Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersFebruary 13, 2018

A handful of serious candidates have applied to become the next University of Central Florida president, including current UCF Provost Dale Whittaker and current or former top officials from North Carolina, Ontario and Colgate, with two days remaining before the application deadline. Of 31 candidates who have applied for the job that comes open July […]

Lloyd DunkelbergerAugust 17, 2017

Florida universities are hiring more faculty, providing more scholarships and expanding course offerings and academic counseling with a $121 million boost in funding provided by the Legislature this year. In letters to Gov. Rick Scott, the 12 state university presidents outlined plans for using their shares of $71 million in the “world class faculty and […]

Scott PowersApril 13, 2017

From the outside, BRIDG may not look like a high-tech building that Osceola County, Central Florida and state officials are counting on as a “transformation” of the area’s economy. It looks like an office building. But the BRIDG building, the first structure in the Neo City high-tech industrial park east of Kissimmee on U.S. Highway […]

Scott PowersNovember 29, 2016

A $5 million plan to add mid-block crosswalks and other improvements to pedestrian and bicycle safety in the major roads serving the University of Central Florida was unanimously approved Tuesday by the Orange County Board of Commissioners. The plan aims at making sidewalks, bike paths and crosswalks more appealing and safer for the 50,000 UCF […]

Scott PowersNovember 23, 2016

As Orlandoans gather round dinner tables with family and close friends, let us start by being thankful that those of us who can be are there to gather. Let’s give thanks for a community that found comfort, faith, and strength in each others arms during the dawn following our darkest day, and for the commitment […]

Scott PowersSeptember 22, 2016

The Florida Board of Governors has approved an ambitious five-year plan for the University of Central Florida to join the ranks of the state’s elite “preeminent research universities.” The approval Thursday means UCF has an official path to take it to enter the state’s designated realm now occupied only by the Florida’s two so-called flagship state universities, […]

Scott PowersMay 31, 2016

The University of Central Florida rehired longtime President John Hitt for another year Tuesday and kept tuition rates unchanged going into the fall 2016 semester. The UCF Board of Trustees took both actions during their board meeting at the university, praising Hitt for his now 25 years at the helm of the university and for […]

Scott PowersFebruary 29, 2016

The University of Central Florida announced Monday it has attracted another $2.5 million in private donations toward its proposed downtown campus but the university remains $7 million short of its pledge for the project. The university had pledged to the state it would raise $20 million toward the $60 million proposed downtown campus before asking […]

Scott PowersJanuary 7, 2016

The University of Central Florida’s Board of Trustees approved a plan Thursday morning to restrict its proposal for a downtown Orlando campus that had money vetoed by Gov. Rick Scott last year. But the trustees did so with no guarantees of support for the $20 million in state money it needs this year. UCF is on […]

Tag: John Hitt

UCF Provost Dale Whittaker among 31 candidates so far for presidency

Universities say new money helps with faculty, courses

Osceola officials cut ribbon on high-tech ‘molecular manufacturing’ center

Orange County Commission approves UCF pedestrian plan

Orlando’s cornucopia of thanks runneth over for area leaders

UCF gets state approval to seek upper-tier status as ‘preeminent’ research university

John Hitt will be back at UCF next year, and so will the same tuition rates

UCF gathers another $2.5 million toward downtown campus pledge, but still short

UCF trustees approve limiting plan for downtown Orlando campus