An update from President J. Bernard Machen
Welcome to summer at the University of Florida!
If the campus seems busier than you anticipated and you're running into a lot of friends and acquaintances, that's because attending summer semesters has become an increasingly common choice for students.
We had 29,187 summer semester students last year, close to our largest-ever summer enrollment. Indeed, the number of students attending UF during the summer soared 78.5 percent from 1991 to last year. By contrast, regular enrollment grew 29.5 percent over the same time period.
Why the upswing? Increasingly, students seek to accelerate their degree programs by taking extra summer classes. Others wish to make up courses they didn't complete for whatever reason during the regular year. Either way, summer classes not only give students more options, they also allow us to put our buildings to better use during the "slow" time of the year.
Used to be, the campus and the city virtually shut down over the summer months. You'll find that's hardly the case today. It may be a bit easier to find a parking place on campus, but entertainment, educational and recreational opportunities abound both on and off-campus.
Enjoy your summer!
J. Bernard Machen
President