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89-522: Knights Plaza at University of Central Florida , commonly referred to as Knights Plaza , is an athletic village and shopping center on the main campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida , United States. The plaza consists of housing for more than 2,000 students in four towers, 183,000 square feet (17,000 m) of commercial space, the 10,000-seat Addition Financial Arena , and

178-607: 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

267-517: 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

356-757: 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

445-527: A car accident. The 1983 season was dedicated to him, with the entire band wearing a pin on their uniform. To this day, the “Driggers’ Pin” is a part of the Marching Knights uniform. In 2014, the pin was changed from a black and gold ribbon to an actual pin, featuring the letters “MK” inside a Pegasus star for “Marching Knights” and is stamped with the letters “TD” for “Troy Driggers” on the back. From 1991 to 1996, Richard Greenwood and Ron Ellis formed

534-460: A full academic year (fall, spring, and summer), 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. The Towers house the majority of the upper-classmen who live on campus. Residents of the Towers are provided a secure mail room, and entrance to the buildings and apartments are controlled via

623-500: 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

712-551: 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

801-587: 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

890-561: A selection of warm-ups, halftime show music, and stands tunes. It ends with the UCF Fight Song " Charge On ". "March to Victory" - After the Marching Knights march their way through the tailgating at Memory Mall, they stop at Addition Financial Arena where they perform some school tunes for the tailgaters at Memory Mall. Following that performance, along with the UCF Spirit Squad and UCF mascot Knightro , they march to

979-676: 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.

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1068-616: 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,

1157-410: 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

1246-702: 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,

1335-690: 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 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

1424-635: 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

1513-658: 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

1602-791: The Florida Space Institute , Robinson Observatory , manages the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center , and is 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

1691-695: 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

1780-497: The Harlem Globetrotters , Sesame Street Live , monster truck shows, rodeos, the circus, and a speech by former President Bill Clinton . Throughout the year, Knights Plaza plays movies on a two-story outdoor movie screen in the middle of the plaza for students as well as the surrounding community residents to enjoy. Many people set up a picnic, and Knights Plaza food vendors provide at seat food delivery. Prior to

1869-825: 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. Marching Knights In 1979,

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1958-812: 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

2047-664: 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,

2136-850: 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

2225-586: The University of Central Florida fielded their first football team, and subsequently created a marching band to support it. On July 1, 1980, Jerry Gardner was hired as the first director of what would become the UCF Marching Knights. With the help of the young Troy Driggers, who would become one of the first drum majors (along with Ken DeBord), Gardner poured through the file of every UCF student looking for those who had marching/band experience and invited them to join. All of their work paid off, as in

2314-554: The " Pregame Fanfare " to the west and east stands. Following this, the band plays the piece " Carmina Burana " which ends with the band forming the knight head shape and going in the UCF Fight Song " Charge On ". The Marching Knights then play the UCF Alma Mater and the National Anthem . After that, the Marching Knights perform a series of different songs and forms including, UCF Spell out , The Chant , and

2403-582: The 10th anniversary of Festival Disney, at the Lights, Motors, Action theatre at Disney's Hollywood Studios in April, 2014. UCF would again be honoured with a special parade following an undefeated football season, capped off with a Peach Bowl win in 2017. In 2017, in addition to an impressive undefeated season, a major bowl game, and a parade at Disney World, the Marching Knights inaugurated their own permanent building, cementing their place on campus. In 2018, for

2492-511: The 2,300-seat Venue at UCF Arena . The design of the plaza and its mixed use appeal to students, faculty, and surrounding residents, making it a popular community destination. Knights Plaza contains many venues to accommodate events of all sizes and forms: The Towers at Knights Plaza (Tower I, II, III, and IV) houses 2,000 students, 500 in each tower. Residents of the Towers Community sign annual contracts to rent their apartments for

2581-455: The 2020 pandemic. With many precautions and mitigations, they were still able to have a season and perform in person. While the band was not allowed to move on the field, the spirit of the Marching Knights was still upheld during the celebration of their 40th Anniversary – including an online round-table featuring former drum majors, directors, Driggers’ award winners and other prominent alumni members. In 1985, Mr. Gardner retired from directing

2670-565: 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

2759-751: The Arctic Guide Ice Slide, the McDonald's Ferris Wheel, Kris Kringle's Carousel, Santa's Village and many more lights to provide more entertainment for attendees. Knights Plaza has had difficulties filling its remaining retail space due to the current economic circumstances. Many have blamed the lack of free parking, leading the university to suspend parking charges in one the plaza's parking garages on non-event days. Nature's Table Cafe and Mau's Hair and Nails went out of business shortly after opening, and several other retailers never opened their doors, resulting in many unoccupied storefronts throughout

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2848-482: 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

2937-472: 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,

3026-671: 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

3115-581: 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

3204-528: 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

3293-528: 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

3382-401: 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

3471-415: The Marching Knights made their “Hollywood Debut” by performing in the movie “ Sydney White ”. They were in two scenes and performed their fight song. In 2009, at a Marching Knights rehearsal, Ron Ellis and then graduate assistants Dave Schreier and Jason Millhouse had a conversation on the field about naming the fight song. It only took two minutes before “ Charge On ” was chosen. The title was announced for

3560-573: The Marching Knights to focus on his health, and in 1986, Roger New-burn became the second Director. Since then, eight additional directors have led the Marching Knights: "Memory Mall Flagpole Warm-up" - Every home game the UCF Drumline warms up and performs at one of the most popular spots to tailgate on campus, Memory Mall. They often perform is their signature cadence, " Mojo Knights " written by Jeff Moore . "Circles" - Before

3649-574: The Summer Knights. This was an “Ultra-hip, high-energy show band” consisting of 23 members of the Marching Knights that would tour high schools in Florida. This group of students were ambassadors of UCF and the music department. Also in 1991, the Marching Knights Alumni Band Association was formed. Today, over 150 alumni return every year to perform with the Marching Knights during homecoming. In 1996,

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3738-776: 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

3827-843: 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

3916-652: 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 ,

4005-638: 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

4094-538: 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,

4183-466: The arena and hosts events nightly to celebrate the holiday season. During Light Up UCF , a high tech light show consisting of over 75,000 lights dances around the plaza to holiday music, and live concerts are performed by bands such as the Marching Knights and local artists. During the 2008 inaugural year, it attracted over 150,000 attendees. The 2009 season included a 20% larger ice rink with

4272-720: The band was invited to perform for the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney World. After spending all night at the Magic Kingdom, the band performed in the “Remember the Magic” Parade. The Marching Knights would travel internationally for the first time in 2003. The band, under the direction of Richard Greenwood and Ron Ellis, travelled to Sweden for the Eksjö International Tattoo Marching Band Festival, performing several times throughout their trip, as well as visiting many sites along

4361-423: 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

4450-434: 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

4539-602: 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

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4628-459: 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

4717-425: 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

4806-529: 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

4895-448: The expansion of FBC Mortgage Stadium to 65,000 seats. 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 ) is a public research university with its main campus in unincorporated Orange County, Florida . It

4984-428: 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

5073-418: The first time during pregame performances that year and has since become a staple in UCF vernacular. The Marching Knights have performed in several bowl games over the years but gained much notoriety after performances at New Years Six Bowl Games: 2014 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl , 2017 Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl , and 2018 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl . In 2013 and 2014, the Marching Knights were invited to perform as

5162-437: The first time ever, ESPN College Game Day broadcast live from UCF on Memory Mall, and the Marching Knights were featured prominently throughout the broadcast. Following the Game Day broadcast was UCF's first National ABC Prime-time game, where the #11 Knights beat #24 Cincinnati, with plenty of opportunity for the Marching Knights to receive recognition on TV and Social Media as well. The Marching Knights have persevered through

5251-417: The first year, the Marching Knights fielded 125 members. On November 8, 1980, UCF's Homecoming, the Marching Knights performed their first halftime show. The show featured the selections: Triumph of the Titans, Sweet Georgia Brown , Crown Imperial , You are the Sunshine of My Life , and Love will Keep us Together . In August 1982, the Marching Knights were jolted by the sudden death of Troy Diggers in

5340-423: The full band warm-up, each section circles up on their own in different spots in front of the Student Union to warm-up as a section. Every section has their own traditions during their warm-ups. For example, the trumpet section will do one of their warm-ups inside the Student Union. "Union Warm-up" - The Marching Knights perform outside the Student Union right before they go and march to the Stadium. They will play

5429-443: The house band for the ESPN College Football Awards Show, filmed live at Disney's Boardwalk. In 2014, The band returned at the Magic Kingdom for the first time since 1996 to perform for a special parade for the Fiesta Bowl Champions. This performance to the Magic Kingdom allowed the creation of a new partnership between Disney and the Marching Knights. This partnership began with an invitation to perform at an awards presentation for

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5518-402: 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

5607-426: 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,

5696-495: 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 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

5785-527: 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,

5874-412: The plaza. In order to combat this problem and increase retailer confidence, events are held frequently in the plaza and its venues; due to this, however, the students forced to deal with the additional traffic in order to reach the only study facility on-campus, "All Knight Study", which is located in the plaza also. The remaining retail spaces are slowly filling in with additional retailers. Knights Plaza

5963-399: 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

6052-492: 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,

6141-409: 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

6230-435: The stadium playing The Chant to hype up fans. "Pregame" - Twenty minutes before kick-off, the UCF Drum line and a Drum Major will take the field. Following the sword plant, the UCF Drum line will play the " Tunnel Cadence " as the rest of the band, led by the other two drum majors, run onto the field from the tunnels on opposite corners of the field. Once the band is on the field in a massive block formation, they will play

6319-478: The start of the movie, contests, block parties, and other events take place throughout the plaza. Couches and seats are also provided by Knights Plaza. A farmers market is occasionally held in the open plaza area of Knights Plaza. Over eighty different vendors, sell fresh produce, jewellery, artwork, and other locally made items to students and local area residents. During the holiday season (November–January), Knights Plaza constructs an outdoor ice rink in front of

6408-508: 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

6497-490: The streets on both sides of the arena, which lead back to the other stadiums. Additionally, the lobby of the CFE Arena contains a food court as well as interior access to some of the other retail spaces. Knights Plaza hosts hundreds of events throughout the year, ranging from football games that take over the entire UCF campus to block parties and bingo nights. Knights Plaza is home to the UCF Knights athletic programs and

6586-612: The students university identification badge. Apartments in the Towers are offered in various plans ranging from 1 bedroom/1 bathroom to 4 bedroom/4 bathroom, with the majority being 4 bedroom/2 bathroom. Tower III is a learning community for students enrolled in the Burnett Honors College . Most UCF athletes are housed in Tower IV. [REDACTED] Knights Plaza contains 183,000 square feet (17,000 m) of retail and restaurant space. The retail stores are located on

6675-400: 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

6764-480: 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

6853-531: 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%,

6942-530: 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

7031-457: 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

7120-453: 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

7209-419: 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

7298-503: 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,

7387-636: The way. In 2005, the 25th anniversary of the Marching Knights, the directors gathered around 40 members from 1986–2005 to record the first ever CD of the band: “UCF Marching Knights: Celebrating Twenty-Five Years of Music”. The album featured music from pre-game and UCF traditional cheers, like Go Knights Funk, the Chant, and the Fight Song. Three more albums have followed: Charge On (2013: Tobias/Schreier), Sounds of Gold (2015: Cumberledge/Schreier), and Live From Driggers Field (2018: Kizer/Schreier). In 2007,

7476-424: 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

7565-824: Was designed as an athletic village. The football team plays in Bright House Networks Stadium, the men's and women's basketball teams in the CFE Arena, and the volleyball team plays in the Venue. The plaza also contains Jay Bergman Field , a 2000-seat baseball stadium for the men's baseball team, and the 2,000 seat UCF Soccer and Track Stadium . Knights Plaza and the adjacent Memory Mall are the prime tailgating location during home football games. The CFE Arena has hosted many performances, such as comedians: Dave Chappelle , Carlos Mencia , Bob Saget and Bill Cosby ; concerts by Paul Simon , Elton John , Reba McEntire , Nine Inch Nails ; and other events such as

7654-439: 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

7743-630: Was initially developed with plans to add additional retail space in two more phases over the coming years. However, due to the difficulties in leasing the original phase, the plans have been delayed and revised. Several of the athletic venues will be expanded and renovated to handle larger crowds, including the completed expansion of the UCF Soccer and Track Stadium to 2,000 seats in 2011, and the planned renovations in 2013 to Jay Bergman Field to add an additional 1,000 seats and new luxury suites. Other future, yet unplanned, expansions are scheduled to include

7832-414: 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

7921-428: 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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