As this school year comes to an end it is easy to get caught up in preparing for the next year without acknowledging those who’ve made this one a success.  UCF’s Student Government Association recognizes this so, before the transition and planning begins, they want to say thank you to Steve Della-Valentina.

For the past three years, Steve Della-Valentina has worked tirelessly as SGA’s web coordinator and all-around problem solver. He is skilled at what he does, dedicated to his role in SGA and a pure pleasure to work with.

Unlike most members of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch his interaction with students is limited. In spite of that, his work has improved the college experience of thousands of UCF Knights. On a normal workday, in between classes or game design, you will find him focused on codes on a computer screen. His fingers will deftly dance across a keyboard as if he is a master pianist and, fittingly, you will hear Two Door Cinema club softly playing from his speakers.

As SGA’s web coordinator for the past three years he has rebuilt the website from scratch twice, created SGA’s first blog, implemented live streaming of SGA events, created a sign-up service for various student services, designed an online vision board and so much more.

At the age of nine he taught himself the basics of HTML on Neopets.com. At thirteen MySpace taught him the programming language CSS. At fifteen he received a huge paying project for web design and at seventeen he became a web guru of Tumblr.com. Three years ago, he received a campus wide email requesting a webmaster for SGA. He responded because he simply wanted to get involved.

Now, three years later, he is preparing to graduate and applying for jobs he will most certainly receive.

As Steve reflected on his time in SGA he had this to say:

“You do not have to be interested in politics to enjoy SGA, but rather, interested in making a change on campus. SGA is all about creating initiatives and new services that benefit all students, and the truly passionate ones will make those initiatives come to life.”

As we reflect on Steve’s time in SGA we say thank you. Thank you Steve for all that you have done. You are, and will always be, loved by us.

This Week @ UCF

4/8-4/12

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This Week @ UCF

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This Week @ UCF

3/18-3/22

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Former State Senator Lee Constantine, a graduate of the University of Central Florida, has represented Florida as a public servant for 32 years. In 1978, he was elected the youngest person in the City of Altamonte Springs history, serving as Commissioner and Mayor for 14 years. In 1992, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives where he served for 8 years. In 2000, Mr. Constantine was elected to the Florida Senate representing the citizens of Orange and Seminole Counties. He served until November 2010, only ending his distinguished career due to term limits. At the time he left office, Senator Constantine was the longest serving elected official in Florida.

Senator Constantine is one of the Central Florida region’s most powerful and influential individuals, acknowledged for his outstanding talent for brokering compromise, leadership in higher education and mastery of the complicated state budget process.

Throughout his legislative career, Senator Constantine has sponsored numerous ground-breaking bills. These include Save Our Everglades (1997-2000), The Florida Unified Building Code (1998,2000), The Florida Forever Program (1999), Payday Loans Reform (2001), Affordable Housing-Front Porch Florida (2002), Growth Management (2002, 2006), Pre-K Education and Class Size Reduction (2003), The Wekiva Parkway and Protection Act (2004), The Florida Telecommunication Act (2005), the establishment of the medical school at UCF (2006), the Florida Energy Act (2006 & 2008). In recent years he sponsored legislation regarding Florida’s Energy Building Codes, major Election Reform, Physical Education in elementary and middle schools and the Jennifer Kesse & Tiffany Sessions Missing Persons Act. In the 2009 Special Session, as the prime co-sponsor, he spearheaded the successful effort to bring SunRail to Central Florida.

In 2010, Senator Constantine sponsored bills that protected Florida’s water resources and springs, placed in motion a state recycling policy to achieve a 75% recycling goal by 2020, protected our citizens and wildlife from Reptiles of Concern and protected consumers who purchased gift cards/certificates from fraud.

Lee Constantine’s passion for community service is best displayed as Founder and Director of Charity Challenge, Inc., established in 1987. Since its inception, Charity Challenge has evolved from a small backyard event into the largest independent charity in Central Florida, raising nearly $5million dollars for hundreds of Florida charities.

Recently, Senator Constantine was reappointed by the Governor to serve his third term as Chairman of the Wekiva River Basin Commission, honoring his commitment to protect the Wekiva River while building the beltway around Central Florida. In addition, he also serves as a business consultant on a wide range of issues for high level corporations and government agencies. On November 6, 2012, he was elected to the Seminole County Commission, District 3.

Students who find themselves facing academic probation, suspension or even expulsion have the right to a fair and impartial hearing. Their registration status also cannot be changed by the university until after a decision is reached.

UCF can never go as far as to abridge the rights of students. So whether you are seeking parking appeals, grade appeals or student conduct issues you can take solace in the nonpartisan nature of the process.

The full information concerning student’s right to a Fair and Impartial Hearing can be found in the Golden Rule Handbook under the section UCF-5.0006 (students rights and responsibilities)

For specific questions on what will happen if you are found in violation of Golden Rule you can contact the Office of Student Conduct.

A hard copy of Golden Rule Handbook and The Rules of Conduct can be found in the  Office of Student Conduct. For more information on your rights and to receive personal guidance through the student conduct process, be sure contact Ryan Kelly, SGA’s Attorney General, at sga_ag@ucf.edu

Remember Knight’s Know Their Rights. Stay informed!

This Week @ UCF

3/11-3/15

4000 Central Florida Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32816

407.823.2000

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What is the purpose of the Activity and Service Fee?

The purpose of the Activity and Service Fee is to provide students at UCF with various activities and services such the Recreation and Wellness Center, Student Legal Services, Knight LYNX, free printing, the Student Union, and the affiliated agencies.

- Activity and Service Fee Budget Committee Chair Anthony King 

What does the Activity and Service Fee fund and not fund? 

The Activity and Service Fee funds exactly what it says: activities and services. This fee does not fund for tuition, scholarships and things of that nature.

- Activity and Service Fee Budget Committee Chair Anthony King

Who are the members of the Activity and Service Fee Budget Committee?

The members of the Activity and Service Fee Budget Committee are comprised of student leaders from the Student Government Association and other campus activities. Including, the Student Body President, the Student Body Vice President, the Comptroller, the Speaker of the Senate, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Operations Review Committee Chair, the Conference, Registration and Travel Committee Chair, the Financial Allocations for Organizations Chair, three Student Senators, two Student-at-Larges, the Chair of the Board of Student Directors, and a Senator Alternate.

   - Activity and Service Fee Budget Committee Chair Anthony King

If you are an RSO or student looking for assistance from Senate Jaclyn Graham, Senate President Pro Tempore, and Ryan Grail, Campus Relations Committee Chair, are here for you.

Each week they will be answering 3 questions that RSO’s and students can use to make the most of their student experience when seeking funding for events and conferences. They will also be providing interested students with resources and info on how to get involved with Senate.

For more information email Senate Graham at sga_pro@ucf.edu or Senator Grail at sgacrc@ucf.edu

This Week @ UCF

2/25-3/1

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On Friday, February 21, 2013 Judge Belvin Perry, Jr., the son of one of Orlando’s first African-American police officers, will be educating students on their rights according to the Constitution and UCF’s Golden Rule. His presentation will begin at 12:30 p.m. and conclude at 2:30 p.m. in the Student Union room 218A. Judge Perry currently serves as the chief judge of Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit. He is also known for presiding over the Casey Anthony murder trial.

Judge Perry’s visit will conclude the University of Central Florida’s Student Government Association’s Know Your Rights campaign.  The campaign focuses on increasing student awareness of UCF rights and responsibilities. The goal of the campaign is to encourage students to become informed and active citizens of The Knight Nation.

“Students rights are constantly evolving,” says LaShaunda Hayes Student Government Association’s Judicial Advisor. “Our goal is to inform students of their rights so that they are aware of how they can benefit from them.”

UCF’s Student Government Association will serve as the host for Judge Perry’s visit. There will be photo opportunities and a Q-and-A session for all attendees. The Student Government Association will also be providing free shirts, pizza, and refreshments.