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101-464: The Citronaut was the first mascot of Florida Technological University (FTU), which later became the University of Central Florida (UCF). The mascot appeared on the first student handbook in 1968–1969. The Citronaut is a legacy mascot that is still in use today. The Citronaut was designed by Norman Van Meter, the brother-in-law of FTU's then-president Charles N. Millican in an attempt to combine

202-607: A Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Nemours Children's Hospital , Tavistock Group , and a M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Institute , all located on the College of Medicine's Lake Nona campus. Located near the Orange County Convention Center on Universal Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, the college's 20-acre (8-hectare) campus is designed to imitate a resort-style feel, with various areas of

303-517: A 13.9% increase from the previous year. UCF's financial endowment , administered by the University of Central Florida Foundation, Inc., was valued at $ 162 million in 2020. UCF's admission rate for first-time-in-college freshmen has declined from 61% of prospective students admitted in the fall of 2005, to 42% for fall 2020. 34% of accepted applicants were in the top ten percent of their graduating class, while 72% of accepted applicants were in

404-757: A base of 43,000 serial subscriptions, in addition to special collections and university archives materials. Notable collections within the library 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. UCF Libraries is a partner within the State University System of Florida Libraries . Most of

505-449: A handful of small restaurants, bars and boutiques along E Washington St. The neighborhood also has a small fountain located in the center of the intersection of E Washington St & N Hyer Ave which has become a focal point, and is described here: The Fountain is a replica of a fountain found in a Paris city center that is 25 times its size. In 1999 the "Taste of Thornton Park Event" was organized specifically to raise enough money to purchase

606-500: A more traditional research university. When Hitt took office, UCF's enrollment was 20,302. As of 2014, 60,821 students attend classes on 12 campuses spread across Central Florida. The university consists of 13 colleges and employs more than 10,150 faculty and staff. Under Hitt's direction, UCF raised admissions standards, increased research funding, built new facilities, and established notable partnerships with major research institutions. Hitt's efforts resulted in not only an increase in

707-480: A north–south commuter rail that will run mostly along existing CSX / Amtrak rails. Launched in 2014, it provides service between the northern suburb of DeLand to the southern suburb of Poinciana. A large transfer station, the LYNX Central Station, currently handles Lynx bus transfers and was constructed to accommodate the large capacity expected from SunRail. Further development is underway to extend

808-551: A professional program (medicine). In addition, 75% of the faculty have doctorate degrees, and 46% have tenure. The 13 colleges house 41 separate degree-granting departments and schools. By enrollment, the three largest undergraduate units are the College of Sciences , the College of Business Administration , and the Health Professions and Sciences . At the graduate level, the College of Graduate Studies serves as

909-587: A satellite campus in Cocoa, FL, near Kennedy Space Center . UCF is also a member of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council . The university has made noted research contributions to aerospace, optics, modeling and simulation, digital media, engineering and computer science, business administration, education, and hospitality management. UCF is classified among " R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity ". According to

1010-477: Is a public research university with its main campus in unincorporated Orange County, Florida . It is part of the State University System of Florida . With 68,442 students as of the fall 2022 semester, UCF has the fourth-largest on-campus student body of any public university in the United States . UCF is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and is accredited by

1111-814: Is a residential area with a large number of high-intensity entertainment and office institutions; such as the Amway Center , Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre , US Courthouse for the Mid-District of Florida, Florida A&M University School of Law, county & state buildings, and Orlando Police Department headquarters. Smaller businesses include grocery stores, barber shops, and soul food restaurants. Orlando officially considers Parramore to be three separate neighborhoods: Lake Dot (between Colonial Drive and Amelia Street), Callahan (between Amelia Street and Central Boulevard), and Holden/Parramore (between Central Boulevard and Gore Street). All three are bounded on

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1212-954: Is also the location of numerous festivals, parades, concerts, political demonstrations, and other high-profile events. There are seven official neighborhoods with significant portions inside the Downtown Orlando Community Redevelopment Area (CRA): The CRA also includes small pieces of College Park (portions east of Peachtree Road, and along Orange Avenue between Magnolia and Highland Avenues), Lake Cherokee (portions west of Delaney Avenue and north of Ponce de Leon Place / Palmer Street), Lorna Doone ( Camping World Stadium only), Park Lake/Highland (portion north of Lake Highland), South Division (portion north of Gore Street, mostly highway right-of-way), South Orange (portion north of Gore Street), and Thornton Park (portion north of Central Boulevard and west of James Avenue). Located north of Colonial Drive,

1313-676: Is appointed by the board of trustees with the consent of the Florida Board of Governors and leads the university through its daily business. Today, the president's office is in Millican Hall on the university's main campus, and the president lives in the Burnett House, also on the main campus. The fourth president of UCF, John C. Hitt , served from 1992 to 2018 and was succeeded by incumbent university president Dale Whittaker. After Whittaker resigned in 2019, Thad Seymour Jr.

1414-670: Is due to the Orlando Executive Airport location just east of downtown. The airport's flight path is over the city center, thus the Federal Aviation Administration has imposed height restrictions. Downtown Orlando is served by three main arteries, two limited access highways, several secondaries, and many byways. Limited Access Arterials Secondaries Public transportation Bus The Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (CFRTA), better known as Lynx , operates

1515-616: Is exhibited on the third floor of the library building. In 2012, the main campus library was dedicated to honor John C. Hitt, UCF's fourth president, who at the time was celebrating his twentieth anniversary as university president. In addition to the John C. Hitt Library, Rosen College library, Downtown Library, Curriculum Materials Center, and the Harriet F. Ginsburg Health Sciences Library , UCF operates libraries at nine of its regional campuses throughout Central Florida. The student newspaper,

1616-410: Is located along Alafaya Trail east of Orlando , Florida. The campus is designed to be pedestrian-oriented, 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, with

1717-519: Is located on north Orange Avenue. The US District Court Middle District of Florida's courthouse is located at 401 West Central Boulevard. The United States Postal Service downtown office is located at 51 East Jefferson Street. Loch Haven Park , north of downtown on Mills and Princeton Avenues, serves as the cultural center of Orlando and consists of the following: The "Cultural Park Master Plan" published in 2009, details plans to expand Loch Haven Park to former USDA property located adjacent

1818-520: Is located one city block east of Lake Eola Park. The streets creating its border are: Summerlin Ave, E Robinson St, N Brown Ave, E Central Blvd to S Hyer Ave, and S Hyer Ave south to Florida State Road 408. The area is similar to the Lake Eola Heights neighborhood in that it contains historic homes and the streets are paved with bricks, although it is roughly half the size. Thornton Park also enjoys

1919-471: Is now located on the fort site). In 1850, a man named Aaron Jernigan built a post office north of the fort and the area became known as "Jernigan". In 1856, Jernigan was relieved of his command of the post office due to "notorious acts" and the area was renamed "Orlando". The village remained little more than a backwater during and after the Civil War until 1875 when The "Town of Orlando" was incorporated. It

2020-702: Is one of the safest branches nationally in comparison of all branches in the US. The percent of crimes in Main Campus decreased from 0.12% (in 2010) to 0.07% (in 2014) crimes per year. In addition to the Orlando campus, the University of Central Florida has several other campuses to service the Central Florida region. In Orlando, there is another campus, located in downtown Orlando, the health sciences campus located at Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida . In addition,

2121-516: Is the historical hub of Orlando's African-American community. The area is located just west of the Central Business district along Division Ave and West Church Street. Now considered an economically depressed area, Orlando leaders are working with business owners in the community to improve the area's reputation. While some parts of the neighborhood have been gentrified, Parramore still maintains its historical African-American identity. It

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2222-472: Is the largest of urban centers in Central Florida . It is home to residential and commercial towers; local, state, and federal government offices; sports facilities; performing arts theaters; art galleries; retail; restaurants; nightclubs; and parks. Downtown is removed from the tourist areas located in the southwestern half of the city, but it draws visitors seeking to experience the "Real Orlando". It

2323-635: The Central Florida Future , at one time was housed on the upper floor of the library before moving to the Central Florida Research Park . In 1984, a complete renovation of the original library was undertaken, as well as an addition that more than doubled the size of the building. University president Trevor Colbourn dedicated the newly remodeled and expanded library in February 1985. A $ 64.4 million expansion of

2424-602: The Angebilt Hotel and San Juan Hotel. By this time, the city's population had grown to 9,000 people. The federal government's Works Progress Administration programs during the Great Depression helped Orlando remain economically stable. New parks were developed, the Municipal Airport (now Orlando Executive Airport ) was built, and the city also built a new football stadium at Tinker Field (now

2525-658: The Florida Bright Futures program. Forty percent of incoming freshman received Advanced Placement , International Baccalaureate , or an equivalent college credit upon entrance, while 30% of the freshman class received merit based scholarships. The retention rate of the 2010 freshman class was 87%. More freshmen and transfer students applied to UCF during 2015 than any other public university in Florida, and UCF also awarded more bachelor's degrees than any other Florida public university that year. In 2010 , UCF

2626-695: The Florida State Legislature to increase access to higher education on the Space Coast . With the help of former state senate president William A. Shands and Senator Beth Johnson , on June 10, 1963, the legislature passed and Governor Farris Bryant signed into law Senate Bill No. 125, which authorized the Florida Board of Regents to create a new state university in East Central Florida. The university

2727-833: The National Science Foundation , UCF spent $ 215.3 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 107th in the nation. In 2009, UCF directly influenced 26,000 jobs and $ 1.96 billion in economic activity. When UCF's economic impact is combined with that of the Central Florida Research Park, the university and park influenced 46,000 jobs and $ 3.84 billion in economic activity in 2009. The new College of Medicine , which opened in August 2009, will create an estimated 30,000 local jobs and have an economic impact of $ 7.6 billion in its first few years. Downtown Orlando Downtown Orlando

2828-812: The Rosen College of Hospitality Management is located away from the main campus, in close proximity to the heart of Orlando's tourism industries near Universal Studios and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products . In 2019, a 15-acre (6-hectare) campus was opened in Downtown Orlando in collaboration with Valencia West. It includes the Dr. Phillips Academic Commons, the Union West, and the UCF Center for Emerging Media buildings. The 50-acre (20-hectare) UCF Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona includes

2929-664: The UCF College of Medicine and the Burnett Biomedical Sciences Building. The Burnham Institute for Medical Research , a Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Nemours Children's Hospital , M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Institute , turning the area into a medical city. The campus will also serve as the future home of the UCF College of Nursing and the newly approved UCF College of Dental Medicine . The College of Medicine welcomed its charter class in August 2009. Upon completion of construction,

3030-850: The UCF Knights and represented by mascot Knightro , compete in NCAA Division I and in the Big 12 Conference , except for Men's Soccer, which competes in the Sun Belt Conference . Following President John F. Kennedy 's September 1962 speech "We choose to go to the Moon" , in which he described his goal of accomplishing a crewed space flight to the Moon by the end of the decade, the space program grew in importance and scope in Central Florida because of its proximity to Cape Canaveral . Prominent residents and local leaders began lobbying

3131-645: The 1960s, but the name "Bumby" is still famous in the city. The location of the hardware store is now a Hamburger Mary's . By the 1920s, Orlando had grown from a cattle town to a major citrus growing center. The Florida land boom of the 1920s brought many newcomers to the city. The population increase led to the construction of the Orlando Public Library in 1923, the Orlando Municipal Auditorium (now Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre) in 1926, and several grand hotels; namely

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3232-486: The 2000s decade. New commercial towers sprouted along Orange Avenue and residential towers were constructed around Lake Eola and along Magnolia Ave. CNL Financial Group established a major footprint in downtown with the construction of CNL City Center Commons, a complex of office towers surrounding Orlando City Hall. CNL continues to expand their presence downtown. As a result of the construction boom, downtown density doubled and Orlando's skyline dramatically changed. In 2005,

3333-565: The 2023 U.S. News & World Report rankings, UCF was tied for 124th in the National Universities category (tied for 64th among "Top Public Schools"). In addition, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Central Florida as the 14th most innovative school and 8th best in online bachelor's program in the nation. The university houses 13 colleges, which offer 101 baccalaureate programs, 88 master's programs, 31 doctoral programs, three specialist programs, and

3434-704: The CBD. Church Street Station is also located in this area. Many of Orlando's historic buildings are located within the CBD standing next to modern skyscrapers. The Rogers Building (built in 1886), originally an English Gentlemen's Club built in the Queen Anne style, is the oldest building in downtown Orlando and now is home the Downtown Art's District. The Downtown Arts District provides funding support, manages and operates CityArts—a multi-use arts and cultural destination where visual and performing arts co-exist inside

3535-603: The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools . UCF was founded in 1963 and opened its first classes in 1968 as Florida Technological University , with the mission to provide personnel educated in science, technology, engineering and math to support the growing U.S. space program at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (known at

3636-482: The Florida Legislature and the Florida Board of Governors to increase opportunities for medical education in Florida . The College of Medicine welcomed its charter class of 41 students on August 3, 2009, and eventually will produce about 120 medical graduates a year. With more than 4,300 applications for 41 available positions, UCF broke the state university record for most applications, and for 2009 it

3737-472: The Florida legislature. So far UCF has endured the budget cuts by implementing a hiring freeze, ending some faculty perks, such as free seminars, cutting executive pay, and wise management of funds. To help counter the budget decreases, the university received $ 18 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act . UCF's operating budget for the 2014–15 fiscal year is $ 1.5 billion,

3838-671: The Global Association of Christian Hospitality Professionals. Among the colleges, a number of undergraduate academic programs are termed "limited access programs" which are programs where student demand exceeds available resources thus making admission to such program competitive. Examples include academic programs taught under the Nicholson School of Communication and the music, theatre, dance, and medical laboratory sciences schools or departments. Students must apply to join these programs separately from admission to

3939-581: The Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona Medical City , the Rosen College of Hospitality Management in south Orlando and the city campus in downtown Orlando. Since its founding, UCF has awarded more than 401,245 degrees, including over 60,000 graduate and professional degrees. Its official colors are black and gold, and the university academic seal features Pegasus , which "symbolizes the university's vision of limitless possibilities". The university's intercollegiate sports teams, known as

4040-528: The Hitt Library, which would add 212,400 square feet (19,730 m ) of space, as well as an Automated Retrieval System was recently approved by the university's board of trustees but may be delayed due to budget cuts. In 2022, the library began working on its 21st Century Library Project, a multi-phased plan designed to create additional space for student learning, technology, collaboration, and research expansion. The project upon completion will include

4141-528: The Honors College participate in smaller classes with faculty, including individual research programs or assigned research in the area of a sponsoring faculty member. Another program offered by the college is Honors in the Major, which allows juniors and seniors to conduct original research within their major and write an undergraduate honors thesis. The UCF College of Medicine was established in 2006 by

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4242-401: The John C. Hitt 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

4343-539: The Orange Avenue corridor, north to Florida Hospital and south to Michigan Avenue. There is also an east/west connection from the Citrus Bowl to South Eola. Rail Downtown is served by an Amtrak station about a mile south of the central business district. The Silver Meteor and Silver Star lines provide train service to New York City , Miami and Tampa. Construction began in 2012 on SunRail ,

4444-546: The Orlando Ballet and Orlando Opera making their home here. Diverse Word, the oldest open mic night in Orlando, is held at Downtown Credo North Quarter on Tuesday nights. With such close proximity to the Central Business District for working professionals, this has become a valuable area for those who seek the convenience of work/play/live in downtown Orlando. Established in the 1880s, Parramore

4545-471: The Orlando City Council chose to implode the 1950s building. The event was met with much local fanfare and was filmed for use in the opening scenes of the 1992 film Lethal Weapon 3 . The area cleared is now occupied by CNL City Center Commons. Until the late 1990s, downtown was relatively small compared to other cities of Orlando's size. A building boom began in 1998 and continued through

4646-495: The Performing Arts , home to Steimetz Hall, one of the world's most acoustically perfect halls, designed to achieve an N1 sound rating. Many major events take place in the Central Business District throughout the year. Creative City Project hosts the annual Immerse Arts Festival, an annual performing and interactive arts event. The festival takes place across 10 city blocks in Downtown Orlando every October. In November,

4747-519: The Roger's Building. Visited by more than 100,000 people annually, CityArts showcases an infusion of local and international works of art, and is home to six independently operated art galleries as well as art collective, Red Tape. In addition to the plethora of bars and corporate offices, the district hosts several prominent theaters including the Mad Cow Theater and Dr. Phillips Center for

4848-667: The South and Thornton Park on the East side of the lake. The park is historically significant and is a frequent venue for events and festivals. The park's most iconic landmark is the Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain (locally known as the Lake Eola Fountain), permanently embedded to the bottom with concrete beams in the center of the lake. The fountain is illuminated nightly in various colors with two nightly water shows. In addition to

4949-580: The Thornton Park Fountain for around $ 17,000 + $ 23,000 for fountain foundation. Howard Middle School, which was the original Orlando High School , is located here. Prior to the arrival of European settlers in 1837, the Orlando area was occupied by the Native American Creek and Seminole tribes. In 1838, Fort Gatlin was built a few miles south of downtown Orlando on the shores of modern-day Lake Gatlin; (a historic marker

5050-776: The UCF Student Government Association. In 2005, the university opened two on-campus housing buildings, able to house 400 residents. The college offers a variety of student organizations including associations such as Eta Sigma Delta (International Hospitality Management Honor Society), National Society of Minorities in Hospitality, the Professional Convention Management Association, and the National Association of Catering Executives, and

5151-843: The UCF campus, founded in 1978. The park serves as a major focus of simulation for space and defense -related research. It was part of Colbourn's plan to make UCF a world-class partnership university. Among the university's first partners were Lockheed Martin and the United States Navy , and Colbourn led the push to found both the Institute for Simulation and Training and the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers in 1986. During his tenure, enrollment increased from 11,000 in 1978 to over 18,000 in 1989. Colbourn also supported

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5252-433: The UCF main campus, while the Lake Nona Medical City was completed. Every member of the inaugural class received a full scholarship, including tuition and basic living expenses, for their entire four years at the university, valued at over $ 160,000. The university aims for the college to become a research-intensive medical school, with the aid of the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences , the UCF Lake Nona Cancer Center ,

5353-411: The Vulture. He served as the university's unofficial mascot for more than a year. In late 1971, students voted and selected the Knight of Pegasus as the school's official athletic mascot. The nickname later evolved to the Golden Knights and eventually to the Knights. After retiring as president in 1978, Millican identified his proudest moment leading the school as when President Richard Nixon delivered

5454-538: The acceptance rate for first time in college students falling from over 60% to near 40% in 2008 , and the doubling of expected annual expenses. Since 2000, UCF has awarded over 100,000 degrees. It is the largest university in the nation in terms of undergraduate enrollment , the largest university in Florida, and in 2003 was the fastest-growing university in the United States. During its Spring 2010 graduation ceremonies, UCF awarded its 200,000th degree, less than five years after awarding its 150,000th. In August 2018,

5555-410: The area outside of City Hall hosts FusionFest. The festival is sponsored by the Downtown Arts District and support from Orange County Government, the Orlando Downtown Development Board, the Dr. Phillips Center, and a growing grassroots movement. Lake Eola Park is located in South Eola , east of the CBD. The park is bordered by the Lake Eola Heights neighborhood north of the lake, South Eola Heights to

5656-482: The arrival of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1890 brought tremendous growth. Commercial activity shifted away from the courthouse and moved to the new railroad depot located on Church Street. Settlers from England arrived in Orlando and established homes and businesses. One of the newly arrived Englishmen was named Joseph Bumby. He and his family settled in the town and built a hardware store known as "Bumby Hardware Store". The store remained an Orlando fixture until

5757-423: The beginning of December and the typical spring semester running from the beginning of January through the beginning of May. In addition, UCF offers four different summer semesters, A, B, C, and D, ranging from six to 12 weeks. The university is classified as a "large four-year, primarily nonresidential" university with a "comprehensive doctoral" graduate instructional program and "highest research activity". In

5858-419: The border of this area is Interstate 4 to the west, and Highland Avenue to the east, the north border is N Orange Ave & the I-4 on-ramps at Lake Ivanhoe. This is a vibrant area that has seen many apartments and condominiums built, bringing a diverse collection of businesses including dining and shopping to the area. As one of the cheaper neighborhoods in the downtown area, with many artists including members of

5959-434: The campus could accommodate as many as 5,000 upper division, professional, and graduate students and faculty members in the health-related programs, and include up to two million square feet of research and instruction space. As a part of the State University System of Florida , UCF falls under the purview of the Florida Board of Governors . The University of Central Florida is headed by the board of trustees, which governs

6060-470: The central administrative unit of graduate education at the university. Graduate students are also students of one of the other 12 colleges at the university. The university is seeking approval for a College of Dental Medicine , which would be housed at the Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona. The University Honors Program, administered by the Burnett Honors College is designed for 500 accomplished incoming undergraduates annually. Undergraduates enrolled in

6161-459: The college named for major donors to the college (e.g. Disney Dining Room, Universal Orlando Library, Darden Auditorium, and the state-of-the-art Anheuser Busch Beer & Wine Lab). Regular Shuttle service is offered on most days that class is in session to and from the UCF Main Campus. The college features an on-site Campus Life Office and Career Services Office that coordinate on-campus activities and career development events in conjunction with

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6262-425: The construction of a four-story automated retrieval center, increased quiet study space, and the creation of additional research and writing facilities on the fifth floor. The University of Central Florida fosters research among its thirteen academic colleges and schools, partnerships with corporations such as Lockheed Martin , Disney , Boeing , L3Harris , Siemens , SpaceX , and Universal . UCF also houses

6363-413: The downtown area. During this time, development in downtown was mainly focused upon the construction of office towers, such as the Citrus Center and the original Sunbank building. However, downtown began to fall into a state of decline. The Angebilt Hotel and San Juan Hotel were abandoned and left to crumble. The San Juan was eventually demolished in 1980, but the Angebilt Hotel at 37 N Orange Ave which

6464-511: The east by Interstate 4 and on the west by Orange Blossom Trail . The central business district is Orlando's Financial District and is the most recognized feature of downtown. The majority of Orlando's night clubs are also in this area. Located here are corporate offices for banks Wells Fargo , Seacoast, FifthThird Bank, and Suntrust banks, tech companies, restaurants, Orlando City Hall , foreign consulates , and many hotels. SunTrust Center and City Commons are two large office complexes within

6565-529: The east side contains the Arboretum of the University of Central Florida and the engineering wing. The south side contains student recreation and wellness facilities, leisure pool, recreation park, and more student housing. Also located directly south of the main campus is Central Florida Research Park , which is the seventh largest research park in the nation and the largest in Florida, housing over 116 corporations. The park provides more than 10,000 jobs to over 500 students and thousands of alumni. Main Campus

6666-428: The final report into additional UCF construction projects revealed the balance of misdirected funds between July 2010 and August 2018 was $ 99.61 million (equivalent to $ 139.18 million in 2023). The report found that key people in the university leadership were aware of the misdirection of the funds. UCF was fined by the state for 120% the cost of the misused funds. The University of Central Florida main campus

6767-542: The fountain, the park features swan boat rentals and the Walt Disney Amphitheater . Every Independence Day , the park is host to a large fireworks display which draws thousands of people to downtown. A 0.85-mile (1.37 km) recreational pathway circles the park and leads to a playground. Lake Eola Heights is unique in Orlando as it contains some of the oldest homes in the city and is one of Orlando's historic districts. There are many historical "Florida style" bungalows and century-old oak lined brick streets. Thornton Park

6868-402: The inaugural classes were held in the school's first academic building. 1,948 students were enrolled in 55 degree programs within five colleges, led by 90 instructors and aided by 150 staff members, during the university's first year. FTU graduated its first class of 423 seniors on June 14, 1970, with astronaut and Orlando native John Young giving the commencement address. Millican selected

6969-426: The investigation proved that UCF had misspent or planned to misspend over $ 85 million between 2013 and 2018. Newly appointed president Dale Whittaker , who was a provost at UCF during Hitt's tenure, resigned in February 2019 after just seven months in office over allegations that he also knew about the misappropriation of funds. Board of Trustees Chairman Marcos Marchena also resigned that month. In August 2019,

7070-438: The leader of the NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium. Initial enrollment in 1968 was 1,948 students; enrollment in 2022 exceeds 68,000 students from over 150 countries, all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Most students attend classes on the university's main campus, 13 miles (21 km) east of downtown Orlando and 35 miles (56 km) west of Cape Canaveral . UCF offers more than 230 degrees through 13 colleges including

7171-527: The nation with a concentric circle design, the other being the University of California, Irvine . Newsweek ranked UCF as having the 20th most beautiful university campus in the country in 2011. 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 and on-campus residence. The north side contains Knights Plaza , an uptown style athletic village with stores and restaurants,

7272-793: The original mascot. As of 2022, “Naut” an abbreviation of Citronaut has been promoted by the UCF Athletics social media department and numerous officially licensed Citronaut and “Naut” clothing and merchandise items have become available for sale to the public. Since 2014, the Citronaut has experienced a renaissance in university publications, athletics programing, and merchandise. Department of Defense Research Centers : Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation • Army Simulation and Training Technology Center • Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida ( UCF )

7373-429: The park around the same time the annual "Orlando Shakespeare Festival" was established. On the other hand, downtown's population base still had yet to rebound to previous levels and major corporations were still opening locations outside of the city center. The Orlando City Hall building, the city's third, opened in 1991 directly behind the previous City Hall, constructed in 1958. To clear the area for future development,

7474-923: The park, and calling for additional cultural institutions to be housed onsite. Major hotels in downtown Orlando include: Downtown is home to the Kia Center (formerly Amway Center) which hosts the Orlando Magic NBA team, the Orlando Solar Bears ECHL team, and the Orlando Predators Arena Football League team. Camping World Stadium in addition to being home of the Orlando Guardians XFL team and Orlando City Soccer Club for 2015 & 2016 also hosts The Capital One Bowl in addition to other events year round. Tinker Field

7575-399: The print and media collection is housed in the John C. Hitt Library, which is located on UCF's main campus and is open to students, faculty and the public seven days a week. The library is five stories tall, and was the first academic building on campus. Leonardo Nierman 's sculpture Flame of Hope is displayed outside the entrance to the building, and Nierman's stained glass Genesis window

7676-412: The regional bus service with its central station and offices located at 455 N Garland Avenue. Lynx Operates a zero-fare bus route called Lymmo (Link 31) along a completely separate and dedicated right-of-way . Because this bus system runs on its own right-of-way and controls the traffic signaling, in most cases it is superior to automobile travel within the downtown area. Lymmo service also runs along

7777-596: The school's distinctive Pegasus seal. Millican is also responsible for the university's slogan, "Reach for the Stars", for the two key principles of the school, "accent on excellence" and "accent on the individual", and for the campus's unique pedestrian-oriented concentric-circle layout, which was based on plans by Walt Disney and has become a model for other universities. Millican and then-Governor Claude Kirk presided over FTU's groundbreaking in March 1967. On October 7, 1968,

7878-550: The service to multiple additional points south. Connections to the Orlando International Airport (MCO) and to other lines connecting to South Florida (All Aboard Florida) are being evaluated. Air The Orlando Executive Airport is located 4 miles (6.4 km) east of the CBD. While technically not in downtown proper, the airport serves the downtown district. Orlando City Hall is located on Orange Avenue and South Street. The Orange County Courthouse

7979-593: The site of Florida Citrus Bowl ). By 1944, enough jobs were created to increase the city's population to 45,000 people. Orlando became a major military center when World War II brought the development of McCoy Air Force Base and Pinecastle AFB, located southeast of downtown. This status intensified with the 1968 opening of the Orlando Naval Training Center east of downtown. Walt Disney World 's 1971 opening in southwest Orange County brought major development to Orlando, but relatively little to

8080-409: The site of the new university. Local residents donated another 227 acres (92 hectares), and raised more than $ 1 million in funds to secure the land acquisition. In December 1965, the board of regents appointed Charles Millican the first president of the new university. With the consultation of a citizen advisory group, Millican chose the name Florida Technological University, as well as co-designed

8181-508: The state university system's Board of Governors and the Florida Legislature opened an investigation into the university for misuse of state funds. On September 13, 2018, UCF admitted to misappropriating money intended for educational and operating expenses to build the new $ 38 million Trevor Colbourn Hall, leading to the resignation of CFO Bill Merck. In January 2019, UCF severed ties with President Emeritus John Hitt after

8282-495: The suburbs. Efforts to revitalize downtown began in the mid-1970s and continued into the 1980s. Bob Snow opened Rosie O'Grady's in 1974 at Church Street Station , which quickly became a popular attraction. In the mid-1980s, several skyscrapers were constructed; including SunTrust Center and Barnett Plaza (now Bank of America Center). Lake Eola Park was redesigned and the Walt Disney Amphitheater opened in

8383-532: The tallest towers in Central Florida are located downtown. Of the 79 existing high-rises in the Greater Orlando region, 46 are located downtown. The tallest high-rises in Orlando are: Towers built in downtown Orlando have not exceeded 441 ft (134 m) since the completion of the Suntrust Center in 1988. There has never been an "official" reason why, but local architects speculate it

8484-467: The term " Manhattanization " was locally applied to Orange Avenue when a large number of construction cranes loomed over downtown. The late 2000s recession slowed large intensity skyscraper construction; but infill development continued downtown including construction of the Amway Center in 2009. In 2011, construction began on phase one of the long-awaited Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts across from City Hall along Orange Ave. The majority of

8585-543: The time as Cape Kennedy Air Force Station) on Florida's Space Coast . As its academic scope expanded beyond engineering and technology, Florida Tech was renamed the University of Central Florida in 1978. UCF continues to have space root connections, as it developed and oversees the Florida Space Institute , Robinson Observatory , manages the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center , and is

8686-400: The top quarter of their high school class rankings . Freshmen enrolled in fall 2020 posted average SAT scores of 1320, ACT scores of 28.7 and average high school weighted GPAs of 4.18. UCF is in the top 20 percent of universities in the nation for SAT average and the top 25 percent for GPA average. 71% of undergraduates receive financial aid. 90% of students receive scholarships through

8787-453: The two major themes of Central Florida at the time: the citrus industry , and the space program . Florida produces approximately 100 million boxes of citrus annually, and FTU was founded in 1963 to provide personnel to support NASA at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station . As the academic scope of the university broadened, it was renamed the University of Central Florida in 1978. After one year, students petitioned

8888-480: The university was known as Florida Technological University, nicknamed Florida Tech, until December 1978 when Governor Reubin Askew signed legislation changing the school's name to the University of Central Florida. Colbourn established the university's honors program , and started the university's first satellite campus . In addition, he was responsible for constructing the Central Florida Research Park adjacent to

8989-470: The university's student government to establish a new mascot for the university. In 1970, students approved "Knights of the Pegasus" as the second official university mascot, which remains to this day (albeit after being simplified to "Knights"). The Citronaut was largely dormant until The UCF Baseball team developed a retro uniform in 2014 that featured the Citronaut which started a powerful renaissance of

9090-586: The university's academic profile, but also an on-campus football stadium , new basketball arena , more on-campus housing, and the development of the UCF College of Medicine at Lake Nona. Until 1999, the Knights were represented by a jouster from the Medieval Times dinner show in nearby Kissimmee, Florida . That same year, Knightro was introduced at the staple homecoming event, Spirit Splash. The past decade has seen enrollment increase by over 40%,

9191-530: The university's athletic programs. He was responsible for establishing the school's football program in 1979, which began an era of growth for the university. In April 1979, UCF awarded its 15,000th degree. In March 1992, John C. Hitt became UCF's fourth president, ushering in an era of unprecedented growth and prominence for the university . Once known mainly as a small commuter and technology school, in recent years UCF has undertaken an effort to increase its academic and research standing while also evolving into

9292-457: The university's official colors, and had a role in selecting its first mascot, the Citronaut , a mix of an orange and an astronaut. The Citronaut proved unpopular, so in 1969 the student newspaper, The Central Florida Future , encouraged mascot suggestions from students and faculty. The search for a replacement proved unsuccessful until 1970, when Judy Hines, a night nurse, proposed Vincent

9393-453: The university's spring 1973 commencement address. Entering office in 1978, the university's second president, Trevor Colbourn , recognized the diversification and growth of UCF's academic programs away from its strictly technological and scientific beginnings. As the university developed strong business, education, and liberal arts programs, Colbourn recognized that the university's name no longer reflected its mission. From its establishment

9494-419: The university, consisting of 13 appointed to staggered five-year terms by the Florida Board of Governors. The Student Government president and the faculty chair also serve on the board for the duration of their one-year terms of office. The president of the University of Central Florida is the university's principal executive officer. The office was formed upon the university's creation in 1963. The president

9595-503: The university. Criteria for admission varies but is generally very selective and includes factors such as indicators of ability, performance, creativity, and talent. Arts programs require competitive auditions and have some of the smallest numbers of undergraduate majors in the university. UCF Libraries collections include over 2.2 million print volumes, 3.2 million microforms, 330,000 government documents, 10,000 full text electronic journal subscriptions, 660,000 e-books, 40,000 media titles,

9696-424: Was appointed from his previous position as UCF's vice president for partnerships and chief innovation officer to serve as the university's interim president until the board of trustees chould choose a replacement. Due to cutbacks in federal, state and local budgets, UCF has had over $ 140 million in funds cut from its operating budget since 2008. This included a $ 53 million cut to UCF's 2012–13 fiscal year budget by

9797-404: Was built in 1923 would be transformed in modern times into an office building with retail on the ground floor. Lake Eola Park became a haven for prostitutes and drug addicts. In addition, downtown department stores and family owned businesses closed or moved to the newly constructed Orlando Fashion Square mall. After the opening of Interstate 4, the downtown population base moved out of downtown to

9898-456: Was centered around the original Orange County Courthouse in between today's Court Avenue and Magnolia Avenue (originally named "Main Street"). A fire in 1884 almost destroyed the entire town. Before the fire, most of the structures in Orlando were built with wood and the town was without fire protection. The town began to rebuild and a fire brigade was formed. Orlando became a city in 1885 and

9999-439: Was founded as a non-segregated and coeducational university, with the mission of educating students for space-age careers in engineering and other technological professions. Defense scientists and NASA met with students, recruiting for the space program. On January 24, 1964, the board of regents purchased 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of remote forest and pasture land along Alafaya Trail (SR 434) in northeast Orlando for $ 500,000 as

10100-414: Was ranked 2nd in Florida, and 34th in the United States, by the number of National Merit Scholars enrolled. 335 National Merit Scholars enrolled at UCF for the fall 2020 term. The University of Central Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools . Its academic calendar is based on the semester system, with the typical fall semester running from the end of August until

10201-428: Was the most selective medical school in the country. For the class of 2014, there were 3,761 applicants and only 60 were accepted. This initial class had the highest average MCAT score, 32.2, and GPA, 3.8, of any incoming class of medical students in the state. The inaugural class had a median age of 28, with 25% of the class composed of out-of-state students. The charter class completed their first year of courses on

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