What It Does: It provides a healthy learning environment with research support to help foster innovation and drive excellence across all programmes.
Mission: UCF aims to foster excellence and innovation through clear-cut, research-based, and all-encompassing academic programs to create leaders from diverse heritage.
Size and Presence: UCF currently employs around 12,000 employees on 10 regional campuses in the United States.
Best known for: UCF is popular for its support for innovation and social mobility giving learners and employees freedom and flexibility to grow and evolve in a changing world.
The good bits: UCF boasts excellent research facilities and an intimate yet spacious environment that lets workers meet and collaborate on several projects while maintaining their personal space.
The not-so-good bits: At times, employees at UCF might have to handle workloads with multiple duties to be performed at once.
“We choose to go to the moon” were the words of John F. Kennedy’s speech in 1962 which birthed the University of Central Florida. In 1963, UCF was founded to become a haven for talents in Central Florida and a growing crop of learners in the United States. The site for the institution - 4 km2 along Alafaya Trail was purchased for around $500,000 in 1964 with Florida residents donating an additional 227 acres and $1 million in support funds.
Around 1978, the institution began branching out to other fields of interest aside from technology so it began to develop robust arts, education, and business programs. The development of these programs was championed by Trevor Colburn, the University’s second president.
At the time of its inception, the institution was named Florida Technological University but with its expansion into other fields of study, its name was changed to the University of Central Florida in December 1978. Trevor Colbourn also facilitated the development of the honors program and the creation of satellite campuses.
More than five decades since its founding, the University of Central Florida has awarded over 150,000 degrees, becoming among the fastest-growing universities worldwide.
Three bold words of innovation, collaboration, and inclusion drive the work culture at UCF. The institute aims to create an attractive environment for talented minds and one where they enjoy room to grow and develop.
At UCF, students, employers, and the community are influenced by these principles and given clear expectations through which they apply these principles. Every aspect of collaboration from education to research and philanthropic engagements is supported in the institution helping them enjoy lifelong productive partnerships.
The vibe at UCF is friendly and collaborative with the atmosphere relaxing enough to let employees enjoy their own space and active enough to keep their chain of innovation going.
Recruitment at UCF is a strategic process that allows the university to hire talents and integrate them into its inclusive and innovative work culture. The first step in the recruitment process for graduates and interns requires a search for roles that suit them with minimum qualifications.
Perspective graduates and interns are then required to fill in applications highlighting their qualifications and cultural fitness for roles in the institution. After completing the applications, candidates that best suit the job requirements are passed on for a selection process.
In the selection process, there are three processes for selecting qualified graduates and interns. These processes are; interviewing and candidate evaluation.
Finally, selected candidates are offered employment in an innovative institution and taken through a proper onboarding process. This process educates graduates and interns on the opportunities their roles provide and how best they can apply themselves.
For over 50 years, the UCF has been synonymous with innovation and continuous improvement of its employees, students, and the community. UCF provides freedom for innovation that allows its employees to collaborate on diverse projects that improve their portfolio and improve the world.
The UCF’s Faculty Cluster Initiative provides a fertile ground for graduates and interns to participate in interdisciplinary projects. These clusters drive community change at a rapid pace giving the university room to embark on diverse projects at once.
They also offer a safe landing for intern and entry-level graduates providing them with collaborative opportunities to help them launch their careers.
Average remuneration at UCF lies at around $64,464 annually while interns earn around $21,215 per year.
Located in the beautiful city of Orlando, UCF makes philanthropic contributions through the UCF foundation. The institution provides room for donors to make scholarship contributions toward providing quality tertiary education to impoverished students.
UCF has been involved in its fair share of controversial issues, one of which involved a student obtaining a doctorate via alleged bribery. It was claimed that the student in exchange for a doctorate offered to get the people to grant money.
The institution announced that it would revoke the decree and fire the workers involved. Despite the prompt action of the institution, the case still put a dent in the college and the institution at large.