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84-704: The college administers UCF's two honors programs, University Honors and Honors Undergraduate Thesis (HUT), through programs of advanced study at the university's main campus in Orlando. These programs encompass students who are also in one of UCF's twelve other academic colleges but have applied to and been accepted to the Burnett Honors College. The college offers an honors dormitory in the Towers at Knights Plaza , and honors students are assisted with applying for post-graduate honors and fellowships. In 1998,

168-607: 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

252-517: 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

336-536: A Skewerz Grill, Burger U (formerly Tailgaters Bar and Grill), Jimmy John's , Starbucks , Gringos Locos, and "Knightros", an all-you care to eat restaurant. The complex also features a Princeton Review and a secure mail room for students who live in the Towers. Apartments in the Towers are offered in three different floorplans: 1 bedroom/1 bathroom and 4 bedroom/4 bathroom, with the majority being 4 bedroom/2 bathroom. Each Tower houses approximately 500 residents. Tower III

420-757: 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

504-611: A minimum of 60 completed credit hours, 12 completed upper-division credit hours, a 3.4 GPA, and two or more semesters remaining prior to graduation. Some departments or colleges have additional requirements as well. A recent Burnett Honors College incoming class had an average SAT score of 1457, an average ACT score of 32.1 and average high school GPAs of 4.46 (weighted). The class boasted 27 National Merit Scholars , 115 AP Scholars and eight National Hispanic Scholars . The college does not have any departments or offer any degrees by itself; all of its students are also students of one of

588-500: 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

672-551: 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

756-587: 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

840-780: A three-semester basis (fall/spring/summer). Affiliated housing is owned by the University of Central Florida Foundation, Inc. and is managed by Asset Campus Housing, which is the largest third-party property management company in the United States. Affiliated housing is patrolled by the UCF Police Department and offers shuttle service on class days. 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 )

924-421: A time. To supplement the beds provided on campus, the university has partnered with two off-campus housing communities to create "University Affiliated-Housing." These communities consist of about 3,750 beds available at Knights Circle and The Pointe at Central. While both communities offer some UCF services such as UCF Police service, reduced rental rates, and shuttle service on class days, only Knights Circle

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1008-654: Is UCF Housing's newest community and opened in fall 2019. The 15-story structure is within walking distance of the Amway Center, Camping World, and the Bob Carr Theatre. UnionWest is a high-rise complex that combines academic classrooms (floors 1 through 5) and residential spaces (floors 6 through 15). The community houses 600 residents, has a connected parking garage, and retail space on the first floor. Similar to Knights Circle, students from UCF and from Valencia College can apply to live there. Leases are based on

1092-597: Is a learning community for students enrolled in The Burnett Honors College , while a majority of student athletes are housed in Tower IV. The Towers at Knights Plaza, Rosen College Apartments, and NorthView offer annual contracts to rent their apartments for a full academic year (fall, spring, and summer), whereas residents of all other standard housing communities on the main campus sign contracts to rent their rooms only for one or two semesters at

1176-414: 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

1260-510: Is a 4-year program, and Honors Undergraduate Thesis , which allows juniors and seniors to conduct original research within their major (Honors in the Major) or in their minor or a discipline other than their major (Interdisciplinary Thesis) and write an undergraduate honors thesis . The two programs are not mutually exclusive, and in fact share many common elements. If a student completes one of these programs, an Honors distinction corresponding to

1344-676: 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.

1428-662: Is at least one resident assistant per 40-70 residents. The university currently employs 176 RAs, 17 Graduate Assistants, and 15 Area Coordinators. In 2007, the university constructed the Towers at Knights Plaza, commonly known as "The Towers", as part of an athletic village known as Knights Plaza , which includes the CFE Arena , FBC Mortgage Stadium , as well as 183,000 square feet (17,000 m ) of retail and restaurant space. Retailers and restaurants in Knights Plaza include Barnes & Noble , Domino's , Subway , formerly

1512-844: Is available in the Academic Village (Nike, Hercules and Neptune) communities, the Towers at Knights Plaza (Tower I, II, III, and IV), the Lake Claire Courtyard Apartments Community, and NorthView. UCF also has 400 beds at the Rosen College Apartments Community, located on the Rosen College of Hospitality Management campus. The Towers at Knights Plaza house the majority of the upper-classmen who live on campus. Some communities have resident assistants , graduate assistants and area coordinators. On average, there

1596-616: 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,

1680-410: 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

1764-647: 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,

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1848-511: Is staffed with Community Assistants. Housing on the main campus typically fills to capacity well before the start of the fall semester and cannot accommodate everyone who applies. The university is planning to construct additional housing on its main campus, including a new community between Libra and the Academic Village, adjacent to the Recreation and Wellness Center. In addition, there are numerous private developments being constructed near

1932-635: 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

2016-658: 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

2100-695: 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

2184-754: The Hillel Jewish Student Center and the Catholic Campus Ministry center. Like all other learning communities on-campus, students must request to live specifically in this community, and the housing is not targeted at any specific faith. NorthView has similar accommodations as other housing communities such as shuttle transportation, key-card only access, and a resident mail center. It has additional amenities, including: an outdoor pool, rooftop tiki deck, study room, dry sauna, beach volleyball area, human-size chess board, indoor gym, entertainment lounge, and same-floor parking in

2268-812: 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

2352-717: 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,

2436-850: 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

2520-574: The University of Central Florida in Orlando , Florida is administered by the Department of Housing and Residence Life . As of 2011, the system offers just under 6,500 beds on its main campus within five housing communities, 400 beds at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management , and 3,750 beds in university-affiliated housing. Housing on the main campus is separated into five communities,

2604-565: 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

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2688-603: 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

2772-482: 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

2856-472: 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,

2940-671: 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

3024-581: 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

3108-528: 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

3192-528: 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

3276-401: 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

3360-584: The Rosen College of Hospitality Management Housing are automatically members of RHA. They rebranded from the United Resident Student Association (URSA) to RHA in 2013. Residence hall style suites are available in the Libra, Apollo, Academic Village (Neptune, Hercules, and Nike) communities. All of the residence hall suites have bathrooms shared between two or three rooms as opposed to communal bathrooms. Apartment style housing

3444-545: The UCF Honors Program was granted college status. Al and Nancy Burnett donated $ 1.5 million towards the completion of a building to house the new honors college, and it was subsequently named in their honor. A state grant matched the donation made by the Burnett's, bringing total funding for the new college to $ 3 million. Ground was broken on the new facility on April 24, 2001, and the Burnett Honors College building

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3528-776: 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

3612-843: 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

3696-652: 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 ,

3780-690: The University Honors program, and juniors and seniors for the Honors Undergraduate Thesis program. Requirements for freshman entrance include excellent high school grades, one personal statement, strong extracurricular activities, and references. Requirements for the Second Year Entry program include strong freshman year performance, one personal statement, references, a plan of study, and strong extracurriculars. The Honors Undergraduate Thesis (HUT) program requires

3864-638: 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

3948-538: 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,

4032-543: The attached garage. Due to its location across county lines, its law enforcement jurisdiction falls under the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. The community is owned by a third-party but is managed by the UCF Department of Housing and Residence Life. In 2005, the university opened two on-campus housing buildings at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management . The dorms are able to house 400 residents and 8 resident assistants. The community includes an outdoor pool, community center, outdoor grill area, and key-card only access to

4116-423: 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

4200-411: The building. The campus is under the law enforcement jurisdiction of the UCF Police Department and provides shuttles to the main campus on class days. Apartments on the campus are open to any UCF student, and are based upon academic leases for two semesters (fall/spring), with summer leases available. UnionWest at Creative Village is located 14 miles away from UCF's main campus in the downtown Orlando. It

4284-434: 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

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4368-470: 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

4452-459: 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

4536-425: 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

4620-529: 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

4704-428: 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

4788-402: 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

4872-426: 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,

4956-438: 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

5040-527: 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,

5124-446: The oldest being Apollo, and the newest residence hall being UnionWest at Creative Village in downtown Orlando. The majority of on-campus housing is occupied by freshmen, while the bulk of upper-class and graduate students live in off-campus apartments, houses, and cooperatives . The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is the residence hall association for the university. All residents living in on-campus housing, UCF Affiliated Housing, or

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5208-482: The other colleges at the university. Burnett students are 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), priority multiple-term class registration, usage of a private BHC Computer Lab, Reading Room, extended library privileges, scholarship opportunities, among others. The Burnett Honors College offers two distinct Honors programs for students: University Honors , which

5292-399: 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

5376-845: The program that was completed will appear on the student's diploma and official transcript . The college also offers many events and programs, which are open to UCF students regardless of whether or not they are honors students. In addition, the honors college houses the Office of Prestigious Awards, which provides information and preparation services for all UCF students interested in applying for prestigious scholarships and fellowships. 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 student housing 28°35′51″N 81°11′54″W  /  28.59751°N 81.19843°W  / 28.59751; -81.19843 The residence hall system at

5460-413: The residences located in Greek Park, even though they are located on university property, are owned and maintained by their respective organizations, save for four houses that are owned by the university and rented to eligible organizations. UCF plans on constructing a Greek Park II, which will have a much higher population density than that currently of Greek Park, when it becomes financially feasible for

5544-492: 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,

5628-409: 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

5712-438: 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

5796-400: 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

5880-400: 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

5964-428: 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

6048-531: 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%,

6132-530: 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

6216-457: 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

6300-453: 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

6384-419: 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

6468-572: The university. Below is a complete listing of all University-based housing communities: Greek housing is also available on the main campus in the Greek Park community, which consists of over 450 beds. There are nine sororities and four fraternities housed on campus. There was an additional fraternity house on campus that was demolished in May 2008, and two new houses along with a Greek Life Center are currently under construction in its location. All of

6552-466: The university. On-Campus Greek Housing Fraternities Known to Have Off-Campus Housing Options * Indicates Greek Housing that is owned by the university and not the respective Greek Life organization. NorthView located directly north of UCF's main campus, and within walking distance to Spectrum Stadium, is a luxury student housing community that was completed in 2013. The community houses 600 students and includes two faith-based community centers,

6636-503: 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,

6720-424: 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

6804-564: Was completed in May 2002, and formally dedicated on October 23, 2002. In 2007 the college partnered with the Department of Housing and Residence Life to create a living-learning community, composed mostly of honors students, in Tower III at Knights Plaza . Admission to the Burnett Honors College is limited to incoming freshmen, rising sophomores through the Second Year Entry program, and transfer students from specific public colleges for

6888-439: 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

6972-414: 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

7056-428: 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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