, located only 35 miles (56 km) to the east, and to this day maintains a satellite campus at the Space Center. In 1978 the school was renamed the University of Central Florida as its academic scope had expanded to encompass all academic fields. In 1990, the University of Central Florida founded the Space Education and Research Center[4] and is a member of the NASA Space grant colleges.[3]

As of 2007, total enrollment consists of a 49,000 student body seeking bachelor's degrees through doctorates, as well as certificates and specialist degrees. The university is organized into twelve colleges providing nearly 100 separate courses of study with the majority of the population located at the main campus, approximately 13 miles (21 km) east of downtown Orlando and 55 miles (89 km) south of Daytona Beach.[2] Since its rapid growth starting in the late 1990s UCF has expanded its influence throughout Florida and now consists of twelve satellite campuses in eastern central Florida.[2] The University of Central Florida is listed in “The Best 361 Colleges: 2006 Edition” by The Princeton Review.[5] The Princeton Review’s recognition comes as the academic quality of UCF students continues to rise. In the 2007 edition of US News, it is ranked as a Tier 3 National University.[6] In the Fall of 2006, UCF's admission rate declined drastically from 61% of prospective students admitted to only 46%, as a result of more and more students applying to the university each year. Freshmen admitted in Fall 2007 posted average SAT scores of 1217, ACT scores of 26.1 and weighted high school GPAs of 3.72.[7] UCF has been very successful in recruiting National Merit Scholars and is one of the Top 50 schools in the country by enrollment with 43 scholars.[8] According to a report released by the university in 2008, UCF is second only to the University of Florida in National Merit Scholar enrollment in the state of Florida.

UCF's official colors are black and gold, the various sports teams go by the name of Knights and the official mascot is a male gold-armored black knight named Knightro. The UCF academic logo is a Pegasus.[9]

Contents

[edit] History

The university was established on June 11, 1963 when the Florida State Legislature passed Bill No. 125, and it was signed into law by Governor Farris Bryant. The first classes began in October 1968 at a total enrollment of 1,948 students. 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 House. 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. On August 2, 2005 the University of Central Florida awarded its 150,000th degree.

One of the founding goals of the university was to act as a support system for the Kennedy Space Center, which is located about 35 miles (56 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 Charles N. Millican, UCF's Founding President. When the first student handbook was being drafted, the university had no mascot. So, Kevin Yee, 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 located in down town Orlando. That year, Knightro was introduced at the homecoming event, the "Spirit Splash". Two years later, UCF students were introduced to Knightro's girlfriend, Glycerin.[10]

[edit] Academics

[edit] Colleges

The university currently houses eleven colleges to offer 95 baccalaureate programs, 97 master's programs, 3 specialist programs, and 28 doctoral programs. In addition, 70% of the faculty have doctorates, and 42% currently have tenure at the university.[2] The retention rate of the freshman class was 83%. The acceptance rate of the 2007 incoming freshmen was 46%, making UCF the second most selective university in the state of Florida..[2] UCF also offers both Army and Air Force ROTC programs which are rated among the best in the nation. [11]

[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 in 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 Arts and Humanities

Dean: José B. Fernández

The College of Arts & Humanities was established in January 2006 after the bloody civil war that brewed within the former College of Arts & Sciences; this resulted in 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.

[edit] School of Film and Digital Media

[edit] Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy

[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

The College of Business Administration offers programs in accounting, economics, finance, business administration, management, management information systems, marketing, and real estate , which were developed in response to the demands of the local business community. It is ranked in the top 100 undergraduate programs by Business Week. The Wall Street Journal ranks the DeVos Sport Business Management program among the top 5 in the nation.[12] In the Fall of 2003, UCF had the highest passing rate in the nation on the National CPA exam. In 1993, through work by alumni, faculty, business leaders, and students, the college developed the Business Education 2010 (BE2010) curriculum that is in used today. This curriculum focuses on specific competencies that are integrated throughout all coursework: Teamwork, Communication, Creativity, Adaptation to Change, Diversity, and Ethics.[13]

[edit] Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting

[edit] Dr. P. Phillips School of Real Estate

[edit] College of Education

Dean: Sandra L. Robinson

The College of Education awards nearly 60 academic degrees to prepare students for a career in both primary and secondary 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 and Computer Science

UCF College of Engineering
UCF College of Engineering

Dean: Neal C. Gallagher

Housing some of the university's showcase 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) 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. 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.

The Computer Science Programming Team placed 1st in the 2007 southeast ACM Regional Programming Competition and 44th in the international competition. The college’s now 25-year-old record of "top three in the southeast" continues. The Programming Team has placed as high as 2nd in past World Championships. Programming Team Record

[edit] School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

[edit] College of Health and Public Affairs

Interim Dean: Joyce Dorner

College of Health and Public Affairs
College of Health and Public Affairs

The College of Health and Public Affairs houses six departments and schools: the School of Social Work, and the departments of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, Health Professions, and Public Administration. Twenty-three degrees are offered to students through this college.

The Mock Trial Team at UCF has placed as high as first place in various Tournaments such as the Harvard Invitational[14] and Yale Invitational[15]. The Trial Team is also nationally ranked and continues to quality for Silver and Gold Nationals held by AMTA, The American Mock Trial Association.

[edit] School of Social Work

[edit] Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Dean: Abraham Pizam

Located off the main 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. In 2005 the University opened two on-campus housing buildings, able to hold 400 residents which includes 8 resident assistants. The Rosen College of Hospitality Management also has a Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management and a PhD in Hospitality Education.

[edit] College of Medicine

Dean: Deborah C. German

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 of the first phase, the base of this medical college will include a 113,000-square-foot (10,500 m²) building for the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, a 130,000-square-foot (12,000 m²) medical college instructional building and a 60,000-square-foot (6,000 m²) 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 to create the medical college. UCF received well over $100 million in donations, state-matching funds, and land value for the medical college's establishment. Lake Nona will also include a VA Hospital and Nemours Orlando Children's Hospital. The Burnham Institute for Medical Research and many other companies are also planning on building major medical research facilities in the area, with over $2 billion worth of projects beginning construction in 15 months.[16]

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.[17] It is expected that there will be a strong focus on medical imaging by working closely with the College of Optics and Photonics.

[edit] Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences

Director: Pappachan Kolattukudy

The Burnett School 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 school 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 school 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 school was named after Al and Nancy Burnett after receiving a $10 million donation from them.

In August 2007, the program was converted to a school under the newly formed UCF College of Medicine from being an independent college. The goal of the school is to build a nationally recognized biomedical research and education enterprise, and eventually become part of UCF's College of Medicine upon accreditation. Construction is now underway to build a 113,000-square-foot (10,500 m²) Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences building on the health sciences campus scheduled to be open for Fall 2009.

[edit] College of Nursing

Dean: Jean Leuner

On July 1, 2007, the School of Nursing became the university’s 12th college. [18] Originally a School of Nursing as part of the College of Health and Public Affairs, it was changed to college status to recognize its growth and stature. It will initially continue to operate out of the Health and Public Affairs building on the main campus until it raises enough money to build a new building on the UCF Health Sciences campus at Lake Nona in order to work more closely with the College of Medicine.

[edit] College of Optics and 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 is the only college that does not offer any undergraduate programs, 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

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, as well as the Nicholson School of Communication, one of the largest schools of communication in the nation. The college recently completed the construction of a Psychology Building and a new Physical Sciences Building is currently under construction.

[edit] Nicholson School of Communication

[edit] Online@UCF

The online@ucf website offers information on program scope, prerequisites, advising contacts and the colleges. 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.

Online Undergraduate Degree Completion Programs

  • Health Services Administration, B.S.
  • Interdisciplinary 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.
  • Information Systems Technology, B.S.

Online Graduate Programs

  • 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., only leadership and management track
  • 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] Campus

The University of Central Florida has a unique campus layout that has become a model for other universities, reminiscent of the plans by Walt Disney for his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT). The campus was designed to be a pedestrian oriented campus, with a series of concentric circles. The outermost circle is Gemini Blvd, which is also the main road for vehicular traffic on campus. Inside of Gemini, there is Apollo Circle, Mercury Circle, and finally Pegasus Circle as the innermost circle. Pegasus Circle contains the student union, which is the center of the campus, with the library located directly to the south of it. All academic buildings are located inside of Gemini, with the circle divided up into pie-shaped sections for each college. As there are very few roads inside of Gemini, many buildings' loading docks are accessible only by sidewalks and thus receive most deliveries at night. The University of Central Florida campus is one of only two in the nation with a concentric circle design. The other is the University of California, Irvine. Ironically, both universities are located in Orange County as UCF is in Orange County, Florida and UC Irvine is in Orange County, California.

Student housing is provided along the perimeter of the campus. Outside of Gemini, the campus is divided up into different themed sections. The northwest side of campus includes Greek communities, the north side contains an athletic village, the east side contains the Arboretum of the University of Central Florida, and the south side contains student recreation and wellness facilities.

South of the campus is Central Florida Research Park, which is one of the largest research parks in the nation, providing jobs to more than 500 students and thousands of alumni.

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] Library

UCF Library and Reflection Pond
UCF Library and Reflection Pond

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 1,800,000 print volumes, a base of 17,000 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 80 hours weekly. Materials can be searched and located, using the library's 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. Students 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.

The main campus library is 5 stories tall, and is located on the west side 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; however, a UCF utility building was the first structure to be built (the library was the second). 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.

The library's online system isEx 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 learning space, is located 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

The New UCF Knights logo, which was released on May 4, 2007.
The New UCF Knights logo, which was released on May 4, 2007.
Main article: UCF Knights
See also: UCF Knights football

The university's athletics teams are known as the UCF Knights. They are part of Conference USA in the NCAA's Division I-A in the 17 active varsity sports teams.

UCF entered NCAA Division I in 1990 and was initially a I-AA college football school, independent until 1992 when it joined the Trans-Atlantic Athletic Conference (TAAC) in all D-I sports except football, which remained independent until 1996.[19] UCF is the first school to ever build and open a new stadium, the Bright House Networks Stadium, and a new arena, the new UCF Arena, at the same time, for the 2007-08 season.[20]. In 2007, the UCF Football team won the C-USA Conference Championship for the first time in the school's history, securing a berth to the 49th Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

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 and has advanced to the NCAA tournament 4 times (94, 96, 04, 05) since its 1994 debut in Division I, all under coach Kirk Speraw.

UCF has also produced a number of soccer stars, including 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 UCF cheerleading squad has captured two national titles at the College Cheerleading and Dance Team Nationals, in 2003 and 2007. They are now being followed by the WEtv's hit cheerleading show, Cheerleader U, as the reigning national champions.[1]

[edit] Fight Song

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 let's go Knights

[edit] Student Life

UCF has a highly active campus life, with over 400 registered student organizations,[21] intramural sports, and a Student Government Association.

The UCF Recreation Pool near the Recreation Center
The UCF Recreation Pool near the Recreation Center

[edit] Traditions

[edit] Spirit Splash

Spirit Splash is a homecoming tradition at UCF. The Friday before the Homecoming game is reserved for a pep rally at the Reflection Pond, where students descend into the pond to demonstrate their school spirit. Knightro, the Marching Knights, cheerleaders, athletes, and dancers come out to rally the crowd, and is followed by a concert.

Spirit Splash was made possible in part by weight testing done on the Reflection Pond in preparation for Richard Nixon's visit to UCF to speak at the 1973 commencement. It was determined that the best way to protect the president would be to hold commencement in the pond itself (after being drained), so that sentries could be stationed on the roofs of the adjacent buildings.

[edit] Alma Mater

UCF Alma Mater
All hail to Alma Mater, whose banner black and gold,
will wave in fame and splendor as the passing years unfold.

May loyalty and friendship, within our hearts unite,
and light the star to guide us, ever upward in our flight.

With honor and affection, our friendship will renew;
we sing of thee our Alma Mater ever true.

The UCF Recreation & Wellness Center, where many students exercise and play indoor sports
The UCF Recreation & Wellness Center, where many students exercise and play indoor sports

[edit] Recreational Activities

Many different recreational organizations and facilities are available on the UCF campus. Lake Claire is an on-campus lake with free canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats available for rent to students. Students may also swim in the lake, which is the home to one shy, 4 foot gator, and the sunken wreck of a rowboat. [22] In addition, UCF's Challenge Course is one of only five in the country to contain a high elements course.[23] There are also tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, a disc golf course, numerous intramural sports fields, a leisure pool, and an outdoor lap pool. The recreation center also includes a climbing wall with about 20 different routes.[24]

[edit] Student Organizations

UCF has quickly developed a reputation for student activism. Some of the active groups on campus include NORML and the Students for a Democratic Society. In 2006, High Times magazine ranked UCF one of the top five schools for student activism.[25] There is also an independent student newspaper on campus known as the Central Florida Future.

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 Delta Pi, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Xi Delta, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Beta Phi and Zeta Tau Alpha are the social Panhellenic sororities. The Interfraternity Council fraternities are Alpha Epsilon Pi, Alpha Tau Omega, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Tau Delta, Delta Upsilon, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Lambda Sigma Upsilon, Lambda Theta Phi, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI),Sigma Chi, Sigma Nu, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Theta Chi and most recently added Zeta Beta Tau along with a Sigma Pi colony. The Diversified Greek Council includes Chi Upsilon Sigma, Lambda Theta Alpha, Sigma Lambda Gamma, Mu Sigma Upsilon, Sigma Lambda Beta, Delta Phi Lambda, and Pi Delta Psi. There are 4 Greek organizations associated with music: Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and Sigma Alpha Iota.

In what is probably the worst year for Greek Life in an academic institution, the 2006-2007 school calendar year at the University of Central Florida saw three of its fraternities' charters revoked; Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Phi,and Sigma Phi Epsilon were kicked off campus. Other chapters that are no longer active at the University of Central Florida: Acacia, Delta Gamma, Alpha Chi Omega and Pi Kappa Alpha.[26]

[edit] Filmography

UCF has been the location to many TV series and specials throughout its history. In the 1990s, Superboy prominently featured the Library and Phillips Hall. In 2004, the WB recorded and produced a reality television series called Big Man on Campus featuring 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 film, The Blair Witch Project, was filmed by UCF students and became one of the most successful independent films ever made. UCF is also the film location for a new Amanda Bynes movie called Sydney White, which follows a college freshman as she pledges her late mother's once dignified sorority. Actor James Best (best known as Sheriff Roscoe from the Dukes of Hazzard TV Series) taught classes at UCF for several years. Actress Cheryl Hines (best known for her role as Cheryl David on Curb Your Enthusiasm) graduated from UCF with a degree in Communication. The horror film Bloody 27 which starred Michael Winslow and Tara Cardinal used several location on the UCF main campus.

[edit] Housing

The university currently has over 6,000 beds on-campus in eight different housing communities. Also, 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, and will become UCF property by 2009. Pegasus Landing was built in three stages. The communities are more commonly referred to as Pisces (Phase 1), Aries (Phase 2), Capricorn (Phase 3). 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 Knights Plaza (Tower I, II, III, and IV), and the Lake Claire Courtyard Apartments Community. UCF also has 400 beds at the Rosen College Apartments Community, located on 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.

This adds up to over 10,000 beds either on campus or in campus affiliated housing, which is 24% of the student population. The majority of UCF students live in non affiliated apartment style housing, located close by to the university. These offer the benefits of being less expensive, and relaxed rules and regulations. Some of the popular residencies are: Northgate Lakes, University House, The Village at Alafaya Club, The Park and Jefferson Lofts.

7 story student apartment towers on the east side of Knights plaza, known as Towers III and IV
7 story student apartment towers on the east side of Knights plaza, known as Towers III and IV

The newest housing complex completed for the 2007 school year, Towers at Golden Knights Plaza commonly known as "The Towers", were constructed as a part of the Knights Plaza, which includes the UCF Arena, Bright House Networks Stadium, as well as 183,000 square feet (17,000 m²) of retail and restaurant space, to be built in three phases over the coming years. Some retailers and restaurants currently occupying Knights Plaza are Barnes & Noble,Papa John's, Subway, Maggie Moo's,Red Brick Pizza, Volcanoe's, Jimmy John's, Beach Scene, Starbucks, and "Knightros", an all-you care to eat restaurant. The complex also features a pharmacy and mail room called Knight Aide. 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 3 rooms for Towers II and III(floors 1, 6 and 7). The other 11 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. Each tower houses approximately 500 students. Tower III is the home of the students in the Burnett Honors College. The towers are partnered with the athletics department and UPI. Through a loophole in NCAA regulation, there is one building that is almost completely comprised of UCF athletic students.

All residents of the Towers 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.[27]

All communities have staff living in each community. There is at least one Resident Assistant per 40-70 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 175 RA's, 17 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.

[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 - includes Lake Hall, Volusia Hall, Osceola Hall, and Polk Hall; which were built in 1967 make them the oldest residence halls on campus, located in the west side of campus by the Math & Physics building and the Marketplace dining area.
  • Libra Community - large resident hall buildings originally built in 1980 located in the southeast side of campus, near the Student Health Center & Marketplace dining area.
  • Lake Claire Courtyard Apartments Community - apartment-style resident halls built in 1993 on the north side of campus near the Lake Claire recreation area.
  • Nike Community (Academic Village 1) - the eastern half of the Academic Village located in the south of campus containing both suite and apartment style residences and was constructed in 2001.
  • Hercules Community (Academic Village 2) - the western half of the Academic Village located in the south of campus containing both suite and apartment style residences and was constructed in 2002.
  • Towers at Golden Knights Plaza- all phases are complete and currently open. These are apartment style residence halls with the majority being 4 bedroom/2 bath or 4 bedroom/4 bath.
    • (Towers I and II) - located on the north side of campus to the west of the UCF Arena
    • (Towers III and IV) - located on the north side of campus adjacent to the Bright House Networks Stadium and the UCF Arena
  • Rosen College Apartments Community - on Rosen College of Hospitality Management campus

Greek Park

Greek housing is also available on campus in the Greek Park community, which consists of over 400 beds. There are six sororities and three fraternities housed on campus, with some other fraternities having houses off campus. In addition, two houses are currently unoccupied with their future remaining unclear. There was a sixth fraternity house on campus. In January 2005 Pi Kappa Alpha had their charter revoked after a series of hazing and near non-exsistant up keep by the fraternity of their house, which led to the house being condemned by the fire marshall.[28] In May of 2008 the house was demolished, and plans for two new houses in its spot are under review.

On November 9, 2006 Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity was kicked off campus and their charter withdrawn after a series of hazing and drug related problems.[29] [30] [31] Three months later, the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity was also kicked off campus for a hazing incident. [32] The university plans on building another Greek housing community in the coming years, however it will have a much higher population density than that is currently in Greek Park.

There are also five fraternities known to have off campus housing options including:

There are also a number of Greek organizations with no housing including:

Current on campus Greek houses:

Affiliated Housing (off-campus)

  • Pegasus Landing - apartment complex directly west of UCF's Lake Claire across Alafaya Trail.
  • Pegasus Pointe - apartment complex located south of UCF, off Alafaya Trail and just north of Colonial.

[edit] Notable Alumni

Main article: List of University of Central Florida people

There are more than 169,000 alumni of UCF throughout the world.[2]

[edit] External links

[edit] History

[edit] References

  1. ^ Graphics Standards and Brand Book. University of Central Florida Marketing. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Facts About UCF. UCF Office of Institutional Research. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  3. ^ a b FSGC Mission. Florida Space Grant Consortium. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  4. ^ UCF Freshman Class Profile - Fall 2007. University of Central Florida. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  5. ^ "UCF Joins Top Universities in Princeton Review's Best Colleges Guide", University of Central Florida, 2005-04-22. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  6. ^ University of Central Florida. US News. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  7. ^ UCF Freshman Class Profile - Fall 2007. University of Central Florida. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  8. ^ "UCF Enrolls Record Number of National Merit Scholars", University of Central Florida. Retrieved on 2007-11-07. 
  9. ^ University of Central Florida History. University of Central Florida Foundation. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  10. ^ "One School Many Mascots", Central Florida Future, 2004-01-20. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  11. ^ http://media.www.centralfloridafuture.com/media/storage/paper174/news/2002/09/05/Entertainment/Rotc-Gaining.In.Popularity-267496-page2.shtml
  12. ^ Facts About Our College. UCF College of Business Administration. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  13. ^ Business Education 2010 Cirriculum. UCF College of Business Administration. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  14. ^ UCF Takes First Place at Harvard Trial Tournament. UCF College of Health and Public Affairs. Retrieved on 2007-11-16.
  15. ^ UCF Trial Team wins case at Yale. Central Florida Future. Retrieved on 2007-11-16.
  16. ^ "Medical City Momentum", Orlando Sentinel, 2007-06-21. Retrieved on 2007-06-22. 
  17. ^ "State Board of Governors Approves Med School", University of Central Florida, 2007-06-21. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  18. ^ "UCF Establishes College of Nursing", University of Central Florida, 2007-06-21. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  19. ^ Annual standings published in Official NCAA Football Records Book, 1992-1996 editions
  20. ^ UCF Arena Update. UCF Arena. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  21. ^ Office of Student Involvement. UCF Student Government Association. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  22. ^ Lake Claire. UCF Student Government Association. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  23. ^ UCF Challange Course. UCF Student Government Association. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  24. ^ UCF Recreation and Wellness Center Facilities. UCF Student Government Association. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  25. ^ "Ranking High", Central Florida Future, 2007-09-20. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  26. ^ Greek Life Chapters. UCF Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  27. ^ Housing Communities. UCF Housing and Residence Life. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
  28. ^ "Faternity Hazing May Be Behind Yancy Suicide", The Sandspur, 2005-02-11. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  29. ^ "Faternity Closes UCF Chapter", News Daily, 2005-02-11. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  30. ^ "Pledges In Apparent Hazing Ritual May Have Been Sexually Assaulted", Local 6 News, 2006-11-03. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  31. ^ "Central Florida University Loses One of its Oldest Fraternities", The Sandspur, 2006-11-10. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  32. ^ "Pledge Claims Abuse During UCF Hazing Incident", Local 6 News, 2007-01-11. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
v • d • e
University of Central Florida
Research
Athletics
Facilities
Media
People
v • d • e
Conference USA (C-USA)
West Division
East Division
Soccer-Only Members
v • d • e
State University System of Florida
v • d • e
Largest United States universities by enrollment
v • d • e
Largest United States universities by undergraduate enrollment