The change reflects the office鈥檚 expanded mission: not only helping new Knights transition to college life, but also engaging families and supporters as essential partners in student success.

鈥淥rientation, family programming and student transition initiatives extend well beyond the first year,鈥� says Adrienne Frame, vice president for . 鈥淭he new name more clearly communicates the breadth of services our students and families can expect and better aligns with how we describe our work across the university and nationally.鈥�

The FYE name has served 麻豆原创 well for many years, but as programs grew, it no longer fully captured the scope of the office鈥檚 role. NSFP now serves as the central hub for:

• Orientation and transition programming for new students, both first-time-in-college and transfer
• Family and caregiver engagement initiatives
• Resources designed to help students thrive beyond their first year

Students, faculty and staff will begin to see the new name appear in signage, websites, and materials over the next two to three weeks.

鈥淭his transition strengthens our work to transform student aspirations into achievements and empower all students to thrive through our BEAM framework, centering belonging, engagement, achievement and meaning from the very start of a student鈥檚 journey,鈥� Frame says. 鈥淲e are excited to continue this important work under a name that fully represents who we are.鈥�

The Sept. 16-18 event sponsored by Student Development and Enrollment Services is spread out all around the university and hosted by different organizations as a way to show what it鈥檚 like to be a Knight on campus.

鈥淔amily Weekend provides an opportunity for family members to return to campus and participate in a variety of spirit-filled events,鈥� said Erin Butler, director of the First Year Experience & Pegasus Parent Program. 鈥淪tudents have been in classes for four weeks now.聽It鈥檚 a good time for family members to check in and meet new friends their student has made, hear how courses are going, and simply show love and support.鈥�

New this year is the Friday night barbecue dinner for weekend registrants, along with the outdoor showing of Disney鈥檚 The BFG on Memory Mall (hosted by the Campus Activities Board), and the 麻豆原创 Tailgate Concert Series, Butler said.

Participants also will be able to view the 10 p.m. Friday inaugural Lighting of the Spires on Knights Plaza in front of the CFE Arena. The two columns are fitted with flame bowls at the top that can emit natural-gas flames up to 10 feet.

The complete schedule and registration details are here.

The Family Weekend package of $20 plus tax and service fee covers many of the scheduled events.

Some of the events have additional prices, including the Saturday night football game against the Maryland Terrapins (weekend ticket holders get a 20 percent discount on tickets), and the Sunday night concert by Grammy-winning singer Meghan Trainor at CFE Arena. Tickets for the game are available through 麻豆原创 Athletics, and for the concert through www.ticketmaster.com.

鈥淭here鈥檚 lots going on that families can choose to participate in,鈥� Butler said.

The committee will unveil the new book selection that the incoming freshman class will read for Summer 2016 and beyond (yes, it will remain a secret until the event).

Attendees will have an opportunity to mingle with colleagues and the Common Reading Committee. Several copies of the book will be raffled off. Light refreshments will be served.

On June 28, the Pegasus Palooza Summer Bash was held at the Leisure Pool where students swam, played pool volleyball, danced to the DJ and enjoyed Jeremiah鈥檚 Italian Ice. Over 1,000 students attended; a record-breaking number for the event.

鈥淲e were so excited by the turnout; it鈥檚 a great event for students to have fun in a safe environment before the first day of classes,鈥� stated Abby Nobili, program coordinator.

The annual LINK Summer B Block Party was held on June 30 in the Academic Village Courtyard. Students had the chance to talk to representatives聽from聽over 25 different offices, spin wheels for prizes, partake in 鈥渋nebriation goggle鈥� activities and join in the Amazing Race, a campuswide scavenger hunt. The Block Party had 424 students in attendance and 12 teams participated in the race.

Both events were great starts to the six weeks of summer programming that will culminate with 鈥淟INKO鈥� on August 4.

LINKO is LINK鈥檚 fun and fast-paced version of BINGO. Students receive LINKO cards at check-in and play classic rounds of four corners, filling in a row, creating letters and more for a chance to win great prizes. First to win must stand up and yell LINKO.

For more information on LINK and upcoming events, visit:聽.

The Other Wes Moore chronicles the life of two men, both named Wes Moore, with vastly different fates. One is a Rhodes Scholar and White House Fellow while the other is serving a life sentence for murder. Over the course of the school year, students in SLS 1501 and Honors symposium will have the book infused into their curriculum, and events around the theme of the book will occur.

Join First Year Experience on October 27, 2015, at 4:30 p.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom to hear from Wes Moore himself as he addresses students and how they can make their lives a success.

For questions or suggestions about the Common Reading Program, contact: abby.nobili@ucf.edu.

First Year Experience is in the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services.

]]> /news/family-weekend-is-september-27-29/ Thu, 26 Sep 2013 18:38:32 +0000 /news/?p=53290

麻豆原创 Family Weekend is an annual tradition bringing together families and students to create memories that will last a lifetime. Student Development and Enrollment Services staff looks forward to meeting聽family and friends on Friday, September 27 to Sunday, September 29.

A variety of events are planned throughout the weekend such as: Friday Knight Welcome, Family Weekend Breakfast, Late Knights, Tour of the Health Center, Breakfast and Bigger Beds, and 麻豆原创 Football vs. South Carolina.

For a full schedule of events, visit: fye.sdes.ucf.edu/familyweekend.

The Ultimate Knight energetic and engaging program, coordinated by Emily Jensen in the Office of First Year Experience, has seen its success because of the dedication demonstrated by the student presenters. Each year, upperclassmen are selected and trained to present the information to incoming FTIC students, and each presenter has the opportunity to make their own mark on the presentation. These presenters write their stories, film videos and rehearse throughout the spring semester. Over the summer, the formal presentation is given over 34 times. Students who had the opportunity to present The Ultimate Knight have gained a life-learning experience.

Marie Gualtieri and Ryan Locco were the original student presenters in 2010. Gualtieri describes her experience, 鈥淭o present The Ultimate Knight, I feel as though you must be comfortable with who you are because you tell others your stories . . .and about the tenets and college life. The process itself was like metamorphosis for me. Reflecting upon my college experience, what I stood for, and what I wanted out of my life really did change my path for my remaining undergraduate years. I completely changed my major and had been given opportunities that I would have never imagined. I know that I have gone down a path that would have never existed if I did not present that summer.鈥�

The 2011 presenters were Chelsea Miller, Sean Simon and Joshua Wallace. Miller remembers the information she enjoyed presenting the most: 鈥淚 learned even more how to be comfortable with presenting in front of a lot of strangers. Telling real stories and really seeing people relate to them made it easier to express myself in front of the large groups. Get Diversified was my favorite tenet to present because it was one of the biggest life lessons I learned my freshmen year. I came to 麻豆原创 from a small private school, so it was a culture shock to have so many different individuals around me. I shared about how different my roommates were the first summer I was here and how through putting our walls down, we became very close.鈥�

Nick Hehr, Hayden Kaehl and Janae Mason were the most resent presenters during summer 2012. Kaehl describes the fun that they had interacting with students. 鈥淚 thoroughly enjoyed hearing the student engagements during the presentation. No two [presentations] were ever alike because of the responses that we received to questions, as well as some topics for certain students.鈥�

In the coming summer, Paulina Dubov, Robby Locco and Alison Nadelberg will present The Ultimate Knight. Their work is cut out for them, as the presentation will debut a new series of videos and presentation format. The presenters are up for the hard work though, as Locco explains: 鈥淚 am excited to present The Ultimate Knight because I want to give a presentation that incoming students will remember throughout their time here at 麻豆原创.鈥� Paulina agrees and believes that presenting The Ultimate Knight 鈥渨ill give me the opportunity to make a difference in the incoming freshman’s lives. It will be fun to share my experiences at 麻豆原创 and hopefully impact other students.鈥�

The office of First Year Experience is in the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services.

This year鈥檚 winning team proudly sprinted to the finish, with another team close behind. The second place team who had just met each other, immediately made plans to attend Knight Rave together with their VIP Passes. Shanna Davis, a previous winner, said 鈥淎fter I completed the race; I made new friends, found campus resources, and could navigate my way to class without getting lost.鈥�

The LINK Amazing Race not only helps students learn about the 麻豆原创 community by finding campus resources, but helps students build a community of fellow freshmen.

FYE, an office in the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services, hosted the LINK Amazing Race.

Through a series of themed workshops and events on topics such as healthy living or picking the 鈥渞ight鈥� major, freshmen are encouraged to become active members of the university community.

This month, 麻豆原创 freshmen are learning how to wisely manage their money. The First Year Experience (FYE) office offers a program that teaches students how to take control of their personal finances, along with tips on managing and using credit cards wisely and keeping their financial information secure. FYE works with SunTrust Bank to offer this information.

麻豆原创鈥檚 Student Financial Assistance office also informs students about scholarship opportunities and managing student loans. Its next event, 鈥淒o You Know Your Financial Aid?,鈥� will be held at 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, in room 218C of the Student Union.

鈥淭he Ultimate Knight is a great way to help students have well-rounded experiences at 麻豆原创 and learn about everything the 麻豆原创 community has to offer,鈥� says Emily Jensen, the program鈥檚 coordinator. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not too late for freshmen to get involved and become the 鈥楿ltimate Knight.鈥欌��

While January鈥檚 topic is 鈥淕et Savvy,鈥� February events will be about choosing the right major and career exploration. The month鈥檚 motto 鈥� 鈥淕et to Work鈥� 鈥� will help students start thinking about ways to build their resumes and find the careers that best match their personalities.

Upcoming events related to careers and academic majors include a Majors Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 16, in the Pegasus Ballroom and a workshop for exploring major and career options on Wednesday, Feb. 23.

You can learn more about upcoming events and see a listing of campus resources for careers and advising on the .

Other topics throughout the school year encourage students to meet with their academic advisers, get involved on campus through clubs or experiencing new cultures, contribute to global community service and lead a healthy lifestyle physically and mentally. Teaching these skills prepares freshmen to 鈥済et it all together鈥� 鈥� the overall goal for the 鈥淯ltimate Knight.鈥�

鈥淏y setting realistic goals that are achievable, students learn how to 鈥榞et it all together鈥� to become balanced, contributing members of the 麻豆原创 community,鈥� Jensen said.

Freshmen who attend Ultimate Knight events can earn LINK points 鈥� incentives from the FYE office that they can use in raffles and bids for local gift certificates, electronics and even 麻豆原创 scholarships.

Students who attend one Ultimate Knight event each month during the fall and spring semesters are eligible to submit a video or photo essay toward winning one of four $250 textbook scholarships.

Learn more about how First Year Experience opportunities and the Ultimate Knight program at .

麻豆原创 was proud to host Family Weekend from September 10 through the 12. As a new initiative, Family Weekend showcased Friday Knight Welcome, an opportunity for students and their families to gather together at the Reflecting Pond for a casual dinner.

Knightro made a guest appearance to welcome students and their families. He brought 麻豆原创 spirit to the event and a photo opportunity of remembrance to all in attendance.

Family Weekend also saw the return of the College Open House program with many colleges provided special programs for parents that showcased academic and extracurricular aspects of their college to provide insight into their areas of study.

Throughout the weekend, many student organizations provided activities. Students and their parents were able to bond while enjoying all of what 麻豆原创 has to offer. The 麻豆原创 Alumni Association and the Annual Fund collaborated to entertain over 1,000 guests at Memory Mall during tailgating activities prior to the 麻豆原创 Football game against North Carolina State.

Overall, Family Weekend was a great success and the 麻豆原创 departments and colleges look forward to continue to provide students and families great opportunities to get connected to 麻豆原创.

First Year Experience in the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services organized the event.