Officials to address state of university

This week, members of the UCF community will have a rare opportunity to hear from key officials from UCF and engage them with the issues on their mind.

On Thursday, Oct. 27, students will be able to hear directly from President John C. Hitt, Faculty Senate Chair Ida Cook and Student Government Association President Matthew McCann on what UCF has accomplished and what challenges it is tackling at UCF's State of the University address. The event will take place in the Student Union's Pegasus Ballroom at 4 p.m.

While previous events similar to State of the University have happened before, they have not occurred within the last few years. Older addresses that took place usually addressed the larger scope of the area rather than just the UCF community.

"It is a great time to speak with the UCF family," said Grant Heston, assistant vice president of UCF News & Information. "We have to give credit to President Hitt for being willing to talk and listen to the students."

Topics at the event will vary, but Heston said he predicts that tuition with consideration of the tough economy and the academic achievements of UCF will be popular subjects.

McCann agrees with Heston's projections and anticipates tough questions from the student body he's representing.

"I am looking forward to tackling major issues such as the increasing tuition," McCann said.

McCann said that despite the subject of tuition being a sore topic, he feels UCF is fortunate because it was not drastically affected by the economic crisis due to detailed planning.

"The university has done so well preparing for this tough time that UCF can continue to improve," McCann said.

Guests who attend are also invited to come to a reception following the address, giving students the opportunity to meet those involved in the UCF community.

Heston said he encourages students to attend and that this event is not one to miss.

"So much is going on at UCF that this will give people a good understanding of the future," Heston said.

McCann hopes that the event will show students how the administration is constantly working to improve the university.

"It's the only opportunity students have right now to fully understand what challenges are affecting them," he said.

For students who cannot attend, SGA will be working with the Office of Student Involvement to have the State of the University streaming live. McCann said he is excited to have multiple opportunities for students to view the address so no one can miss out on being educated about UCF.

If the State of the University is successful, McCann said he has no doubt that students can look forward to seeing the event occur again.

"By having an understanding of UCF's accomplishments, students can be proud Knights as President Hitt and I are," he said.