The UCF Report, Vol. 22 No. 4, September 10, 1999

              Volume 22 • No. 4 • Sept. 10,1999
A publication for faculty and staff
Forecasters see optics boom ahead
Central Florida's
optics industry could
grow by 25 percent a
year through 2005
Central Florida's high-tech optics
industry, already one of the
largest in the nation, is expected
to grow by 25 percent each year for
the next five years, according to a
Florida High-Tech Corridor report
released last week.
"The existence of overlapping
industries, a relatively abundant
optics labor force, access to international markets, existing optics industry infrastructure and growing university research can support a considerably larger level of industrial activity. This translates into opportunities
for the central Florida optics cluster to
grow much larger ...," notes the
report, conducted by the University
of South Florida in spring 1999.
"We have a viable industry cluster,
one of the top three optics education
programs in the country and a great
quality of life," M.J. Soileau, UCF's
vice president for Research, says.
"We have an unrealized opportunity. We need to focus on attracting
a few more major optics companies
for our region."
Some 106 optics-related companies out of a statewide total of 148 are
located in the 13 counties that stretch
from the Gulf Coast to the Space
Coast, the report concludes. Orange
County accounts for the largest share
of corridor optics firms, with 36 per-
Please see OPTICS, page 3
Jacque Brund
Take me out to the ball game
More than 40,000 football fans filled the Florida Citrus Bowl to witness UCF's
first home game against a top Division l-A school, then-No. 22-ranked Purdue,
on Saturday, Sept. 4. Despite a loss, the game set the stage for a new era in UCF
sports by bringing a top l-A team to Orlando. See pictures, page 4.
$113,000 goal
set for United
Way campaign
University officials are optimistic that faculty
and staff will dig deep into their pockets to
reach this year's record $113,000 goal for the
State Employees' Charitable Campaign.
The campaign, which benefits United Way
agencies and other organizations throughout the
world, is Sept. 10-Oct. 29. UCF employees gave
more than $105,000 in 1998's campaign.
Over the past three years, employee participation has remained at 51-55 percent. To boost participation, the university is offering an incentive.
Everyone who donates at least $52 — that's $2 a
pay period through payroll deduction — will have
a chance to win gifts from a drawing on Nov. 16.
Gifts range from two free nights at La Quinta Inn to
dinner at a number of local restaurants to campus
parking passes.
Faculty and staff wishing to make a pledge can
give a one-time gift or arrange for payroll deduction of at least $2 a pay period. Donors have the
Please see UNITED WAY, page 6
Record enrollment — and all is well
The university was
well prepared for the
32,014 students
taking classes this fall
Despite a record enrollment of
32,014, UCF isn't bursting at
the seams thanks to creative
planning.
To deal with one of the nation's
largest student bodies, there are 150
new teachers this fall, more courses,
longer Library hours and a new
building for the College of Health and
Public Affairs. Branch campuses are
teaching more students, 4,103 at last
count. And enrollment in Web-based
classes is at an all-time high, with
1,500.
"The classes are there. We've in
creased sections and faculty," says
Tom Huddleston, interim vice president for Student Development and
Enrollment Services.
The number of students taking
classes is expected to drop to between
31,700 and 31,900 — still record numbers — sometime during the semester.
But even so, that's 2,000 more than a
year ago. The combined course load
for students is a whopping 332,207
credit hours, 6.2 percent more than a
year ago, says Assistant Registrar
Paige Borden. Web-based courses
make up 4,758 of those hours, 1,950
more than in 1998-99.
UCF officials have made a point to
make sure there are plenty of classes
available for this year's 3,500 freshmen, among them 19 Merit Scholars.
Please see FALL page 2
Next issue of The UCF Report is Sept. 24 • Deadline is noon, Sept. 15
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