Southern Region Main Numbers

Cocoa:

(321) 433-7821

Palm Bay: (321) 433-7838

Comments from Dr. Young I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

HVAC Renovations

2

Budget Update 3

Faculty & Staff Achievements

5

Community Involvement

6

Brown Bag Luncheon

7

Staff Opportunities

7

Student Opportunities

9

Student Services 9

Faculty Article

4

Students in the News 8

New Faces 5

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“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” --Henry Ford At the end of the semester, all of us who are here in the summer will join one another in one big room for three months. It will be up to us whether this experience brings us together like one big happy family or whether we feel like we are characters in a season of Survivor. I vote for one big happy family. Of course, like all happy families, it will take patience, extra effort, respect, patience, and a commitment to each other to attain that happiness; did I mention it will also take patience?! Let’s be proactive so that we are closer to the families in The Waltons or Little House on the Prairie instead of the Simpsons or one of those scary reality t.v. shows!!!! On Fridays, Lauren and I will debrief with folks to see if there are unanticipated issues, ideas for improvement, and other constructive input to help us create a good work environment.

The Regional Campuses office is proud and excited to introduce the new Director of Advising for UCF Regional Campuses, Dr. Helen Hill. Dr. Hill is a long time UCF employee in good standing who has risen through the ranks during her tenure at the university. As an alumna, she began her UCF career in Orlando on the main campus with the College of Business as a career services clerk. She then became an advisor within the College of Business with the completion of her BSBA. Dr. Hill steadily advanced through the position of Director for Undergraduate Student Services with the College of Business. Dr. Hill makes an excellent addition to the Regional Campus team and we welcome her with open arms.

Do you have anything to contribute to the Knight News? Please email all submissions to Megan Haught at mhaught@mail.ucf.edu

Knight News Team Executive Editors: Dr. Denise Young Dr. Lauren Miller Newsletter Coordinators: Marilyn Borges Megan Haught

Welcome Dr. Helen Hill To the Regional Campuses

Our offices are personalized spaces where we can get into our groove and work effectively—places where all our things are organized and functional. Moving to a new space that has less room and less privacy presents us with a host of opportunities and challenges. In the next few weeks, start thinking about the new space—go over and visit the third floor and get a feel for the space. Visit your spot, sit in it & think through your work processes and how to set up your space. Think about what things you can do to make your own transition more comfortable and functional. Once you have your situation addressed, expand your thoughts to how we can function most effectively as a large group in our new spot, and your role in making the work environment as pleasant as possible. Despite the challenges and adjustments, I am looking forward to having the opportunity for all of us to get to know one another better. We have the advantage of moving temporarily so we know that we will soon return to our old spaces and re-enter our familiar comfort zones. Let’s use this change in our location to create some “good old days”. I can envision ten years from now when folks are saying “Remember that summer we had a communal office? That was really fun!”

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Please welcome the Building 3 HVAC Renovations for Cocoa

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From Dr. Young, The work on Building #3 to replace the heating and air conditioning systems as well as the wiring and many ceilings begins May 9th, and is projected to be completed by July 31. There will be a locked fence around Building #3 after that date. Lauren Miller and I have been working with the BCC physical plant staff and Cocoa administrators to plan and implement our temporary relocation. Dick Paradise of BCC’s Physical Plant held an information session earlier this month to which faculty and staff were invited to ask questions about the renovation process. Office space will be relocated primarily to the third floor of the library by placing desks bullpen-style in office groupings in the open space. Phone and computer connections will be provided. A limited number of study rooms will be reserved for meetings that need to be confidential. A schedule for each space will be posted on it’s door. Those wanting to use the space can add their names to the schedule. Computer lab space and testing sites for proctored exams have been arranged through BCC; work through your office manager for scheduling as needed. A few staff members may relocate or rotate to our Palm Bay site. For faculty members, we will provide several stations on the third floor of the library for checking email, conducting office hour activities such as meeting with students, and other on-campus activities. Classrooms have been selected for UCF live and M courses for the semester and have been entered into the notes section of the schedule. ITV classes will be held at FSEC. Office managers also have a copy of the schedule. Although it will be a disruption of our daily life for about 10-12 weeks, the result will be an improvement in the quality of life in Building #3. Not only will we have beautiful landscaping, we will have

heat and air that function! Maps will be available for all faculty, staff, and students showing the buildings where UCF classes will be held and indicating Faculty/Staff parking and student parking. All classes in BCC classrooms will be marked with signs listing the class information by term. We will position people to help direct students during the first week of class. Faculty members may wish to visit their classrooms prior to the first class. We hope to make this relocation as hassle-free as possible and invite your ideas and input.

Gabor A&P Excellence Awards

The award program, sponsored by The GABOR Agency, is to recognize, appreciate and celebrate outstanding job performance of a selected A&P employee. The chosen candidate for the award will be announced at the Annual Employee Awards Program in July 2008 and receive a check for $2,500. All nominations must be received in Human Resources by May 1, 2008. Eligible nominees should be considered a non-unit Administrative & Professional (A&P) employee in good standing with a minimum of one (1) year continuous university service. Nominee contributions should extend beyond those that are expected of the employee during the normal course of performing his/her duties. Nominees should demonstrate the high standards and excellence expressed in the UCF Mission, Vision and Goals. We encourage all nominators to keep these in mind when identifying individuals to be considered for this award. Nominee can only receive this award a maximum of one (1) time every five (5) years. To nominate an employee, please complete and submit a Gabor A&P Excellence Award Nomination Form which is available at http://www.hr.ucf.edu/web/employeerecognition/Gabor_Award.shtml If you have questions, or for more information, please contact Stephanie Jankowski in Human Resources - OD & Training at (407) 823-0440 or OD&Training@mail.ucf.edu.

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Please welcome the Budget Update from the Provost

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Given the news coverage of last week’s Board of Governor’s meeting, I know there is concern about the financial status of the State University System, as well as about the possibility of layoffs. Layoffs have occurred at one state university, and officials at others have indicated that layoffs could occur if state budgets continue to be cut. UCF is not considering layoffs at this time, but it is important to understand the steps that are being taken to avoid layoffs in the future. Because of the complexity of the subject, I ask that you bear with me as I try to clarify our current financial challenges and the proactive steps we are taking to address them. It is important to understand the difference between a budget cut and a reduction in cash disbursements. State universities receive state funds in cash disbursements that arrive every other week. Normally, universities receive 25% of their annual state funding each quarter of the fiscal year. However, university budget allocations are based on annual revenue projections, and the state is required to adjust cash disbursements whenever state revenues fall short of those projections. That is why on July 1, 2007, university cash disbursements were reduced by an amount equivalent to a 4% cut in annual state allocations. However, only the legislature can implement an actual budget reduction, which is exactly what happened when the legislature met in special session early in October. In doing so, the legislature simply aligned state budget allocations with the already reduced cash disbursements. Realizing that our cash disbursements had been reduced and anticipating the action that would be taken by the legislature, UCF reduced internal budget allocations by 4% on July 16, 2007. Aware of the growing shortfall in state revenues and anticipating further budget cuts this fiscal year, we also reduced college and division budgets by an additional 2% in order to provide some flexibility in dealing with budget reductions that many felt would occur later in the fiscal year. However, when the legislature met in special session during the fall, it reduced our annual state budget by 3.6%. The 6% budget reduction we implemented in July yielded $17.5 million in E&G (Education & General) funds, with approximately $9.6 million being used to cover the 3.6% state-mandated budget cut. The remaining almost $8 million was retained to address additional budget cuts anticipated this fiscal year. It now appears that this fiscally conservative, proactive step will make it possible for us to shield colleges and divisions from further budget cuts this fiscal year. It is also one reason why we are not considering layoffs at this time when other institutions are. Nevertheless, cash disbursements to SUS universities were reduced again on January 4, 2008, just as they were last July. The impact of this reduction equates to an additional 3.8% ($10.4 million) cut in UCF’s state budget allocation for this fiscal year. You may read or hear that our budget has not been cut a second time. While that statement is accurate for now, our cash disbursements have been reduced. And, since the state is facing another $1 billion revenue shortfall this fiscal year, this second reduction in cash disbursements will very likely be followed by a second budget reduction when the legislature convenes in March. Of course, it is possible that universities could be partially shielded from this second budget reduction, but we cannot count on that. The $8 million that remains from our 6% budget cut in the fall will be used, along with $2.4 million in non-recurring institutional reserves, to cover

the $10.4 million budget reduction that appears imminent. Should our portion of the budget reduction be less, we will simply retain the remaining funds in light of what lies ahead since we have been advised that state revenue shortfalls during FY08-09 will likely reach $2 billion, and the situation for FY09-10 could be even worse. Given these projections, it is unlikely that our financial situation will improve anytime soon. So, what are we doing to prepare for further reductions? If our budget is reduced by 3.8% when the legislature convenes in March, the $8 million recurring E&G funds currently being held in reserve will be depleted, along with an additional $2.4 million in non-recurring reserves. Since all state-mandated budget reductions represent the loss of recurring funds, the non-recurring reserves do not provide a permanent solution to this $2.4 million deficit. In order to replace this non-recurring temporary patch with recurring funds, each college and division will be required to reduce its FY08-09 E&G budget by an amount equal to its share of this $2.4 million deficit. In addition, each unit’s FY08-09 E&G budget will be reduced by another 2% in order to set aside funds that can be applied toward additional budget cuts that appear likely during FY08-09. College deans and division leaders are already aware of these FY08-09 reductions. Announcing these reductions now gives colleges and divisions time to determine how best to reduce operational costs while, to the extent possible, protecting faculty and staff. Unfortunately, the projected $2 billion shortfall for next fiscal year suggests we must be prepared for budget reductions that could be much greater than the 2% being withheld. As a general rule-of-thumb, each $1 billion shortfall in state revenues represents a 4% reduction in university budgets. In an effort to provide flexibility in dealing with future budget cuts of this magnitude, the University Budget Planning Committee voted to allow colleges and division to carry forward and retain all unexpended E&G funds at the end of this fiscal year. Given our constantly changing fiscal environment, all colleges and divisions have been encouraged to use these carry forward funds to provide the flexibility and time required to deal with current and future budget reductions. Using reserves for other purposes could lead to some very difficult personnel decisions in the future. Centrally held reserves are minimal and cannot, by themselves, provide this needed flexibility. College and division leaders are also encouraged to carefully consider the wisdom of filling new or vacant positions. Filling some positions, especially those that directly contribute to the success of our students, may be crucial to the operation of the unit and, thus, must be done. However, filling new or vacant positions must be carefully considered since doing so reduces flexibility in dealing with future budget cuts. Without such flexibility, and in the face of more budget cuts, layoffs may be impossible to avoid. People are every university’s greatest asset and we must do all that is possible to protect those individuals whose efforts and dedication have fueled the growth and success of the University of Central Florida. The continued efforts of all involved are needed if we are to avoid layoffs as we weather the financial challenges that lie ahead. Terry L. Hickey, Ph.D. Provost and Executive Vice President

Sent to the UCF Community via email on January 30, 2008.

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Please welcome the Faculty Article

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BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME: THE MICROCOSM

By Jerry Sublette, Instructor

Nicholson School of Communication

This is the third of a continuing series of articles, not necessarily all by the same writer, dedicated to “growing” academic programs on regional campuses.

In our opinion, an academic program does not just consist of offering the classes needed for that program. Also required are the support services and sense of community that define an academic program. From the beginning, our focus has been to provide a microcosm of the Nicholson School of Communication on the Southern Region campuses. This means, of course, that we attempt to provide everything that is provided on the Orlando campus in a manner that seems to emanate from the NSOC itself. We also have a goal of streamlining the connection between regional students and the NSOC. Course Diversity Dr. Jim Katt and I plan our course offerings so that most of the courses offered by the NSOC are provided in the region. This year we will offer 16 different courses, including all of the courses required for the Interpersonal/Organizational Communication major on both campuses. Advising Soon after our program was initiated, I realized that, because of distance, regional students did not have adequate access to our departmental advisor, Ms. Susan Jefferson. In the summer of 2003, Ms. Jefferson spent several sessions training me to act as a faculty advisor. At this time I work very closely with Ms. Jefferson, as well as the regional advisors, and I advise many of our 75 majors and 25 minors. This service also includes providing access to: • Overrides

• Applications to the NSOC

• Announcements, e.g., the Kissel Speech Contest

• Applications to the national honorary in communication

• Scholarship announcements Internship offers When Dr. Jim Katt joined the regional faculty in 2003, we were able to add to the services we make available to our students.

Internships Dr. Katt now directs several internships per semester. Honors in the Major Our region is unable to support Honors classes because of a shortage of Honors students, so the region has decided to focus on Honors in the Major. Dr. Katt has successfully directed one HIM project, and we are encouraging more students to participate in this program. Community Web Site During the most recent semester, we also debuted a community web site, Chatterbox, aimed specifically at Southern Region communication students. It contains features like student news, advisement information, academic information, a discussion forum, links to the NSOC and other university functional departments. We hope that this will help students feel more of that sense of connectedness and centrality that appears to exist on the Orlando Campus.

Department of Health Management and Information

In July, the Program in Health Services Administration will officially become the Department of Health Management and Informatics. The Department will be chaired by Aaron, Liberman, Ph.D. The Department will offer both under-graduate and graduate degrees. The graduate program in Health Services Administration Program was re-accredited last year for the maximum of 6 years (2013). The under-graduate program is the largest undergraduate program in the U.S. Because of the growth and development of programs, a Regional Campus Advisory Council was organized for the Southern Region (Cocoa Campus). The inaugural meeting of the Council was held on March 21, 2008. Chris Sorensen, FACHE, Vice President Corporate Risk Management/CCO at Health First was elected to serve as Chair of the Council. Regional Campus Advisory Council Members include the following: Gail Erentreich, Practice Manager, Hematology Oncology Associates of Central Brevard; Myron Fottler, Executive Graduate Program Director; Aaron Liberman, Professor and Chair HMI Department; Donna Malvey, As-sistant Professor HMI Department (Cocoa Campus); Brenda K. Merchberger, Chief Administrative Officer, Osler Medical (Current President of Space Coast MGMA Chapter); Bernardo Ramirez, Assistant Professor HMI Department (Orlando & Daytona Campuses); Keila Rooney, HMI Gradu-ate Student; Chris Sorensen, Risk Manager, Cape Canav-eral Hospital, Health First; Denise Young, Associate Vice President & CEO of Cocoa and Palm Bay Campuses; Adhoc Member: Larry Walters, Clinical Professor & Director of Graduate Internships

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Robert Cassanello published "Avoiding 'Jim Crow': Negotiating Separate and Equal on Florida's Railroads and Streetcars and the Progressive Era Origins of the Modern Civil Rights Movement." Journal of Urban History, 2008 34: 435-457. Marilyn Borges, Dr. Randall Brumfield, and Dr. David Harrison all gave presentations at the 94th Annual Meeting of AACRAO that was held at the Orlando World Center Marriott March 24-27, 2008. Many UCF Southern Region employees attended. Nancy Brasel co-presented at the Association for Childhood Education International Annual Conference in Atlanta on March 29th. Congratulations to Dr. Randall Brumfield for earning his doctorate in Educational Leadership. Dr. Barbara Kinsey, a professor of Political Science on the Cocoa campus, has been granted a promotion to associate professor and earned tenure. Congratulations, Dr. Kinsey, for your achievement! Dr. Denise Young was a panelist at the National Women’s History Month Career Symposium hosted by Brevard Community College and held on the Palm Bay campus on March 12, 2008. Dr. Young spoke about her career path, and the obstacles she has faced to on her way to becoming her current success in her field.

A webcast of the 2% Solution was presented at the WBCC Studio on January 30, 2008 as part of a two day long national event hosted by Focus the Nation. The program focused on the possibility of the nation to be able to cut global pollution by 2 percent each year over the next decade. The webcast can be viewed at www.earthdaytv.net. Additional information about the event, including pictures, can be found at www.ftncf.org or at the Focus The Nation website at www.focusthenation.org. Joan Morris was the organizer of the Cocoa portion of the event. Several UCF students and Dr. Young attended. At the Academic Chairpersons Conference in Orlando, February 6 and 7, 2008, Dr. Denise Young and Mr. Richard Harrison, a Reference Librarian for UCF, made a presentation titled "Preparing Faculty for Academic Leadership: The Senior Faculty Fellows Program at the University of Central Florida."

Faculty & Staff Achievements

New Faces Please join us in welcoming the new Program Assistant, Ms. Jessica Weppel, to the Enrollment services office on the Cocoa campus. Jessica has recently earned a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration at UCF, and has worked at the UCF police department for the better part of 3 years. Darlyne Egan has been hired as the new Program Assistant in the Student Services office. Welcome to the UCF Southern Region, Darlyne. Heather Heyman has joined the staff in the Cocoa Administration offices. Heather is an Elementary Education major here at UCF and is a welcome addition to the region.

Felipe Mendez has joined the Palm Bay campus as the Office Manager. In the course of his first semester among us, he has also been blessed with an addition to his family, daughter Yuseili Michelle. Congratulations, Felipe, on the birth of your daughter and welcome to the UCF Southern Region. We would like to welcome Kristina Watkins as the new Coordinator of Enrollment Services for the Southern Region.

Dr. Randall Brumfield has left the Cocoa Campus and moved over to the Orlando Campus in the

College of Business. We’re going to miss you here, Randall.

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Better Living Expo was hosted by the Better Business Council of the Melbourne-Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce the weekend of February 23rd and 24th in the Melbourne Square mall. The expo, which included displays from local businesses, was sponsored by Residence Inn by Marriott, University of Central Florida's Cocoa and Palm Bay campuses, Vita Spa Factory Outlet and Wachovia Bank. Thanks to all the staff members who helped with our booth. Nancy Brasel is working with McAuliffe Elementary through the Holmes Partnership. McAuliffe Elementary is a Holmes Partnership Professional Development School. Nancy and first grade teacher Dana Cooper worked together to develop a grant proposal related to Family Literacy activities. The grant was funded and the UCF Early Childhood majors from the Palm Bay campus have created hands-on phonics activities, developed by the Florida Center for Reading Research, to include in the literacy bags the students take home each week. Nancy Brasel is working closely with Karen Wolfe, kindergarten teacher at Port Malabar Elementary, in conducting a separate family literacy take-home bag program. Each of the literacy bags includes a selection of quality children’s literature along with suggested literacy activities for the family to complete. Children select a bag to take home each week based on their interests. The bags include multimedia format material along with suggested Internet activities for the families to try. So far the feedback from parents and students has been positive and families report participating in the literacy activities for 30 minutes to a few hours over the course of a weekend. Research has shown that students benefit academically from participating in interactive literacy activities with parents. On March 12, 2008, The Florida Office of Women in Higher Education group held its quarterly luncheon meeting in Daytona Beach, FL. Providing leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and influencing public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives, OWHE is a higher education networking organization created by women, for women. Angel Edgecombe, Angelia Jones, Shakira Guice, and Patricia O'Neal attended the event. Dr. Lauren Miller and Marilyn Borges represented UCF Southern Region at the Lead Brevard 4th Annual 4 under 40 gala, "Celebrating the Next Generation of Leaders," on February 15, 2008. Charles Viggiano, Marilyn Borges, Dr. Lauren Miller and Dr. Denise Young are working, with assistance from the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast, to reach out to the business community, the government sector and other Brevard County employers to determine if regional campuses are meeting the educational needs of those in the Brevard's workforce. They have created a questionnaire which they plan to distribute to employees at some of the area's employers, upon approval from the top executive at each organization. An article appeared in the BBN. Dr. Denise Young participated, as an evaluator, on a Community Impact Team for the United Way on April 15, 2008. The team's focus is "Strengthening Families - Addressing Domestic Violence."

Dr. Denise Young, Terry Exum, and Shakira Guice participated in the first Consortium Story Jam Event held February 4 and 5, 2008 at the Fairwinds Alumni Center on the UCF main campus. StoryJam is a creative work session designed to discover the breadth of possibilities and opportunities for a very different experience through group creativity and collaboration. Participants engaged in a facilitated creative story telling environment with fellow participants who are invested in the future of access to higher education, the Central Florida Higher Education Consortium, and DirectConnect. UCF Southern Region was also well represented at the Story Jam Follow-up at the UCF main campus on March 11, 2008. Southern Region attendees were Dr. Denise Young, Dr. Lauren Miller, Nick Pantloni, Elaine Cruz, Shakira Guice, and Jessica Weppel. Dr. Denise Young attended BCC's celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday at the Maxwell King Center Rotunda on January 22, 2008. On January 18, 2008, Dr. Denise Young attended the quarterly meeting of the Space Coast Economic Development Commission. This meeting was a walking tour of Cocoa Village which gave the participants a chance to talk with artists, musicians, dancers, actors, arts professionals and the business leaders fueling economic development, arts and culture-and more in Brevard. On March 6, 2008, Dr. Denise Young, served as Emcee at the Annual Junior Achievement Awards Dinner held at the Radisson Resort at the Port. The event was attended by almost 400 people, including Dr. Jeanne Miller, and awards were presented to George Mikitarian, the recipient of the 2008 Spirit of Achievement Award, and Bjornar Hermansen, and Scott Sorensen were inducted into the Business Hall of Fame as Laureates. Members of George Mason University visited UCF on January 9, 2008 as part of a strategic planning effort for their regional campuses. Dr. Denise Young participated in the meetings. They plan to develop common data among metropolitan universities with branch campuses. An Information Security Meeting to provide information was held on January 17, 2008 at Florida Institute of Technology. Dr. Denise Young attended. Dr. Denise Young participated in a visioning session for the strategic planning process for the new College of Nursing on January 15, 2008 held on the main UCF campus. The meeting was also attended by community leaders, educators, Advisory Board Members and others. On April 25, UCF hosted the Regional Strategy Session to Ensure Access to a Bachelor’s Degree which was a follow up to the Second Annual College Access Summit on the main campus in November. The purpose of the session was to develop a regional strategy to expand access to Bachelor degrees to Central Florida high school graduates. There were 25 attendees from Brevard County Schools, 11 from BCC and, the following from the UCF Southern Region, Marilyn Borges, Shakira Guice, Dr. Lauren Miller, Terry Exum and Ashley Harper.

Community Involvement

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Brown Bag Luncheon Series

Staff Opportunities

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Organized by the Brown Bag Luncheon Series Subcommittee which consists of Dr. Barbara Kinsey, the Department of Political Science; Donna Malvey, Health Services Administration Program; and Ty Matejowsky, Department of Anthropology • Barbara Rau Kyle, University Writing Center, Regional Campuses, presented "Encouraging Student Writing as Means to Learning" Monday, February 4, 1:00-2:00 PM Room 268, UCF-Cocoa Building 3

• Jessica Pardee, Department of Sociology, presented “When, where, and how? Understanding the Hurricane Katrina evacuation decisions of low-income women from New Orleans” Monday, February 18, 1:00-2:00 PM, Room 268, UCF-Cocoa Building 3 • Charles Viggiano, Department of Management, presented “A Win-Win: Teaching Project Management with Service- Learning” Monday, March 17, 1:00-2:00 PM, Room 268, UCF-Cocoa Building 3 • Jerry Sublette, School of Communication, presented “Establishing a Web Community for Nicholson School of Communication Southern Region Students in Order to Enhance Sense of Community” Monday, April 7, 1:00-2:00 PM, Room 268, UCF-Cocoa Building 3

Salvation Army Domestic Violence Program In partnership with the Salvation Army Domestic Violence Program, the Cocoa Women's Studies Program is developing a five-year primary violence prevention program for young males, emphasizing mentoring and male relationships, constructions of masculinity, and attitudes that lead to or perpetuate violence. The program should include a public education component. If you are interested in the program, contact Leandra Preston at lpreston@mail.ucf.edu. PeopleSoft Enhancement Effective Saturday, April 12, 2008, new password requirements will be implemented for logging in to the People First system: Employees who log in will be required to select three security questions and provide answers. These will be used to verify an employee's identity and to unlock and/or reset their password. Employees whose password expires will be required to create an eight-character, alpha-numeric password. For security reasons, passwords will continue to expire every 90 days. This system enhancement will provide a more secure online environment and allow employees to reset their password without calling the Service Center for assistance. For more information, including password guidelines and frequently asked questions, please visit Human Resources online, http://www.hr.ucf.edu/web/benefits/People%20First%20System%20Enhancement.pdf

Online Property Registration The Police department is also pleased to announce the Online Property Registration Database. Now you can register your personal property on line, in case it's ever lost or stolen. This gives UCF community members a secure area to store serial and model numbers of their property for up to 4 years. Registration site Technology Expo The UCF Computer store will be hosting a Technology Expo on the Main Campus in the Pegasus Ballroom from 10 am to 3 pm on May 14th. The event will bring top vendors from the technology sector to present and demonstrate new technologies to UCF Faculty and Staff. Door prizes will be awarded and freebies given away. Visit the Computer Store website at www.cstore.ucf.edu/ for more information. Open Enrollment for Long Term Disability Program The Benefits Section would like to announce a Special Open Enrollment period for the Group Long Term Disability (LTD) Program administered by The Gabor Agency. Open Enrollment will be held Monday, March 17 - Wednesday, April 30, 2008. To take advantage of this opportunity, complete the LTD Application and submit to Human Resources no later than 5:00pm on April 30th. Applications will be available online, http://www.hr.ucf.edu/web/benefits/Insurance%20Enrollment.pdf or through Human Resources. Completed applications can be mailed or faxed to Human Resources for processing (fax: 407.384.2863).

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Students in the News

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UCF Cocoa Nursing students participated in Pasta for Pennies in support of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. They raised a fantastic $414.35 for the society. Congratulations on the achievement. Ashley Harper, a Palm Bay student, became Secretary of Palm Bay Campus Psychology Club, earned a Regional Campus Student Government Association Scholarship, completed an Honors in the Major thesis titled: “Exploring how Pet Attachment and Existential Connectedness Influence Loneliness,” and won 1st place in Social Science I Category at the University of Central Florida Showcase of Undergraduate Research. As part of her award for winning 1st place in the this category, her poster is now exhibited in the UCF Main Campus Library (until April 30, 2008) Ashley McGrath was a recipient of the Student Government Regional Student Achievers Scholarship and received the Founder’s Scholar Award at the Founder’s Day Honors Convocation. Kathleen Portillo participated in the University of Central Florida “Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence 2008” (SURE). Kevin Palmer earned 1st place in the Social Sciences 2 Category at the University of Central Florida “Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence 2008” (SURE) for his Honors in the Major Thesis entitled “Change of Physical Context Impairs Cardiovascular Habitation to Stress.” In addition, he was the recipient of the Honors in the Major Regional Campus Scholarship (Spring 2008) as well as the Regional Campus High Achievers Scholarship (Spring 2008). He is the President of the UCF Palm Bay Psychology Club (Spring 2008) and Treasurer, UCF Palm Bay Psychology Club (Spring 2007 – Fall 2007). Mr. Palmer was a Co-author of “Outside the Loop: The Role of Students in Course Development,” which was presented at the 18th International Conference on College Teaching and Learning (2007).

Sara Stoeckel received the Founders Scholars Award for Excellence in Academic Achievement. Maria Ricci-Twitchell was a second place winner in the category of “Social Sciences II” at the University of Central Florida “Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence 2008” (SURE) with her project on the relationship between health locus control and physician support.

UCF Showcase of Undergraduate Re-search

UCF Southern Region had 3 winners at the UCF Showcase of Undergraduate Research. The first place winners for Social Sciences I and Social Sciences II and the second place winner for Social Science II were Palm Bay students who were mentored by Palm Bay faculty mem-bers Dr. Whitten and Dr. Mottarella. The Showcase of Undergraduate Research Ex-cellence (SURE) is a poster- or display-based forum for UCF undergraduates to present their research and creative projects to the broader university community. Undergraduates from all disciplines are encouraged to present current or recently completed academic projects show-casing the diversity of topics, approaches, and interests at UCF. The Showcase serves as a resource for undergraduates not yet engaged in research and creative pursuits to learn how fellow students have developed their intellec-tual interests, current projects, and faculty connections. The Showcase also demonstrates to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the greater Central Florida community that student research builds upon and enriches the UCF un-dergraduate experience.

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Student Services

U C F S O U T H E R N R E G I O N

UCF Writing Center The BCC-UCF Writing Center is again ready to provide local face-to-face writing support. Our trained peer consultants work one-on-one with the entire BCC-UCF community: graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, and staff. We are available for writing support in any discipline, on any project in or out of class, at any level of writing, and at any stage in the writing process. Please encourage your students to come early so they’ll have time to revise. We will also be glad to come and give your class or department a brief presentation about our services. Just visit http://www.uwc.ucf.edu/Faculty_Resources/facultymainpage.html and fill out a Request Form. We will be open starting Monday, January 7, on the Cocoa Campus, Building 3, Room 279. Most importantly, I invite you to make us aware of your classes’ particular writing needs. Send a copy of your syllabus and assignments so we will have them on file when your students visit us. Call or e-mail me any time, and explore our website, http://www.uwc.ucf.edu . You’ll find suggestions for using the WC, online handouts, and other resources. We look forward to hearing from you! The 2008 William MacArthur International Affairs Awards The Global Connections Foundation, in cooperation with the University of Central Florida and the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, is pleased to announce the 2008 William MacArthur International Affairs Awards Program for Central Florida. An outstanding high school student and an outstanding college student will each be awarded a $500 scholarship. A community-service provider will also be honored. Our objective is to recognize individuals who have made impressive contributions to building international awareness, understanding or connections in the greater Orlando area. Please visit our website for information on how to apply http://www.ucfglobalperspectives.org/opportunities/scholarships.php. The application deadline is May 12, 2008.

Peer Consultants Positions Our BCC-UCF Writing Center on the Cocoa campus is now established and in its second year. Student use is picking up, and we’re ready to hire more peer consultants—graduate and undergraduate—for the Fall 2008 semester. We are looking for all students from across the disciplines who like to write and who enjoy working one-on-one with other students. Our consultants participate in initial and ongoing training, so experience is not necessary. But faculty recommendation is essential, as we pride ourselves on employing UCF’s best. We offer our peer consultants valuable and challenging part-time work experience with hours that fit their schedules. Please encourage your writers to visit our website, www.uwc.ucf.edu to find out more about us. On the staff page, http://www.uwc.ucf.edu/TheConsultants/consultant_home.htm, they’ll find an online application. Password Resets Students can now reset their own passwords for the MYUCF portal, WEBCT, and Webcourses. To reset their own password the links are right under the login section of the pages. They must have their UCF ID card number to do this themselves. Upcoming Events Hula to an ‘A’ will be happening again this semester on both campuses sponsored by the SGA. Palm Bay’s event took place on Tuesday, April 14th, and is also sponsored by the Psychology Club. Cocoa’s event took place on Wednesday, April 15th.

"Bridging the Regional Divide" Regional Campuses Student Services presented "Bridging the Regional Divide" at the March 19, 2008 Student Development and Enrollment Services (SDES) professional development presentation. Staff in attendance were given an overview of the role of Regional Campuses Student Services, Regional Campuses, academic program lists for each regional campus, and student information. Expanding student access through the use of technology and new opportunities for horizontal collaboration were discussed. A copy of the presentation is available on the SDES website at http://www.sdes.ucf.edu/images/eventXtras/2008staffdev/regional3-2008.pdf UCF/BCC Spring 2008 Welcome Back Day UCF Palm Bay and Brevard Community College (BCC) Palm Bay students, faculty, and staff came out to the South Patio for the Spring 2008 welcome on February 6, 2008. The event was a UCF/BCC joint effort and was co-sponsored by UCF Palm Bay SGA and the BCC Palm Bay SGA. The purpose of the event was to welcome new and returning students, promote student involvement in clubs and activities, showcase scholarship opportunities and services to support student success, and to provide Direct Connect information to BCC Students. A Highlight of the event was the UCF/BCC resource scavenger hunt. Students who completed

the scavenger hunt competed to win UCF and BCC prizes. Refreshments included hot dogs, snacks and drinks served by BCC Student Ambassadors and staff volunteers. A total of 350 students, faculty, staff and community members attended, of that total 324 were students (20 UCF students, 322 BCC students and 2 Direct Connect Students)

Orientation Dates Spring/Summer 2008

Cocoa:

Noon to 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 9th Wednesday, June 18th

Tuesday, July 29th Monday, August 18th

Palm Bay:

Noon to 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 7th Monday, August 18th

Please contact the Student Services Office at (321) 433-7950 for more information.