UCF News

[spenser1058]

UCF alum couple donate $10.25 million to the school - it's the largest alumni gift yet.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/school-zone/os-ucf-donation-alumni-20180907-story,amp.html

From the Sentinel

Charge On!

[smileguy]

UCF spent a hefty chunk of state money that was supposed to go to operation on capital improvements -- not good! Trustees and administration fear it will hurt the school in the upcoming legislative session... I hope this doesn't impact future investment in UCF Downtown. 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/school-zone/os-ucf-funds-misappropriation-20180913-story.html

[TRENCH]

20 hours ago, smileguy said:

UCF spent a hefty chunk of state money that was supposed to go to operation on capital improvements -- not good! Trustees and administration fear it will hurt the school in the upcoming legislative session... I hope this doesn't impact future investment in UCF Downtown. 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/school-zone/os-ucf-funds-misappropriation-20180913-story.html

people at UCFs reddit page are tearing the school apart over this lmao

[spenser1058]

Elizabeth Dooley selected as Provost - First African-American woman in the role:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/school-zone/os-ne-ucf-provost-20181003-story,amp.html

From the Sentinel

[HankStrong]

It will be nice when we can finally reach a point where you don't have to refer to someone as the female ____, or the gay ____, or the Asian ____, or the black ____, or the Hispanic ____.  Sadly, those days are still far too real today.

It's nice to see the diversity and I'm 100% happy to hear it, but at the same time it is sad that you have to acknowledge the diversity because it is still so rare.

[spenser1058]

UCF wins a national cybersecurity competition. Our nerds rock just like our jocks!

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/school-zone/os-ucf-cyberforce-competition-20181204-story,amp.html

Charge On!

[spenser1058]

President Emeritus Hitt goes rogue over Colbourn Hall audit - Chairman Marchena fires back:

http://knightnews.com/2018/12/hitt-goes-rogue-past-president-contradicts-current-ucf-leadership-ties-it-to-colbourn-hall-controversy/

From Knight News 

Uh-oh.

Edited December 23, 2018 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

The latest on Trevorgate from the Sentinel. Now it seems lots of folks knew about it (including current president Whittaker) but didn’t know it was a no-no.

Stay tuned.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/school-zone/os-ucf-law-firm-report-advance-20190117-story,amp.html

[spenser1058]

Trevorgate results in the termination of four additional administrators. President John Hitt’s consulting contract is also ended (although it’s unclear if the move is related to the scandal).

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/school-zone/os-ucf-law-firm-report-advance-20190117-story,amp.html

From the Sentinel 

Current president Dale Whittaker is said to have signed off on the project but supposedly did not realize that would run afoul of state guidelines.

It will be interesting to see if the Legislature accepts that conclusion.

Edited January 21, 2019 by spenser1058

[dcluley98]

Yeah, I was reading this. Interesting to see the effects it may have on future construction funding, say for instance, the future funding of more CV buildings. Given that this was primarily a financial/accounting violation, I would think the the facilities construction department would still have it's normal funding in place for future construction projects, however, every decision will be subject to much more scrutiny in the future. 

[spenser1058]

Of course, as Scott Maxwell at the Sentinel has pointed out, the Legislature is hardly in any position to place blame for shifting funds from one bucket to another. At least since the day the Florida Lottery was established and the Legislature promised it would be an “enhancement” to education rather than a substitute for then-current funding. Of course, they did exactly the opposite.

”Pot calling Kettle, Line 1, please.”

[TRENCH]

misused money for a building that only about 8% of the student body will use, a hotel is magically being built, and still no money for more parking garages or put cameras in the existing ones 

[spenser1058]

Trevorgate is growing as UCF Board of Trustees Chair Marcos Marchena steps down:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange/os-ne-ucf-board-chairman-marcos-marchena-resigns-20190131-story,amp.html

From the Sentinel 

[spenser1058]

BREAKING NEWS: President Dale Whittaker is offering to resign in the wake of Trevorgate.

This comes after a House committee cancelled a hearing of UCF officials involved.

Stay tuned:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-ne-ucf-president-dale-whittaker-resignation-20190219-story,amp.html

From the Sentinel 

[spenser1058]

And the resignation is official:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-ne-ucf-president-dale-whittaker-resignation-20190219-story,amp.html

From the Sentinel 

[spenser1058]

Dr. Whittaker’s resignation after such a brief time takes us back to the brief tenure of Steven Altman, the president between Trevor Colbourn and Dr. Hitt.

While the current case relates to financial skullduggery, Altman fell to a mini-sex scandal that seemed to be a case of a behind the scenes effort to railroad him out of the job.

In any event, while Dr. Whittaker has always seemed to me a good man with an interest in the students, I wonder if a fast-growing university like ours that’s only begun to establish its bona fides for the top tier of US schools, might need someone a bit more hard-charging in the top seat.

Fundraising at UCF has also been less than gangbusters for a school our size. Perhaps this provides an opportunity to address those shortcomings.

Academics are indeed key, but that just requires the president to make sure he or she has a top notch staff monitoring the university’s quality.

Edited February 19, 2019 by spenser1058

[bqknight]

I am absolutely furious with this whole situation. Not the “misspending” of money - which is a joke to begin with but the absolute obsession of wanting to destroy UCF. 

This is a waste of time and resources and is damaging one of the driving forces behind Central Florida’s growth. 

 

[TRENCH]

Whittaker looked like a promising president and everyone liked him, but we'll never know how involved he was knowing if those funds were being used correctly or not (I want to believe that eh didn't, but sign show that eh was complicit)

im just annoyed that half of the campus is brand new while the more important parts are decaying and falling apart. I spent 30 mins (new record for me) looking for parking at the largest garage on campus while the 4th floor of the library has old furniture and the bathrooms have mold. Valencia West Campus is outshines 10x some of UCF's physical standing.

I do not know much of how budgeting goes for the school but for me its a statement that they use it on whatever. The hotel being built  in the front may be payed by a private entity but to outsiders its an exclamation if where the priorities are really set. 

I'm uneducated on how budgeting the school, works once again, so this is just based on my un-researched observations and impressions 

 

and idk whats with Tallahassee trying to shut down the school, its not like they stole money from the US Treasury in a heist to build a playground

Edited February 20, 2019 by W7edwin

[aent]

3 hours ago, W7edwin said:

Whittaker looked like a promising president and everyone liked him, but we'll never know how involved he was knowing if those funds were being used correctly or not (I want to believe that eh didn't, but sign show that eh was complicit)

im just annoyed that half of the campus is brand new while the more important parts are decaying and falling apart. I spent 30 mins (new record for me) looking for parking at the largest garage on campus while the 4th floor of the library has old furniture and the bathrooms have mold. Valencia West Campus is outshines 10x some of UCF's physical standing.

I do not know much of how budgeting goes for the school but for me its a statement that they use it on whatever. The hotel being built  in the front may be payed by a private entity but to outsiders its an exclamation if where the priorities are really set. 

I'm uneducated on how budgeting the school, works once again, so this is just based on my un-researched observations and impressions 

 

and idk whats with Tallahassee trying to shut down the school, its not like they stole money from the US Treasury in a heist to build a playground

See the thing is ucf has been requesting money to repair or replace colbourn hall for over a decade. It was becoming dangerous and they couldn't get funding for it, do they tried to do something creative to get it done. Even if he did know about it, money for education was spent on fixing an unsafe educational facility. No accusations of money being stolen. No vacation on tax payers dime. They are being entirely inappropriate

[spenser1058]

A more balanced look at the culture that led to Trevorgate occurring without all the heavy breathing from the media:

https://www.chronicle.com/article/Spend-Build-Repeat/245740

From the Chronicle of Higher Education 

A point it makes that I’ve been wondering about is that checks and balances began to slide in the final years of Dr. Hitt’s 25+ year presidency.

As we address a possible referendum in November on term limits for Orlando mayors (each of whom since Carl Langford have had less than positive runs after the first couple of terms), this seems to provide another case study of what happens when the leader just stays too long.

I’ve never supported term limits before (in legislative terms, experience  provides continuity and important institutional wisdom), but I’m beginning to think they may be vital in executive positions.

Edited February 21, 2019 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

UCF’s Board of Trustees has accepted President Dale Whittaker’s resignation. The provost will become the acting president, giving the school its first African-American woman at the helm.

Meanwhile, longer term, it’s interesting to ponder that Job 1 is probably to repair ties with the legislature. How ‘bout..... former senator Buddy Dyer?

[TRENCH]

20 hours ago, aent said:

See the thing is ucf has been requesting money to repair or replace colbourn hall for over a decade. It was becoming dangerous and they couldn't get funding for it, do they tried to do something creative to get it done. Even if he did know about it, money for education was spent on fixing an unsafe educational facility. No accusations of money being stolen. No vacation on tax payers dime. They are being entirely inappropriate

yeah I def. agree, although I never went inside the building, ive heard people complain about the building and its horrible despair. its just unfortunate that the uni had to get "creative" in the first place because the higher ups ( the college boards in Tallahassee if im not mistaken) didn't bother to allocate money to that specific building which was a health problem. that action or lack thereof tells me they (the people allocating money) wanted rather to get sued by OSHA and families of students and pay that settlement money over breathing mold  rather than just dropping money on a renovation or new building.  in the end the overblown drama is a bit ridiculous like you said, it wasn't wasted on vacations or side pieces like that "other guy" who got fired in the 90s 

[orlandouprise]

Buddy for Prez of UCF,and Dale for mayor of Orlando? 

[TRENCH]

Former UCF employee claims Whittaker lied on Iowa State presidential résumé 

http://www.nicholsonstudentmedia.com/news/former-ucf-employee-claims-whittaker-lied-on-iowa-state-presidential/article_a1c7baca-3712-11e9-a65d-030524e9e126.html

[spenser1058]

Once again, Scott Maxwell is the voice of sanity when it comes to the clown car that is the Florida House:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/taking-names-scott-maxwell/os-op-ucf-scandal-florida-universities-scott-maxwell-20190301-story,amp.html

From the Sentinel