Spotlight: Downtown Campus

The Downtown Student Services team has had a game-changing year with the opening of a campus that has already become a national model. When the UCF Downtown Campus opened on August 26th, 2019, Student Affairs launched an innovative inter-departmental partnership that included the following areas: First Stop, Student Success, Student Engagement, Well-Being, and UnionWest at Creative Village Student Housing. Through the challenges of ongoing campus construction, a hurricane, and a pandemic, the Downtown Student Services team never lost sight of their mission: to serve current and prospective students and represent UCF’s vision for the downtown campus of increasing access to higher education for those who live and work in downtown Orlando. With the successful implementation of an integrated and coordinated care network that includes over 20 departments from UCF and Valencia College, who came together to serve over 30,000 duplicated contacts during the fall launch semester, we are excited about the impact we have made and the opportunities to come. The Downtown Student Services team is excited and grateful to be recognized as the SDES Team of the Year, the Outstanding Collaborative Effort Award with Valencia College, and the City of Orlando’s Golden Brick Award of Excellence.

UNIONWEST AT CREATIVE VILLAGE MOVE-IN: The new campus welcomed over 600 UCF and Valencia College students on move-in day. This community had a 97% occupancy rate for their opening semester.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT: In October, downtown student affairs staff participated in the inaugural Parramore Trick-Or-Treat event which provided candy and goodies to 400+ children of Parramore.

MARKETING CAMPAIGN: Student affairs launched a marketing campaign, it happens downtown, to increase awareness of student services and programs offered at the downtown campus. This campaign resulted in a 50% increase in student contacts.

ASSIST GRANT: Student Success secured a $40,000 ASSIST grant that welcomed a new model for inter and intrainstitution partnership. Over 20 UCF and Valencia departments were able to apply for grant monies to support this coordinated care network.