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UCF, Valencia Expand Access With Upcoming Shared Classroom Building
By Christine Dellert July 30, 2008
Photo: Jacque Brund
UCF President John Hitt (right) shakes hands with Valencia President Sanford Shugart at Monday's groundbreaking and celebration of their institutions' 40-year partnership.
University of Central Florida and Valencia Community College leaders broke ground this week on a shared classroom and student services building that will expand educational opportunities for students in West Orange County.
The new, 100,000-square foot facility will offer space for classrooms, computer labs, faculty offices and shared student services at Valencia’s West Campus on South Kirkman Road. Inside the three-story building, students will have access to UCF’s full baccalaureate and graduate degree programs, including nursing, electrical engineering and a professional MBA program.
“This is a very important celebration of a new idea,” UCF President John Hitt told the crowd of dignitaries and community and college leaders at Monday’s groundbreaking. Hitt also praised the 40-year partnership between UCF and Valencia and the thousands of Central Florida college students who’ve benefitted from taking classes closer to home.
Other guests of honor at the groundbreaking included state representatives Bryan Nelson, Stephen Precourt and Scott Randolph; Florida Senate Majority Leader Daniel Webster; UCF trustees Phyllis Klock, Manoj Chopra and Chair Rick Walsh; and former UCF first lady Frances Millican. Also attending were UCF Provost Terry Hickey and David Harrison, UCF’s vice provost for Regional Campuses.
“We’ve grown with the Central Florida region, both our institutions, and in many ways have led,” Hitt said.
While UCF enrolls the highest number of transfer students in the state, Valencia has repeatedly produced more associate’s degree graduates than any other two-year school in the nation.
Valencia students make up the largest number of UCF’s transfer students, accounting for more than 40 percent of transfer students to the university.
Since 2006, UCF has guaranteed access to all Valencia graduates through DirectConnect to UCF, the most productive community college-university partnership in the country. The program also offers graduates of Seminole, Lake-Sumter and Brevard community colleges assured admission to the university. UCF and its community college partners share academic programs, advising and financial aid resources to provide a seamless transition to the university.
Almost 19,000 Valencia students are currently enrolled in DirectConnect to UCF.
“There is no transfer program in any part of the country that matches what is going on here,” Valencia President Sanford Shugart said.
UCF currently offers four undergraduate degrees on Valencia’s West Campus -- Applied Science, Business Administration, Interdisciplinary Studies and Psychology, plus the junior year of Electrical Engineering -- and intends to expand its courses and programs with the increased classroom space.
When completed, the building is also expected to obtain the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification.
“The timing for this project couldn’t be better,” Harrison said. “When you consider tolls, four-dollar-a-gallon gas, it’s imperative that we come to them, because in many cases they can’t come to us.”
The new building will cost about $23 million and is slated to open in August 2009.
UCF Stands For Opportunity: The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the 6th largest in the nation with more than 48,000 students. UCF's first classes were offered in 1968. The university offers impressive academic and research environments that power the region's economic development. UCF's culture of opportunity is driven by our diversity, Orlando environment, history of entrepreneurship and our youth, relevance and energy. For more information visit http://news.ucf.edu.
