UCF launched two new colleges and a new interdisciplinary school today that will enhance opportunities for academic excellence in the new Academic Health Sciences Center in Lake Nona and the UCF Downtown campus in Orlando.

“These changes create a dynamic educational ecosystem that engages faculty, staff and students in the creation of integrative learning opportunities that go beyond the classroom,” said Elizabeth A. Dooley, interim provost.

“These changes create a dynamic educational ecosystem that engages faculty, staff and students in the creation of integrative learning opportunities that go beyond the classroom,” said Elizabeth A. Dooley, interim provost. “Thank you to all whose work has made this realignment possible and helped to better position our university and students for the future.”

College of Health Professions and Sciences

As part of the newly created Academic Health Sciences Center along with the College of Medicine and the College of Nursing, the College of Health Professions and Sciences will be focused on educating students for rewarding careers in prevention, diagnosis or therapy at hospitals, community-based and specialized-care facilities, schools, and nonprofit and social service agencies.

The college will be led by José Fernández, who will serve as the interim dean until Aug. 8. Jeffery Stout, founding director of the School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy, will take over then as interim dean until a founding dean is appointed.

The search for the founding dean has begun and will progress through the fall. Deborah German will continue to lead our new Academic Health Sciences Center as vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine.

College of Community Innovation and Education

The anchor of our UCF Downtown campus, the College of Community Innovation and Education brings together community-facing programs engaged with the social and economic fabric of thriving, modern cities and grounded in transformative education.

Pamela “Sissi” Carroll, who served as dean of the former College of Education and Human Performance, has been selected as founding dean of the college. Several, but not all, of its academic programs will move downtown in Fall 2019 when UCF Downtown opens.

Nicholson School of Communication and Media

An interdisciplinary, inter-college school, the Nicholson School of Communication and Media, includes communication, digital media and film programs and will redefine content creation, digital art and communication for the 21st century.

Robert Littlefield, director of the former Nicholson School of Communication, was named founding director of the school. Several of its programs also will move downtown in Fall 2019.

Together, these changes mean that the College of Education and Human Performance and College of Health and Public Affairs will no longer exist, as programs, centers and institutes will be realigned in the new colleges.

Learn more about the new colleges and school.