The state Board of Governors’ metrics require at least a score of 90 percent to count toward the calculations when determining the preeminence standing. The rate was based on students who entered �鶹ӳ����ý in the summer or fall of 2017.

The university’s retention rate was 89.6 percent last year, which encouraged Maribeth Ehasz, vice president of , and her team to implement Operation 90%, an initiative to push for that goal.

“This is something that has been a priority for us a long, long time,” Ehasz says. “A year ago we got close. We learned from that how important it is to keep an eye on students through the entire registration cycle.”

“This is something that has been a priority for us a long, long time.” — Maribeth Ehasz, vice president of Student Development and Enrollment Services

As a result, SDES along with its college partners reached out this year to students who hadn’t re-registered to come back to classes. The SDES staff tried to help solve any personal, financial or academic problems the students may have been experiencing, and even the college deans called students to encourage their return and to offer assistance.

“There was a continuous effort to work with the first-year students and a specific high-intensive initiative between May and September to ensure that all students who could, were registered,” Ehasz says.

The latest national retention data available, which is two years old, shows an average of 81.9 percent retention for public research universities, says Paige Borden, associate vice president of �鶹ӳ����ý’s . Using those numbers, �鶹ӳ����ý’s performance was 48^th in the nation. But calculating with the current 90.4 percent score would boost the university to 40^th, she says.

“Together, we will build on this effort to champion more student success.” — �鶹ӳ����ý Provost Elizabeth A. Dooley

The increased retention of first-year-in-college students also should help boost �鶹ӳ����ý’s future graduation rates, Borden says. The new retention rate is 3.5 percentage points higher than the rate achieved by the 2012 entry class. That 2012 class also just set a six-year graduation rate for �鶹ӳ����ý with 72.6 percent, strong enough for a Top 50 achievement nationally.

“Reaching this key [retention] milestone underscores �鶹ӳ����ý’s strong commitment to student success and our dedication to become a leading preeminent university for the 21st century,” says Elizabeth A. Dooley, �鶹ӳ����ý’s provost and vice president for . “Thanks to our faculty, staff, advisors, coaches and academic leaders for their sustained hard work that made this achievement possible. Together, we will build on this effort to champion more student success.”

Join campus leaders for an open discussion about campus safety and well-being that will start at 10 a.m. Monday, April 9, in the Cape Florida Ballroom, Room 316AB of the Student Union.

The one-hour forum will include an overview of resources available on campus and future safety enhancements. Most importantly, the forum is the place for the campus community to ask questions and offer feedback.

Panelists will include �鶹ӳ����ý Police Chief Richard Beary;��Adrienne Frame, associate vice president and dean of students; Karen Hofmann, director for Counseling and Psychological Services; and Jana Jasinski, interim vice provost for Faculty Excellence.

The event will be live-streamed on , and the recording will be posted there for those who cannot attend.

Downstairs in the Pegasus Ballroom, campus safety, health and wellness partners at �鶹ӳ����ý’s Big Blood Drive will share information and resources available to the �鶹ӳ����ý community. The drive will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donors will receive a �鶹ӳ����ý blood donor T-shirt, and donors who make an appointment will receive free OneBlood earbuds.

Pugh is a graduate of �鶹ӳ����ý’s Leadership Empowerment Program where she created her own project to both help the university and encourage community building.

She works closely with WHPS’ FreshU nutrition initiative that gives students access to healthy food options on campus and provide sustainability for those items. She thought of a golden opportunity to meet both needs for her project and benefit WHPS when she heard about Lucky’s Market, which opened in June 2016 and is only about 10 minutes away from main campus.

Pugh and the WHPS staff took a field trip last December to see what they’re all about, and a month and a half later, the partnership began.

Every Tuesday and Thursday since February, Pugh has personally loaded her storm blue Nissan Altima with hundreds of food items to deliver to the Pantry. As of Nov. 14, Lucky’s has donated 3,319 food items – 1,709 this semester alone.

“Students now have access to fruits, vegetables, baked goods, full meals, chips, peanuts, candied apples, juice, popcorn, cereals and more,” Pugh said. Students can take up to five free food items per day at the Pantry with a �鶹ӳ����ý ID.

In addition, WHPS and Lucky’s donate food items to the Creative School for Children.

Pugh also teaches a couponing class. “I always love going to her couponing classes.” �鶹ӳ����ý student Jazmine Manriquez said. “She makes the class engaging and fun. Apart from that you can tell she is really passionate for couponing, teaching others and helping them excel, too. She is sweet, funny and dedicated.”

Pugh has a passion for health education and with this new partnership and her go-getter attitude, she has made a positive impact on the �鶹ӳ����ý community.

All sessions indicated on��SARC’s��Study Union Fall 2017 Final Review Schedule��will be live streamed,��and recordings of those sessions will also be available within 24-hours via the SARC����Channel.

The center has several����and hand-outs geared toward test preparation and final exams on SARC’s��website. If your students view these online workshops, we ask that they also complete the online assessment of our services.

Upon��advanced request, SARC will facilitate access and reasonable accommodations to ensure services, programs and activities sponsored by our office are accessible. Contact��sarc@ucf.edu��to discuss accessibility for this event.

Study Union is a partnership between SARC, the Student Union and Office of Student Involvement that brings programming to the Student Union throughout finals week.��Good luck during Finals Week!

Thirteen talented students submitted art that was judged by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities staff. A second place winner was selected through fan voting on the �鶹ӳ����ý Cares Facebook page.

OSRR��thanks the �鶹ӳ����ý Parent and Family Fund for direct support with the first and second prize-an iPad Pro and iPad, respectively.

TAO Self Help��is an interactive, web-based program that provides assistance to help overcome anxiety, depression, relationships, communication and substance use concerns. TAO is based on well researched and highly effective strategies for helping those concerns. Participants can choose to view short helpful videos, take part in brief exercises, use logs to track moods and progress, and have access to a Mindfulness Library. Visit:��.

Kognito��is an aviator and simulation online tool that provides assistance to help users learn how to have a productive conversation with someone they are concerned about. The program allows the users to enter a virtual environment and engage in role-play conversations with emotionally-responsive virtual humans. Through practice and receiving personalized feedback, users learn and assess their competency to lead similar conversations in real life. Key models and techniques include motivational interviewing, shared decision-making, emotional self-regulation, empathy, empathic accuracy and reappraisal strategy. When you����and use the��Enrollment Key:��centralflorida

CAPS is also offering 30-60 minute information sessions to various departments and student groups about how TAO and Kognito can help support you, your staff, and students. To request an informational session, visit:��

Questions? Contact Teresa Michaelson-Chmelir at:��Teresa.michaelson@ucf.edu��or call 407.823.2811.

�鶹ӳ����ý’s Drug Take Back event will take place in the Student Union Atrium from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. People can anonymously drop off pills, inhalers, ointments and even pet medications.

�鶹ӳ����ý Student Health Services and the �鶹ӳ����ý Police Department, in collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, are hosting the event to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft by encouraging people to properly dispose of potentially dangerous drug. The event leads up to the DEA’s national Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, Oct. 28.

�鶹ӳ����ýPD stores the unwanted drugs until the DEA can pick them up and incinerate all collected items. Incineration is the safest way to destroy expired or unneeded drugs, keeping them out of the hands of abusers and protecting our waterways and landfills.

Permanent drug take back boxes are located on the first floor of the Student Union and in the pharmacy of the Health Center. �鶹ӳ����ý Police officers collect items from the boxes and store them until they are picked up by the DEA.

For additional information about the DEA initiative, including other local drop-off sites, visit .

For more scholarships, be sure to check out the��Scholarships web page.

Students are encouraged to submit original 2-D or 3-D artworks that represent the �鶹ӳ����ý Creed values: Integrity, Scholarship, Community, Creativity or Excellence.

This year’s theme:�� �鶹ӳ����ý Creed: Make it Shine!

Eligibility: Students currently enrolled at �鶹ӳ����ý may submit artwork. One entry per artist. No group artwork will be accepted. Art should be created so it may be displayed on a wall. Digital submissions will not be accepted. Entries will be judged on creativity and how the artwork represents the �鶹ӳ����ý Creed.

All entries are due to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities��by 5 p.m. on October 20, 2017. Submit art to Ferrell Commons, 227.

Submissions must include: Student name, year, Knights e-mail address, phone number, medium, title for the piece, and an artist statement, which includes a description of how the art connects with this year’s theme. Artwork missing these components will not be judged.

The Healthy Knights 2020 initiative is a collaboration of several Student Development and Enrollment Services’ departments as well as other campus and community partners, each contributing a component to an overall holistic healthy lifestyle.

A Healthy Knight is a Knight who takes care of their body through nutrition, physical exercise and sleep. They take care of their mental health and physical health and can recognize when they or a friend is in need of support. The��event is a chance for students to learn more about available resources and services.

This year’s Healthy Knights 2020will feature a more interactive experience with multiple stations set up for students to engage with campus partners in order to learn about their health. Some of these activities include free health screenings, free flu shots, coloring stations, demonstrations and information about all health related services available at �鶹ӳ����ý to help students be a Healthy Knight.

Demonstration topics include: self-defense, cooking, CPR, stress busters, group exercise mashups and more. Additional highlights include:

For more information about FREE flu shots from Student Health Services, visit: www.studenthealth.ucf.edu/flu. Don’t miss out on such a fun and informative event.