A new UF enrollment model will be doing away with the summertime farewell, "See you in September."
The Innovation Academy, scheduled to begin spring 2013, is a pilot program in which students attend classes only during the spring and summer terms for the entirety of their college careers at UF.
The program's goal is to maximize the university's capacity during the spring and summer terms as well as to increase the use of underutilized resources while reducing crowds during the fall, UF spokesman Steve Orlando said.
All requirements for academic programs within the Innovation Academy will remain the same as the rest of the university.
Orlando said students who choose this track will receive the same quality of education as any other student who is regularly enrolled at UF.
"We're really breaking the ground with this because nobody has ever tried it before," he said.
Orlando said the two biggest advantages of the program are the ability to maximize the use of resources, such as building space, and to increase access to students.
There's no reason universities can't run at full capacity all year, Orlando said.
UF Provost Joe Glover said other institutions in Florida and outside the state have expressed interest in the program.
Innovation Academy students will be able to receive Bright Futures during summer terms, which is not available to current students.
Although the admissions department is still deciding on a number, Glover said he believes 500 to 800 freshmen and transfer students will be admitted in the first group.
Eventually, there will be a broad selection of majors available to Innovation Academy students. Glover said the list of majors should be complete by mid-August.
