The University of Central Florida welcomed Florida Governor Charlie Crist to its new shared facility with Valencia Community College Thursday, which will serve to expand access for affordable higher education, according to Crist.
The facility, located on Valencia’s west campus, will accommodate classes offered by both institutions with more than 40 classrooms, a state-of-the-art testing center, computer labs, study rooms, faculty and staff offices and a café.
“Increasing access to higher education strengthens the overall talent of our workforce and opens new doors to economic opportunity and security,” Crist said. “This innovative partnership will provide Floridians greater opportunities to earn a wide variety of four-year degrees and ultimately achieve great things.”
About 775 UCF students began attending class at the $23 million, three-story, 100,000-square-foot facility in August. UCF Bachelor’s degrees in nursing, electrical engineering, applied science, business administration, interdisciplinary studies and psychology are offered at this new location.
Valencia’s engineering programs are also housed in the building, including programs in electrical engineering and computer engineering.
Crist praised the building for being environmentally friendly. It is 28 percent more efficient than a conventional building, which results in about $35,000 in annual energy savings, according to the governor’s office. Solar panels installed on the roof provide 10 percent of the electricity that powers the building.
