“Everyone should have access to a high-quality college degree,” says Pam Cavanaugh, associate vice provost for . “Together with our partners, UCF has the opportunity to collaborate and discover ways to strengthen support for transfer students and help them identify the right pathway to earning a degree that will change their lives, and the lives of their families, for generations to come.”

Sixty-four percent of all transfer students completing an associate in arts degree at Florida’s 28 state colleges enroll at FIU, UCF, or USF and each year, over 50,000 transfer students attend one of the three Consortium universities.

Already established leaders in transfer student success, UCF, FIU and USF will utilize the funds to identify and address the barriers to student success, reduce the time needed for students to complete a degree, and increase campus involvement. The Consortium will create solutions in three areas: increased coaching and advising to reduce “transfer shock;” the development of a dashboard to help students with degree planning; and targeted retention strategies to ensure students are engaged and connected to each campus community.

UCF has for years placed a priority on ensuring transfer students have access to resources and support. Last year, 87.5% of the 2019-2020 transfer student cohort returned to UCF to continue their studies, marking the highest one-year retention rate to date. UCF has the largest number of transfer students among all of Florida’s public universities with more than 11,000 transfer students entering during the 2020-21 academic year.

UCF has the largest number of transfer students among all of Florida’s public universities with more than 11,000 transfer students entering during the 2020-21 academic year.

UCF has more than 30 success coaches and peer coaches who assist transfer students from before they enroll at their state college through their graduation from UCF, providing personalized support and guidance along the way. The coaches help students overcome challenges and stay motivated to reach academic, career and personal goals. UCF will use its portion of the grant to enhance its Coaching Academy, which will serve as a training and resource center for other universities and amplify UCF’s model across the state. The Academy will provide customized training to individuals, teams and organizations to further develop a culture of coaching within an institution.

“We know how critical it is for students to have individual, tailored assistance,” says Cavanaugh. “Our coaching model gives every transfer student a ‘go to’ person who serves as a constant and consistent presence for them. We’ve seen what a difference this makes for our students, and we look forward to working with our partners to scale this model across the state.”

More than 30% of new undergraduates enrolled each year at UCF come through the to ��AV program, which guarantees admission to UCF for students with an associate degree or articulated degree from one of six partner state colleges. Since DirectConnect to UCF was established in 2006, UCF has conferred 61,924 degrees to students participating in the program. A national model, DirectConnect to UCF has significantly increased the number of minority, low-income and first-generation students who earn a college degree.

“Helios believes a high-quality education should be within reach of every student. Ensuring students experience a smooth transition between Florida’s state colleges and universities is essential to student success and degree completion,” says Paul J. Luna, president and CEO, Helios Education Foundation.

The Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities and Helios Education Foundation have partnered since 2016 to elevate the success and degree completion of first-generation, minority and underserved students in the most populous metropolitan regions of South Florida, Central Florida, and Tampa Bay.

These courses typically cost about $130 each, and range from successful job searches to marketing on a budget.

Free courses include:

• Twelve Steps to a Successful Job Search
• Managing Customer Service
• Fundamentals of Supervision and Management
• Personal Finance
• Creating Web Pages
• Creating WordPress Websites
• Individual Excellence
• Small Business Marketing on a Shoestring
• Keys to Effective Communication
• Marketing Your Business on the Internet

“When we noticed unemployment numbers increasing in Central Florida and across the country, we saw an opportunity to help,” says Sean Armstrong, executive director of UCF Continuing Education. “By making these professional development courses available for free, we’re empowering people to learn new skills and improve not only their personal lives, but also their potential to grow into a new or better career.”

These courses are among more than 400 offered through UCF’s Continuing Education division. Courses are self-paced, and the deadline to enroll for free is June 30.

UCF Continuing Education, a unit within , provides credit and non-credit programs that connect the community with the university’s resources to support the re-education, training, professional development and personal growth of individuals across the state, region and nation. Continuing Education partners with academic, business and professional communities in Central Florida to provide clients with distinctive, high-quality and cost-effective educational programs and services.

“NABCA selected the UCF-Connect Locations’ Connect Center Project as the recipient for their award in recognition of their innovative practice of holistic student coaching,” says Jane Morgan, chair of the NABCA Partnerships Committee. “Their results for a better student service model which improved student outcomes and simultaneously served to reinvigorate the passion and commitment of the staff resonated with all members of the award application review team.”

According to the award announcement, the UCF Connect Center’s “student service model has student success coaches offering concierge-level services that start at recruitment and continue through graduation. A student stays with the same coach throughout their academic journey allowing for relationship-based interactions.”

NABCA provides professional development, best practices, research, networking and support for administrators and faculty in higher education. George Giacumakis, the award’s namesake, was the originator of the idea for an association dedicated to meeting the professional needs of administrators in higher education who worked at branch campuses.

“It’s a tremendous honor for our UCF Connect Centers to be named the inaugural innovation award winner by the National Association of Branch Campus Administrators,” says Pam Cavanaugh, associate vice provost for says: “The transformation of our regional campuses to Connect Centers has been inspiring to observe how we’ve moved from student service and brick and mortar operations to full-engagement centers focusing on preparation, pathways, transition and success using success coaching.”

The UCF Connect Centers introduced success coaching in 2017 as a way to better engage students in an interactive, participatory way throughout their academic journey, from application to graduation. As a complement to traditional college advisors, success coaches guide students using techniques designed to assist them with direction, focus and life challenges outside the classroom.

This approach has resulted in what UCF Connect leaders describe as a unified gold standard experience for students at 11 UCF Connect Center locations: , , , , , , , , , and . These locations extend the reach of the university from its main Orlando campus into seven surrounding Central Florida counties, thanks to the award-winning partnership, which provides guaranteed admission to students who earn an associate degree from one of six partner institutions (College of Central Florida, Daytona State College, Eastern Florida State College, Lake-Sumter State College, Seminole State College and Valencia College).

In May, UCF awarded the 50,000th bachelor’s degree to a DirectConnect to UCF transfer student, exemplifying the program’s important contribution to the university’s mission to provide access to a high-quality college degree to as many qualified to students as possible.

For more information, visit .

The department also states that these areas represent “where postsecondary institutions do not produce enough graduates to meet the needs of Florida’s K-12 student population.” Lake County Schools, which serves more than 42,000 students at 59 elementary, middle and high schools, is no exception.

“We have a shortage of certified teachers,” says Stephanie Luke, a math and science education instructor at UCF and chair of the Lake County School Board. “As a school board member, I’m critically aware of that.”

To address the problem, a growing partnership between the UCF College of Community Innovation and Education and Lake County Schools created a pathway for high school students with an interest in becoming teachers to earn a bachelor’s degree and become certified to fill the county’s vacancies. The Tavares Teaching Academy, now in its second year at Tavares High School, is designed to not only introduce students to the profession with specialized courses and hands-on classroom experiences, but also provide impactful collaborations with UCF elementary education faculty and students. By cultivating teachers within the community, this grow-your-own program was conceived to deliver a self-sustaining supply of new educators.

“The vision of this program is to produce highly qualified graduates who are from Lake County and will come back to teach in Lake County,” Luke says. “We know that if they come through this program from high school to UCF, they will be ready to go — and we’re really excited about it.”

Creating a Pathway

The partnership path leads Tavares Teaching Academy graduates to Lake-Sumter State College, where they will earn an associate’s degree that qualifies them for admission to UCF through the DirectConnect to Ů��AV program. Upon achieving their bachelor’s degree and Florida state teacher certification, which they can complete at UCF’s elementary education program on site at the UCF Connect South Lake Center in Clermont, participants are guaranteed a job interview with Lake County Schools.

“We want to grow the teachers who know about the culture and community in Lake County,” says Bonnie Watkins, the Tavares High School teacher who leads the academy. “Our hope is that these experiences solidify [the students’] desire to become teachers and fulfill the needs in our classrooms.”

For Marni Kay, ��AV instructor of reading education, the value of the academy is to place qualified, passionate, purposeful teachers in classrooms.

“The critical teaching shortage is the reason the Tavares Teaching Academy was started to intentionally show high school students what college will look like for them,” she says “We’re working to grow our own right in Lake County so that they’re able to start in Lake County schools, do service-learning partnerships with kids in their own community, and then become teachers in the community.”

According to Watkins, the strength of UCF’s elementary education program and its presence in Lake County are key to the partnership.

“Our students receive the benefit of shared resources from UCF, as well as advice from a Ů��AV instructor,” she says. “We work together to create valuable field experiences that are essential to the success of the Teaching Academy program.”

Fueling Collaboration

Building a pathway for future teachers also involves bringing the high school and college students together for collaborative events and mentoring. The groups recently met at UCF Connect South Lake Center in Clermont to celebrate International Dot Day, a recognition of the works of children’s author Peter H. Reynolds. Thirty-five UCF students worked with 17 Teaching Academy students through six educational stations that reinforced the methods they’ll use one day to teach children to read. It’s this type of hands-on, practical experience that will fuel their success when theory becomes reality in their own classrooms.

“It’s so important to connect the research into action,” Kay says. “We model for students what they can do in their own classrooms and help them develop successful teaching strategies.”

It all adds up to Tavares Teaching Academy graduates who are better prepared to succeed in college — and in leading a classroom after they graduate from UCF and become certified by the state.

“These students will have a head start because they will have already spent time in front of a class,” Luke says. “In fact, as college instructors, we’ll need to step it up when we have this level of student coming in.”

For the high school students, spending time with their college counterparts helps reinforce why they participate in the academy.

“I enjoyed the opportunity to work with students who have the same passion as me, but are also role models since they’re older,” says Ashley Ellixson, a Tavares High School junior. “Meeting new people who are from different walks of life, but who also share the same interest, was an eye-opening experience.”

And there are benefits for the UCF teaching students, as well.

“I feel like a role model, trying to help the high schoolers understand what the expectations of being an elementary education student are at UCF,” says junior Kira Dowling. “It’s giving back to the community because these students are going to be in my position one day.”

The connections the students will build during the program are valuable beyond what the coursework will produce, because, as the instructors explain, teaching is a team effort.

“Teaching is not an isolated event,” says Kay. “Teaching should be a community partnership, because in the end we’re all in it to serve students.”

“Every day governments, corporations and private citizens experience cyberattacks that impact billions of people worldwide,” says Sean Armstrong, Continuing Education interim executive director. “This program meets the global demand for increased cybersecurity by offering a curriculum that teaches students the fundamentals of protecting digital environments from cyberthreats.”

Cybercrime is a global threat that cost the United States $2.7 billion in financial losses last year, as reported in the 2018 Internet Crime Report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Consequently, the need for qualified cybersecurity professionals is critical and continues to grow. According to the 2018 Global Information Security Workforce Study, there is a worldwide shortage of 2.9 million qualified cybersecurity specialists. These jobs represent lucrative opportunities for qualified professionals who can earn approximately $98,350 annually, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

To develop the certificate programs, Continuing Education has partnered with HackerU, a global cybersecurity-education provider with more than 20 years of experience. Each program begins with a 30-hour trial course that introduces students to what it’s like to work in the defensive and offensive cybersecurity fields before they commit to the entire program. Both certificates prepare graduates for internationally recognized certification exams and are designed to accommodate working professionals with part-time schedules taught during evenings and weekends at the Wayne M. Densch Partnership Center on the Sanford/Lake Mary campus of Seminole State College.

Cyber Defense Professional Certificate

Students will learn in-depth theory, as well as hands-on training in cybersecurity and programming. The 400-hour course prepares students for seven of the top certification exams in the field of cybersecurity: Microsoft MCSA, Linux LPI Essentials, Cisco CCENT, Cisco CCNA Security, CompTIA Cloud+, CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA CySA+. Students do not need any prerequisite experience to enroll in the program; it is suitable for those with self-taught technical background.

Ethical Hacking Professional Certificate

Veterans in both IT and cybersecurity fields will learn with the critical skills employers seek in offensive security experts. The 210-hour course focuses on advanced infrastructure attacks, cross-platform elevation of privileges, python programming for security, and web application penetration testing to prepare students to take the Offensive Security Certified Professional and the EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker certification exams. To enroll in the program, applicants should have a degree in computer science or comparable work experience in the IT, coding or programming fields.

Taught by Expert Faculty

Instructors are leaders in the cybersecurity industry, offering students firsthand access to their knowledge and expertise of theory and defense methodologies. The programs, which utilize state-of-the-art virtual cyberattack labs, emphasize project-based learning to expose students to real-world scenarios in cyberbreach detection, assessment, blocking and prevention.

Career Services Included

All UCF Cyber Security Professional Certificate students will receive access to , with a 10-hour course at the end of the program dedicated to professional development, networking and assistance with job and internship placement with leading security organizations, corporations, national and state governments, and law enforcement agencies.

For More Information

Classes for UCF Continuing Education Cyber Security Professional Certificates begin July 29. To learn more about UCF Cyber Security Professional Certificate programs, visit . Prospective students can also speak with a program advisor by calling 407-605-0575.

]]> /news/ucf-partners-israels-tel-aviv-university-fuel-blockchain-research-education/ Tue, 04 Jun 2019 18:15:20 +0000 /news/?p=98113 The new collaboration will advance the innovation of applied blockchain solutions.

]]> UCF recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Tel Aviv University to support the advancement of blockchain education and research, as well as approaches to accelerate applied solutions in the new technology. The goals are to formalize innovative collaborations and academic exchanges, and to promote blockchain start-ups in Florida and Israel.

The agreement is one of eight between Florida institutions of higher education and TAU designed to boost research opportunities, academic collaboration and economic development, which were signed during a diplomatic trip organized by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The other Florida institutions include Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida International University, Miami-Dade College and St. Leo University.

Blockchain is a distributed ledger where data is “chained” together by linking encrypted blocks of information across a peer-to-peer digital network. It is most often associated with cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, which is already disrupting established financial assumptions. Additionally, blockchain is poised to affect other industries, including medical technology, digital entertainment and cybersecurity.

“This partnership with Tel Aviv University will further our efforts at joint research on applications for blockchain technology,” says Jeff Jones, vice provost for UCF Connect and UCF Global. “The exciting opportunities with this emerging technology should be fruitful areas for collaboration with TAU.”

UCF offers programs in financial technology in response to the growing interest and evolution in the field due to innovations such as blockchain and cryptocurrency. The program is believed to be the first in Florida’s State University System. In addition, UCF offers a Master of Science in Data Analytics to train the next generation of professionals who will leverage large and complex data sets to drive innovation across the business spectrum.

Tel Aviv University established the Institute for Applied Blockchain Research in 2018 to be on the forefront of blockchain research and application. The institute is designed to accelerate blockchain entrepreneurship in global markets.

“Tel Aviv University is thrilled about collaborating with the Ů��AV in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly to blockchain innovation,” says Raanan Rein, vice president of Tel Aviv University. “As part of its globalization strategy, Tel Aviv University is strengthening its ties with universities in Florida in various cutting-edge research areas.”

By combining the resources of the two universities, this agreement provides Florida and Israel with opportunities to foster research, application and start-up success in blockchain technology. Blockchain start-ups will find increased expertise and partnerships in Israel and Florida, which in turn will provide more opportunities to create products and services that positively impact the local and global communities.

With world-class incubators and regional strengths in key innovation districts, including smart cities, healthcare, hospitality and immersive entertainment, Central Florida, in partnership with Israel, is uniquely positioned to become the global blockchain center of excellence.

]]> /news/directconnect-ucf-joyce-romano-partnership-excellence-award/ Tue, 16 Apr 2019 17:57:54 +0000 /news/?p=96222 DirectConnect to UCF recently awarded the first Joyce Romano Partnership Excellence Award to an innovative collaboration between Valencia College’s Learning Support Division and the Ů��AV’s Transfer and Transition Services.

The award, which was announced during the 13^th College Access Summit on April 12, recognizes an individual, institution or team that exudes the spirit of collaboration in leading and serving others toward supporting transfer-student success. The award is in honor of  Valencia’s Joyce Romano, who forged relationships to build the partnership program that includes working groups, data systems and communication plans that help sustain the DirectConnect to Ů��AV program.

Since 2013, Valencia’s Learning Support Division and UCF’s Transfer and Transition Services have worked together to create programs that provide students a seamless learning experience from the first day at Valencia to the last day at UCF. The first co-created program was SEEUCF, a full-day immersion experience on the UCF campus for first-year Valencia students. Since the program launched, more than 1,500 students have participated.

Recognizing the need to provide Valencia students with a more extensive orientation to UCF, the partnership developed curriculum delivered in a 16-week, three-credit course called “Transitions,” taught by Valencia and Ů��AV instructors. Class meetings are held on Valencia’s East Campus for the first two weeks and then moved to UCF’s main campus for the remainder of the semester. The program piloted last fall. Assessment results indicate that 95 percent of students who completed the end-of-semester survey were satisfied with the course and understood the steps to transfer to UCF.

Many aspects of this initiative are noteworthy, staffers say. The idea that a student enrolled at a state college during their first term would take a course at the university they plan to transfer to is uncommon in higher education. In addition, transfer-partner institutions working together to develop curriculum around preparing students for successful transfer from a state college to a university represents an innovative approach to helping students overcome “transfer shock,” a temporary drop in grade point average commonly associated with the transition to a new institution. Lastly, to run a course that is offered at both the initial and the transfer institution illustrates the commitment both institutions have displayed towards partnership, and a willingness to put student’s needs first.

Co-leads on the project are Chris Tuemer, Valencia College assistant director of Learning Support and Advising (Title V), and Jason Dodge, director of UCF Transfer and Transition Services, and the committee includes Leonard Bass, Courtney Moore, Dina El Musa, Anna Saintil and Celicia Wallace from Valencia College and Jamil Johnson and Angie Smith from UCF.

DirectConnect to ��AV is a nationally recognized access program that guarantees admission to the ��AV for A.A. or articulated A.S. graduates from six partner state colleges across Central Florida, including College of Central Florida, Daytona State College, Eastern Florida State College, Lake-Sumter State College, Seminole State College and Valencia College. Details about DirectConnect to UCF can be found at .

]]> /news/ucf-football-vs-temple-need-know-thursday-campus/ Mon, 29 Oct 2018 13:49:24 +0000 /news/?p=91624 How to navigate the academic portion of game day and game day activities.

]]> The No. 9 UCF Knights will go head to head in a conference matchup against the Temple Owls in Spectrum Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1, for a nationally televised game on ESPN. UCF owns the longest winning streak in the nation, now at 20 games, and the Owls are undefeated in conference play.

The following information will help navigate the academic portion of game day and then game day activities.

Class Schedule and On-Campus Facilities

Classes on the main campus, in the Central Florida Research Park, at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and on UCF Connect’s campuses will conclude at 3 p.m. Offices at those locations also will close for normal operations at 3 p.m. in order to allow adequate time for a smooth transition to game day activities, which will begin at 4 p.m. on most of the campus. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Faculty who have classes in progress at 3 p.m. may choose to conduct the portions of those sessions that come before that time.

Some staff will be required to work past the time when the university closes. Please speak with your supervisor about how your area will handle operations after 3 p.m.

In order to provide students with additional time to study, the John C. Hitt Library will remain open until 5 p.m. Additionally, many UCF Dining Services locations will remain open after 3 p.m., including Knightro’s and ’63 South, which will be open until 10 p.m. and midnight, respectively.

UCF will re-open for normal operations, including regular class and activity schedules, at 6 a.m. Friday, Nov. 2.

Parking, Towing and Shuttles

Parking

Regular university-parking policies will be in effect until 3 p.m.

Faculty, staff, and students will be able to stay in many campus parking lots and garages after classes have concluded. Those areas include garages A, B and I as well as surface parking lots B5, B6, B9, and H4 with respect to your designated permits. The rear portion of lot B7 will be reserved for recreational vehicles. Those who possess a game day parking permit may remain parked in their designated football Gold Zone lot or garage throughout the day as long as their game day permit is displayed.

Beginning at 4 p.m., all vehicles without a valid game-day permit in garages C, D, F and H as well as the baseball lot and parking lots B4, C1-C3, D1-D2 and E1-E8 will be subject to towing.

Shuttles

Regular weekday student-shuttle routes will switch over to game-day operations at 2:30 p.m., and game-day shuttles will continue to run for two hours following the game.

Fans should park at the Research Pavilion, 12424 Research Parkway in Central Florida Research Park. Shuttles will transport fans from the Research Pavilion to parking lot D1. No tailgating will be permitted at the Research Pavilion.

The game-day shuttles will include all regular student-shuttle routes with the exception of Tivoli, Northgate and Northview, due to their close proximity to the stadium; services to these three communities ends at 2:30 p.m.

The Rosen College shuttle will depart from that campus at 3:30 p.m. and will leave from the main campus’s student union midnight.

Traffic Flow

Gemini Boulevard North between East Plaza and West Plaza drives will be closed to vehicular traffic prior to and during tailgating. The road will be reopened at the discretion of law enforcement following the conclusion of tailgating.

To expedite postgame traffic, North Orion Boulevard will only be open to traffic traveling from Gemini Boulevard to McCulloch Road starting at 9 p.m. until postgame traffic is cleared. Vehicles will not be able to enter campus from McCulloch Road during that time.

Tickets

A limited number of tickets remain for Thursday’s game and can be purchased online through UCF or by calling the UCF Athletics Ticket Office at 407-823-1000.

Student Tickets

UCF students can claim their free ticket through Thursday through UCFStudentTix.com, but please note that claiming a ticket does not guarantee entry. Early arrival to the stadium is strongly encouraged. Once students arrive at the gate, they must have their UCF student ID and mobile ticket. Students are also able to purchase guest tickets directly from UCFStudentTix.com.

For FAQ regarding guest tickets or to learn more about the program, visit ucfknights.com.

Remember, if 50,000 students attend home games before Nov. 9, UCF President Dale Whittaker has promised to accept UCF Director of Athletics Danny White’s challenge to join in UCF Homecoming’s tradition of Spirit Splash.

Why uniforms? Just watch…

— UCF Football (@UCF_Football)

Going to the Game?

The Space Game is back. For the second year in a row, the Knights will wear special uniforms that symbolize the university’s roots in supporting and growing the United States space program at nearby Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This year, the team has incorporated the beloved Citronaut, UCF’s unofficial first mascot.

In honor of the Space Game, #UCFansWear wants to create a “Starry Knight” effect, so fans can wear black or white to the game. Official Space Game T-shirts are available for purchase (while supplies last) at ShopUCFKnights.com.

General tailgating on campus starts at 4 p.m. The UCF Alumni Indoor Tailgate, which is free for all alumni and their guests, will start at 4:30 p.m. at the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center.

The main act for the UCF Tailgate Concert Series presented by Pacifico is Rodney Atkins, who will take the stage in IOA Plaza at 6 p.m.

Don’t forget, a clear-bag policy is in effect and it’s important to know your gate of entry. Express lanes are available for fans who don’t have any bags. These can be found in all lanes for gates 5 and 9 and some lanes in gates 12, 13 and 18. The clear-bag policy is effective for all sporting events at Spectrum Stadium. While fans are encouraged to not bring any bags, those that do can review the policy.

For additional information on game-day policies and procedures, please visit: www.UCFGameDay.com.

]]> ucf-tailgate General tailgating on campus starts at 4 p.m. Thursday. /news/friday-football/ Thu, 20 Sep 2018 13:59:03 +0000 /news/?p=90732 How to navigate the academic portion of game day and game day activities.

]]> The No. 16 UCF Knights will go head to head against the FAU Owls in Spectrum Stadium at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 21, for a nationally televised game on ESPN. UCF owns the longest winning streak in the nation, now at 15 games, and is the highest-ranked team in Florida and the top team in the American Athletic Conference.

The following information will help navigate the academic portion of game day and then game day activities.

Class Schedule and On-Campus Facilities

Classes on the main campus, in the Central Florida Research Park, Rosen College of Hospitality Management and on UCF Connect’s campuses will conclude at 2:30 p.m. Offices at those locations also will close for normal operations at 2:30 p.m. in order to allow adequate time for a smooth transition to game day activities, which will begin at 3:30 p.m. on most of the campus.

Faculty who have classes in progress at 2:30 p.m. may choose to conduct the portions of those sessions that come before that time. Some staff members may be required to work past the university’s 2:30 p.m. closing time. Please speak with your supervisor about operations in your specific area of the university.

In order to provide students with additional time to study, the John C. Hitt Library will remain open until 5 p.m. Additionally, many UCF Dining Services locations will remain open after 2:30 p.m., including Knightro’s and ’63 South, which will be open until 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively.

The university will reopen for normal operations, including regular class and activity schedules, at 6 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22.

Parking, Towing and Shuttles

Parking

Regular university-parking policies will be in effect until 2:30 p.m.

Faculty, staff, and students will be able to stay in many campus parking lots and garages after classes have concluded. Those areas include garages A and B, as well as surface parking lots B5, B6, B9, and H4 with respect to your designated permits. Those who possess a game day parking permit may remain parked in their designated football Gold Zone lot or garage throughout the day as long as their game day permit is displayed.

Beginning at 4 p.m., all vehicles without a valid game-day permit in garages C, D, F and H as well as the baseball lot and parking lots C1-C3, D1-D2 and E1-E8 will be subject to towing.

Shuttles

Regular weekday student-shuttle routes will switch over to game-day operations at 5 p.m., and game-day shuttles will continue to run for two hours following the game.

Fans should park at the Research Pavilion, 12424 Research Parkway in Central Florida Research Park. Shuttles will transport fans from the Research Pavilion to parking lot D1. No tailgating will be permitted at the Research Pavilion.

The game-day shuttles will include all regular student-shuttle routes with the exception of Tivoli, Northgate and Northview, due to their close proximity to the stadium; services to these three communities ends at 5 p.m.

The Rosen College shuttle will depart from that campus at 3 p.m. and will leave from the main campus’s student union at 11:30 p.m.

Traffic Flow

Gemini Boulevard North between East Plaza and West Plaza drives will be closed to vehicular traffic prior to and during tailgating. The road will be reopened at the discretion of law enforcement following the conclusion of tailgating.

To expedite postgame traffic, North Orion Boulevard will only be open to traffic traveling from Gemini Boulevard to McCulloch Road starting at 8:30 p.m. until postgame traffic is cleared. Vehicles will not be able to enter campus from McCulloch Road during that time.

Tickets

A limited number of tickets remain for Friday’s game and can be purchased online through UCF. Season tickets are available for the remaining UCF home games. UCF faculty and staff are eligible to receive 20 percent off the ticket portion of season tickets. Many sections at Spectrum Stadium have already sold out, so don’t wait to get your seats. To order, call 407-823-1000.

Student Tickets

UCF students can claim their free ticket through Friday through UCFStudentTix.com, but please note that claiming a ticket does not guarantee entry. Early arrival to the stadium is strongly encouraged. Once students arrive at the gate, they must have their UCF student ID and mobile ticket. Student guest tickets officially sold out Tuesday afternoon.

Remember, if 50,000 students attend home games before Nov. 9, UCF President Dale Whittaker has promised to accept UCF Director of Athletics Danny White’s challenge to join in UCF Homecoming’s tradition of Spirit Splash.

Going to the Game?

#UCFansWear is looking for a blackout at Spectrum Stadium, so all Knights fans should gear up in black.

Tailgating on campus starts at 3:30 p.m.

The main act for the UCF Tailgate Concert Series presented by Pacifico is Keith Eaton, who will take the stage in IOA Plaza at 5 p.m.

Don’t forget, a clear-bag policy is in effect and it’s important to know your gate of entry. Express lanes are available for fans who don’t have any bags. These can be found in all lanes for gates 5 and 9 and some lanes in gates 12, 13 and 18. The clear-bag policy is effective for all sporting events at Spectrum Stadium. While fans are encouraged to not bring any bags, those that do can review the policy on ucfknights.com.

For additional information on game-day policies and procedures, please visit: www.UCFGameDay.com.

]]> ucf-spectrum-stadium UCF fans should wear black to Friday night's game. /news/ucf-to-launch-1st-data-analytics-and-visualization-boot-camp/ Wed, 29 Aug 2018 19:12:40 +0000 /news/?p=90162 UCF Continuing Education’s new 24-week program provides technical training in Python, JavaScript, Social Media Mining, SQL and Tableau to give graduates a competitive advantage in the big data job market.

]]> ��AV Continuing Education, in partnership with Trilogy Education, will launch its first on Sept. 11. The program provides the practical and technical skills needed to solve complex data analytics and visualization problems. Trilogy Education works with universities across the nation including University of California at Berkley, University of Texas at Austin, Georgia Tech, Northwestern and Rutgers to provide educational programs.

The boot camp is a covering specialized skills including Python, JavaScript, Social Media Mining, SQL, Tableau and Machine Learning in an immersive and collaborative . With these tools, graduates gain a competitive advantage in the job market for positions in rapidly expanding data-intensive industries such as health care, media, government and others.

Designed to , the part-time course will be taught during evenings and weekends at the of Seminole State College.

“This program increases opportunities for the Central Florida workforce,” says Todd Freece, executive director of UCF Continuing Education. “The demand for data analytic skills is skyrocketing and programs like this help grow our local talent to meet the needs of businesses expanding in our area.”

Throughout the course, students will build a comprehensive portfolio of projects showcasing mastery of modeling, forecasting and other practical skills that are desirable in this fast-growing field. The boot camp will also offer , resume assistance, portfolio reviews and technical interview training.

Students may qualify for private loans and other education funding up to the full cost of registration. UCF alumni are eligible for reduced tuition.

For information and registration, call 407-583-6750 or visit .

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