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UF offers free online courses to students displaced by hurricanes in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands

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The University of Florida is offering free courses through UF Online to assist college students displaced by Hurricanes Maria and Irma in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Undergraduate students displaced from select colleges and who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents may enroll as non-degree seeking students in UF Online courses for the spring 2018 term and/or the summer 2018 term(s) at no charge for tuition and fees.
UF anticipates being able to handle 1,000 students through the program.
“I’m proud that the University of Florida is helping Puerto Rican students continue their education online as Puerto Rican families work to rebuild their lives following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria,” Gov. Rick Scott said. “We are doing everything we can to help them throughout this process, and we will continue to work together to make sure Puerto Rican families have all the support they need to rebuild their lives.”
Said UF Provost Joe Glover: “The devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Maria is almost unparalleled. We hope this opportunity will help some of the people in the affected areas begin to rebuild their lives and will assist in the progress toward restoring a sense of normalcy for students from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.”
The listing of courses that will be offered by UF Online during spring 2018 can be found HERE. To apply and for more information, CLICK HERE.
Students will be expected to provide some evidence they were/are enrolled in one of the schools listed below. Examples of acceptable evidence include: student ID card, a bill from their school for housing, and/or tuition, a transcript, etc. It should be noted that all UF Online courses are taught in English.
Upon request, effective in fall 2018, undergraduate students from Puerto Rico and/or the U.S. Virgin Islands will be considered for degree-seeking status in UF Online at normal UF Online tuition (75 percent of the resident in-state tuition with reduced fees) as degree-seeking students provided they were degree-seeking students in good standing at four-year colleges and/or universities in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands and provide appropriate documentation by August 30, 2018.
UF will evaluate what credits can be transferred from the student’s former institution to the student’s UF transcript.
Students may also continue as non-degree seeking, paying the UF Online in-state rate, with no additional documentation required through the fall 2018 term. A list of programs available through UF Online can be found HERE.
Credits earned may be transferred to other public institutions in the state of Florida if the student becomes enrolled there as a degree-seeking student, since the UF Online courses offered are all part of the state wide common course inventory.
The credits earned may be transferable to universities in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and other states, but that determination will be made by the individual universities.
List of Institutions: Puerto Rico
Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico
San Juan, PR
Inter American University of Puerto Rico:

  • Aguadilla Campus, Aguadilla, PR
  • Barranquitas Campus, Barranquitas, PR
  • Bayamon Campus, Bayamon, PR
  • Fajardo Campus, Fajardo, PR
  • Guayama Campus, Guayama, PR
  • Metropolitan Campus, Rio Piedras, PR
  • Ponce Campus, Mercedita, PR
  • San German Campus, San German, PR

Universidad Metropolitana
San Juan, PR
University of Puerto Rico: Aguadilla
Aguadilla, PR
University of Puerto Rico: Arecibo
Arecibo, PR
University of Puerto Rico: Carolina Regional College
Carolina, PR
University of Puerto Rico: Cayey University College
Cayey, PR
University of Puerto Rico: Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR
University of Puerto Rico: Ponce
Ponce, PR
University of Puerto Rico: Rio Piedras
San Juan, PR
University of Puerto Rico: Utuado
Utuado, PR
List of Institutions: U.S. Virgin Islands
University of the Virgin Island
St. Thomas

National Policy Institute’s Richard Spencer speaking engagement confirmed for Oct. 19 at UF

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Despite not being invited by the University of Florida, National Policy Institute’s President Richard Spencer is scheduled to speak on October 19 on campus.
Although UF leadership has denounced Spencer’s white supremacist rhetoric, the University, as a state entity, must allow the free expression of all viewpoints.
The NPI has rented space for an event, now scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 3201 Hull Road, on the UF campus in Gainesville.
The NPI had previously requested a date of Sept. 12 to speak on campus, which UF denied based on specific security threats. Rescheduling the event has provided additional time to make security arrangements.
The University is charging the allowable costs of $10,564 to rent the facility and for security within the venue. Additional security costs cannot be passed on to NPI.
Since safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus is the University’s top priority, UF will end up paying at least $500,000 to enhance security on campus and in the city of Gainesville. This includes costs from the University of Florida Police Department, Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol and other agencies who are providing first responders.
In an effort to keep the campus apprised of important information, UF has launched an informative web page, freespeech.ufl.edu.

Unique gene therapy prevents, reverses multiple sclerosis in animal model

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Multiple sclerosis can be inhibited or reversed using a novel gene therapy technique that stops the disease’s immune response in mouse models, University of Florida Health researchers have found.

By combining a brain-protein gene and an existing medication, the researchers were able to prevent the mouse version of multiple sclerosis. Likewise, the treatments produced near-complete remission in the animal models. The findings, which researchers said have significant potential for treating multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders, are published today (Sept. 21) in the journal Molecular Therapy.

Multiple sclerosis affects about 2.3 million people worldwide and is the most common neurological disease in young adults. The incurable disorder starts when the immune system attacks the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers, making them misfire and leading to problems with muscle weakness, vision, speech and muscle coordination.

The researchers used a harmless virus, known as an adeno-associated virus, to deliver a gene responsible for a brain protein into the livers of the mouse models. The virus sparked production of so-called regulatory T cells, which suppress the immune system attack that defines multiple sclerosis. The gene was targeted to the liver because it has the ability to induce immune tolerance.

“Using a clinically tested gene therapy platform, we are able to induce very specific regulatory cells that target the self-reactive cells that are responsible for causing multiple sclerosis,” said Brad E. Hoffman, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the departments of pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Florida College of Medicine.

The protein, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, was found to be effective in preventing and reversing muscular dystrophy on its own. A group of five mouse models that received the gene therapy did not develop experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, which is the mouse equivalent of multiple sclerosis in humans. In another experiment, all but one mouse model showed a significant reversal of the disease eight days after a single gene therapy treatment.

Hoffman said he was also encouraged by the treatment’s longevity. After seven months, the mouse models that were treated with gene therapy showed no signs of disease, compared with a group of untreated mouse models that had neurological problems after 14 days.

When the protein was combined with rapamycin — a drug used to coat heart stents and prevent organ transplant rejection — its effectiveness was further improved, the researchers found. The drug was chosen because it allows helpful regulatory T-cells to proliferate while blocking undesirable effector T-cells, Hoffman said.

Among the mouse models that were given rapamycin and the gene therapy, 71 percent and 80 percent went into near-complete remission after having hind-limb paralysis. That, Hoffman said, shows the combination can be especially effective at stopping rapidly progressing paralysis.

While researchers have established how gene therapy stimulates regulatory T cells in the liver, Hoffman said little else is known about the detailed mechanics of how that process works.

Before the therapy can be tested in humans during a clinical trial, further research involving other preclinical models will be needed, Hoffman said. Researchers also need to target the full suite of proteins that are implicated in multiple sclerosis, he added.

Still, Hoffman said he is extremely optimistic that the gene therapy can be effective in humans.

“If we can provide long-term remission for people and a long-term quality of life, that is a very promising outcome,” he said.

The research was funded by grants from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the National Institutes of Health and the Children’s Miracle Network.

UF first in Florida to crack U.S. News list of top 10 best public universities

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The University of Florida has become the first Florida school to break into the list of top 10 best public universities, coming in at No. 9, according to the 2018 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings released today.

Among all universities both public and private, UF is now tied with the University of California, Irvine, the University of California, San Diego, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. All four schools were ranked No. 42 overall.

Now the state’s highest-ranked university, UF last year was ranked No. 14 among publics and No. 50 overall.

“This is a significant milestone that we can all be proud of, and it happened as the result of many years of focused work and a keen sense of purpose,” UF President Kent Fuchs said. “Our faculty – the core of our academic reputation – and staff deserve tremendous credit for lifting us up to get us here, as do previous leaders, particularly Bernie Machen, and UF’s Board of Trustees. We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Legislature, Gov. Rick Scott and the Board of Governors for their continued support to ensure that the nation’s third most-populous state has the world-class university it deserves.”

The U.S. News rankings are based on up to 15 key measures of quality that are used to capture the various dimensions of academic quality at each university. The measures fall into seven broad areas: undergraduate academic reputation; graduation and retention rates; faculty resources; student selectivity; financial resources; alumni giving; and graduation rate performance.

Factors that helped UF’s ranking improve this year include:

  • Undergraduate academic reputation – Created from an annual survey of college and university presidents, provosts and admissions officers as well as high school guidance counselors. Each individual is asked to rate peer schools’ undergraduate academic programs on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5 (distinguished). It counts for 22.5 percent of each school’s overall score. UF’s score in that category this year was 3.7, up from 3.6 last year.
  • Selectivity – A function of how many student applicants a school admits each year and students’ SAT and ACT scores and high school class standings. It accounts for 12.5 percent of the total; UF’s score was up seven points from 54 last year to 47 this year.
  • Graduation rate performance – A comparison between the actual six-year graduation rate for students entering in fall 2009 and the predicted graduation rate. The predicted graduation rate is based upon characteristics of the entering class, as well as characteristics of the institution. UF’s score rose four points this year over last year, in part because U.S. News this year began factoring in the percentage of STEM (science, technology, math and engineering) graduates into its calculation.

Fuchs extended congratulations to the other Florida schools that saw their U.S. News rankings improve this year: Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida and Florida International University.

UF’s quest to become a top-10 public research institution officially began in 2013, when the Legislature passed, and Scott signed, a bill designating it a preeminent university and providing special funding to be used for helping it reach top status. Florida State University also received the preeminent designation.

UF has since used preeminence funding to hire more than 100 senior leading faculty from all over the world. Earlier this year, the university announced a plan to increase the faculty by an additional 500 members to continue to increase research excellence and reduce class sizes.

Many new UF researchers have cited the school’s exceptional breadth of disciplines and the numerous opportunities for collaboration that brings as a reason for coming to work at the university. UF is one of only six universities in the country with colleges of law, medicine engineering, agriculture and veterinary medicine on one campus.

Fuchs said UF alumni – half a million strong – and friends represent one of the strongest and most loyal communities in the world and should be especially proud. He also offered his thanks to university leaders around the country for their votes of confidence in UF.

“We have benefitted greatly from their wise advice and sage counsel,” he said.

While he welcomed the new ranking, Fuchs said the university’s work is far from done.

“Now is the time to double down,” he said. “We have the talent, the collective will and the means to keep moving up. We owe it to our students and the people of Florida to be the very best public research institution we can be.”

Florida universities move up in U.S. News & World Report rankings

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University of Florida and Florida State University each vaulted five slots in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, with UF earning the No. 9 spot and FSU landing at No. 33. The jumps in the rankings mark significant achievements for both institutions, with UF meeting its long-standing goal of breaking into the prestigious list of Top 10 public universities and FSU making remarkable progress toward its goal of landing in the Top 25. University of South Florida, University of Central Florida and Florida International University also moved up in the rankings, landing at No. 68, No. 90, and No. 122, respectively.
The rankings appear in the “Best Colleges 2018” guidebook by U.S. News & World Report and are based on widely accepted indicators of excellence, including undergraduate academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving.
“Over the past several years, the State University System has made a real push to align its degrees with the state workforce, increase its prominence in research, and improve the quality of our universities,” said Tom Kuntz, chair of the Board of Governors. “After U.S. News & World Report recently named Florida the top state for higher education in the country, it’s good to also see our individual institutions recognized.”
Florida has aggressively sought to improve the quality of its universities, with the Governor and Legislature implementing an initiative known as “Preeminence,” which strengthens the national reputation of Florida’s universities by providing resources for world-class faculty, improved student-faculty ratios, and more. Additionally, the Board of Governors incentivizes improvement through its nationally recognized performance funding model, which directs money to the universities based on student outcomes. In the past five years, the System’s graduation rate improved by 5.3 percent, the retention rate improved by 3.4 percent, and the number of students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) increased by 31 percent.
“The Board of Governors, through performance funding and other initiatives, has helped define what it means to be a Florida university,” said Marshall Criser III, State University System chancellor. “Above all, it means a focus on outcomes and an absolute commitment to student success.”
Even while enhancing its national reputation, Florida has maintained its status as one of the most affordable states in the country to achieve an education, with the average cost of earning a bachelor’s degree less than $15,000 after financial aid is included. Furthermore, University Work Plans, in which institutions lay out their future financial goals, indicate that universities are expected to decrease their prices further in the coming years, cutting the student cost per degree from $14,820 to 14,090 by the 2019-2020 school year.

University of Florida prepares for possible National Policy Institute speaking engagement Oct. 19

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The University of Florida is evaluating a request from the National Policy Institute to schedule a speaking event on campus for its president, white supremacist Richard Spencer, and is now considering a possible date of Oct. 19.
UF remained firm in its decision to deny space for an event on Sept. 12. However, this group has made a request for a new date. As a public institution, UF is required by law to make a good faith effort to provide options for a reasonable date, time and campus venue, no matter how much we detest the points of views expressed. As with any event, we also have a responsibility to assess safety and security risks, and will continue to do so until the event.
The university has set Thursday, Oct. 19 as the possible event date. We will now begin with the university’s regular protocols for evaluating the risks and associated costs. The university has been meeting daily for the past month with state, local and federal law enforcement agencies on a comprehensive campus and community security plan. The Oct. 19 date is not official until we are satisfied that we can avert safety risks, and that a formal facilities contract is signed and all appropriate rental and security costs have been paid.
UF deplores Spencer’s and the National Policy Institute’s rhetoric and views, which run counter to those of this institution. We also acknowledge that many of our students, faculty and staff are disproportionately impacted by their racism.
While this event is not in any way affiliated with the university, UF supports the constitutional right to free speech, and our role as a public university includes legal obligations to allow a wide range of viewpoints to be expressed by external groups – even when they are contrary to the core values of our university.

University of Florida announces closures Sunday and Monday due to threat of Hurricane Irma

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Due to the threat of Hurricane Irma, the University of Florida’s main campus in Gainesville will be closed on Sunday, Sept. 10 and Monday, Sept. 11. Only needed essential university personnel should report for work.
UF is currently scheduled to reopen and resume classes and normal operations on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The official site for university hurricane information is the UF home page.
Information on student services, including safety and dining will be announced later today and distributed to students. Depending on the hurricane’s projected impact, campus shelters may be opened for students, faculty and staff, and their family members.
UF Health clinical and core service personnel are asked to check with their supervisors as to whether they should report to work and provide support to the academic health center for emergency operations.
UF/IFAS personnel outside Gainesville should adhere to their county government guidelines on closing. Personnel in other UF programs outside of Gainesville should consult their supervisors.
P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School is also closed Monday, and is operating on the same schedule as Alachua County schools.
Notices of any scheduling changes can be found through a link on the UF home page or on the information line at 866-UF-FACTS or 866-833-2287.
As a reminder, students and employees in need of immediate assistance should dial 911. Students may also contact U Matter We Care at [email protected] or by calling (352) 294-CARE (2273). Employees may call the Employee Assistance Program at (352) 392-5787.

Ahead of UF-Michigan game in Dallas, UF president urges Gator family to help Hurricane Harvey victims

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As residents of coastal Texas continued to grapple with widespread catastrophic flooding and other impacts from Hurricane Harvey, University of Florida President Kent Fuchs today urged the UF community to offer storm victims much-needed assistance.
Fuchs made the appeal as the Gators football team prepares to play its season opener in Dallas on Saturday against the University of Michigan.
Harvey, now a tropical storm, made landfall Friday near Corpus Christi as a Category 4 storm and has inundated Houston with unprecedented rainfall. Some predictions call for the area to receive up to 50 inches by the time the storm leaves the area later this week.
Among those affected are 27 UF Online students, including eight in the counties declared federal disaster areas, and potentially the families of nearly 500 UF students who call Texas home.
In keeping with the wishes of governmental and emergency officials in the areas hit hardest, Fuchs encouraged Gators to make financial contributions to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
“It is so important to remember during difficult times that while we embrace competition on the field, we all become one team whose goal is to help one another,” Fuchs said. “Today, we are all Texans. That’s truly what the Gator Good is all about.”

Florida consumer sentiment down slightly in August

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Consumer sentiment among Floridians dropped 1.2 points in August to 96.5. Among the five components that make up the index, one increased and four decreased.
Respondents’ overall views of their personal financial situation now compared with a year ago ticked down one-tenth of a point, from 88.2 to 88.1; however, there was a split by gender, with the reading rising 4.8 points for men but dropping 4.7 points for women.
Opinions about whether now is a good time to buy a big-ticket household item such as an appliance dropped one-tenth of a point, from 102.8 to 102.7.
“In the last two months, July and August, Floridians’ perceptions of present economic conditions shifted slightly downward; nonetheless, they remained 2.6 points higher than the average over the last 12 months,” said Hector H. Sandoval, director of the Economic Analysis Program at UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
Expectations of personal finances a year from now increased two points, from 103.8 to 105.8. Anticipated U.S. economic conditions over the next year decreased 1.8 points, from 98.1 to 96.3. Expectations of U.S. economic conditions over the next five years showed the largest drop of any reading this month, falling 6.1 points from 95.8 to 89.7. These three components indicate opinions about future economic conditions.
“Most of the pessimism in August stems from negative expectations regarding the national economic conditions in the long run. It might be the case that consumers remember their experience a decade ago when the earliest signs of a weakening economy began to appear, and they may be expecting a repeat of the cycle. This may be reflected in the latest trends of the three ‘expectations’ components of the index,” Sandoval said.
Sandoval noted that despite the overall decline in the index, people 60 and older consistently reported very high consumer sentiment. “In particular, they hold positive views regarding their personal financial situation compared with a year ago and are very optimistic about their personal finances in the short-run,” Sandoval said.
He added, “Those with income under $50,000, however, reported negative perceptions and very unfavorable expectations. In fact, most of the pessimism came from those with income under $50,000, who held unfavorable expectations about the national economic conditions in the short and long run.”
Various reports indicate that both the U.S. and Florida’s economies are performing well and their prospects for 2018 remain good. In Florida, jobs have been added on a monthly basis over the last seven years. Florida’s job gains were led by construction, education and health services, and professional and business services industries.
In July, the unemployment rate in Florida remained unchanged from June at 4.1 percent. That number is particularly significant because an unemployment rate around 4 percent is considered to reflect a full-employment economy.
“Despite the positive economic signals, particularly in the labor market, consumer opinions in the short run may be affected by uncertainty around federal fiscal policy with talk of major changes to the tax code and a possible government shutdown,” Sandoval said.
Conducted Aug. 1-24, the UF study reflects the responses of 403 individuals who were reached on cellphones, representing a demographic cross section of Florida.
The index used by UF researchers is benchmarked to 1966, which means a value of 100 represents the same level of confidence for that year. The lowest index possible is a 2, the highest is 150.
Details of this month’s survey can be found at http://www.bebr.ufl.edu/csi-data.

Florida consumer sentiment rebounds upward in June

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Consumer sentiment among Floridians rose 2.1 points in June to 96.4, changing course after two months of decline.
Among the five components that make up the index, four increased and one decreased.
Survey respondents’ perceptions of their personal financial situation now compared with a year ago showed the greatest increase, up 6.4 points from 85.5 to 91.9. “Importantly, all Floridians share these perceptions, independent of their age, gender or income,” said Hector H. Sandoval, director of the Economic Analysis Program at UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
Opinions as to whether now is a good time to buy a big-ticket household item such as an appliance increased 1.7 points to 102, although readings vary across demographic groups. “In particular, positive perceptions are seen among women, those under age 60 and those with an annual income of $50,000 and over, while they are negative among men, seniors and those with income under $50,000,” Sandoval said.
Expectations of personal finances a year from now rose 3.5 points to 104.8. “Overall, Floridians appear to be more optimistic. Most of the increase is due to the positive perceptions of consumers’ current and future personal finance situation,” Sandoval said.
Views on the future of the U.S. economy were mixed: Expectations of U.S. economic conditions over the upcoming year dropped 1.8 points to 91.8; however, anticipation of U.S. economic conditions over the next five years ticked up eight-tenths of a point from 90.8 to 91.6.
The labor market in Florida has continued to strengthen, adding jobs on a monthly basis. Since the beginning of 2017, the unemployment rate has declined steadily. The Florida unemployment rate in May was 4.3 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from April. As of May, the number of jobs added statewide over the last year came to 228,000, a 2.7 percent increase that outpaces the nation’s job growth rate of 1.6 percent.
The positive outlook of Floridians may also be fueled by cheaper prices at the gas pump, the lowest in over a decade going into the Fourth of July travel season. Having a few extra dollars left over after each fill-up may contribute to feelings of financial well-being.
Nationwide, economic activity has increased and inflation has declined on a 12-month basis. As a result, last month the Federal Reserve decided to raise the federal funds target range to between 1 percent and 1.25 percent.
“This change will eventually be transmitted to other interest rates, including car loans, credit cards and mortgages,” Sandoval said. “The evolution of consumer perceptions as to whether it is a good time to buy a big household item in the following months will be an important indicator in assessing how the increased interest rates affect consumption.”
Conducted June 1-28, the UF study reflects the responses of 479 individuals who were reached on cellphones, representing a demographic cross section of Florida.
The index used by UF researchers is benchmarked to 1966, which means a value of 100 represents the same level of confidence for that year. The lowest index possible is a 2, the highest is 150.
Details of this month’s survey can be found at http://www.bebr.ufl.edu/csi-data.