College of Central Florida honor students who complete 18 credits of Honors Institute courses toward their Associate in Arts degree at CF are now eligible for direct acceptance into the Burnett Honors College at the University of Central Florida.

CF and UCF have entered into an articulation agreement whereby transfer students from CF have all the rights and privileges as Burnett Honors College students who begin as freshmen and can earn a University Honors diploma upon completion of the Burnett Honors College requirements.

“This agreement makes the College of Central Florida an even stronger choice for a student’s first two years of college,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, CF president. “Students will save more than half the cost of tuition for their first two years, benefit from small class sizes, leverage leadership opportunities, and earn credits guaranteed to transfer. CF is a college for everyone, including the highest achieving students.”

For more information on the CF Honors Institute, visit CF.edu/honors.

The College of Central Florida was honored with several awards at the Association of Florida Colleges 73rd annual conference, including the association’s top honor, 2022 Chapter of the Year.

The CF AFC Chapter was recognized as a 2022 Platinum Chapter and received the Region III Social Media Mania Award. Cara Bennett, CF web developer and IT communications specialist, was honored with the Region III Unsung Hero Award. Rory Wells, CF manager of instructional services for the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, was elected 2023 AFC Region III director and Rachel Cote, CF manager of web communications and new media, is currently serving as chair of the AFC Communications and Marketing Commission.

CF Marketing and Public Relations earned 11 Awards of Excellence from the Communications and Marketing Commission, including first place awards for Connection magazine, the new CF viewbook and a university transfer postcard. The Marketing and Public Relations team earned second and third place awards for other publications including the financial aid guide, as well as video and print promotions. The Appleton Museum of Art earned first and second place awards for its Artifacts newsletter.

To learn more about CF, visit www.CF.edu. For more information about the Association of Florida Colleges, visit http://www.myafchome.org.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Thursday, Dec. 8, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the CF Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can receive assistance with the application process, financial aid and registration for the spring semester, which begins Jan. 9.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 admissions fee waived and can enter to win free tuition for a 3-credit-hour class at CF’s standard tuition rate.

Additional open house events will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland, and Wednesday, Dec. 7, at the Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala. A virtual open house will take place Tuesday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Zoom.

For more information, visit www.CF.edu/openhouse or call 352-873-5800, ext. 1379.

The Webber Gallery at the College of Central Florida presents the 26^th annual “Trains at the Holidays” display Dec. 17-30. The Webber Gallery is located at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road.

This display will feature model train layouts built and maintained by the Ocala Model Railroaders’ Historic Preservation Society. Every year, CF is honored to partner with the society to bring their beautiful model train collection to the community. As Jim DeLawter, OMRRHPS president, said, “The CF Express has been chugging along for 26 years!”

Viewing the trains is a holiday tradition for many local families, and thousands of patrons, young and old, visit each year. The display features modular train layouts and railroad memorabilia. Many of the layouts are inspired by historic Ocala landmarks, such as the Six Gun Territory theme park that operated in Marion County until 1984.

“Trains at the Holidays” will open Saturday, Dec. 17, and will be on view from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. through Dec. 30. The gallery will be closed Dec. 24 and 25 for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Admission is free. For more information, call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664, or visit CF.edu/Webber.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Wednesday, Dec. 7, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can receive assistance with the application process, financial aid and registration for the spring semester, which begins Jan. 9.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 admissions fee waived and can enter to win free tuition for a 3-credit-hour class at CF’s standard tuition rate.

Additional open house events will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 2-5 p.m. at the Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland, and Thursday, Dec. 8, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto. A virtual open house will take place Tuesday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Zoom.

For more information, visit www.CF.edu/OpenHouse or call 352-873-5800, ext. 1379.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 2-5 p.m. at the CF Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can receive assistance with the application process, financial aid, placement testing, academic advising and registration for the spring semester, which begins Jan. 9.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 admissions fee waived and will be entered to win free tuition for a 3-credit-hour class at CF’s standard tuition rate.

Additional open house events will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at the Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala, and Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto. A virtual open house will take place Tuesday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Zoom.

For more information, visit www.CF.edu/openhouse or call 352-873-5800, ext. 1379.

Community members are invited to join College of Central Florida students and faculty on a study abroad trip to Ireland in summer 2023.

Applications are open now for the educational trip across Ireland from July 16-27, 2023. This expedition will have a special focus on humanities and health sciences.

The CF Road Scholar program, in partnership with the Study Abroad Association, is dedicated to facilitating education through international experiences that provide diverse and interesting opportunities for experiential learning.

The deadline to apply for the Ireland trip is March 31, 2023. Total cost is approximately $2,745 and includes 10 nights’ accommodations, all ground transportation, three traditional dinners, daily continental breakfast and a full-time guide. Program price is an estimate until tickets are finalized. Scholarships may be available to assist with program costs. Round-trip airfare is not included.

Trip highlights include activities such as: Dublin literary pub tour; Book of Kells and Trinity College tour; Cliffs of Moher and Burren full-day tour; Medieval Galway walking tour; Irish dance and songs show; and visits to health care related facilities.

This trip can be taken for academic credit or for the experience as a noncredit opportunity. Being enrolled as a CF student is not required.

For more information, visit www.CF.edu/StudyAbroad or call Wendy Adams at 352-854-2322, ext. 1546.

The College of Central Florida’s Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus Associate Degree Nursing program has been recognized as the 2023 Best RN Program in Florida by RegisteredNursing.org. The nursing advocacy organization evaluated nearly 150 RN programs and ranked the top 20 based on the percentage of graduates who pass the national licensure exam.

The two-year program prepares students to become registered nurses, providing direct care to patients in hospitals, nursing homes and community-based agencies. The Citrus program is part of the collegewide nursing program.

“Nursing is one of the most in-demand careers in Florida,” said Dr. Stephanie Cortes, CF dean of Health Sciences. “By providing this affordable educational opportunity, we are not only preparing our students for a career with unlimited potential; we are helping to meet the growing need for more registered nurses at our local health care facilities.”

This ranking places CF at the top of a list of 20 colleges and universities including other state colleges as well as University of Florida and Florida State University. According to RegisteredNursing.org, programs were assessed on several factors which represent how well a program supports students toward licensure and beyond.

For more information about CF Nursing, visit www.CF.edu/Nursing. For more information on the 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Florida, visit www.registerednursing.org/state/florida/#show.