News | Campus - The Independent Florida Alligator

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF concrete canoe team paddles its way to fourth national title

By Kamala Rossi | July 1, 2024

Mist traced the rolling mountains surrounding Lake Utah State Park as a team of four UF civil engineering students paddled their craft, the Springseeker, to victory. Team Springseeker, made up of UF faculty, students and alumni, worked tirelessly to create a concrete canoe fit to race against other top civil engineering colleges.

An announcer celebrates during the award ceremony of the UF International Piano Festival on Saturday, June 15, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF School of Music receives $20 million from the state to improve facilities

By Avery Parker | July 1, 2024

Gov. Ron DeSantis approved $20 million for the UF School of Music’s building project in the “Focus on Florida’s Future” budget June 12, bringing total state funding for the project to $55 million.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UFPD sergeant facing suspension for racist comments, nepotism

By Grace McClung | July 1, 2024

A UF Police Department sergeant is facing a three-day suspension after an internal investigation found he repeatedly made racist and antisemitic comments to coworkers and attempted to influence official application processes to help his superior's son get a job.

UF Faculty Senate members vote to delay the COVID-19 no-confidence resolution in the Reitz Union Chamber on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

UF Faculty Senate holds special meeting to approve Hamilton Center degrees, discuss post-tenure review

By Timothy Wang | June 23, 2024

The UF Faculty Senate held its first-ever summer meeting Friday over Zoom to vote on approval of two degree proposals for the Hamilton Center, the university's state-mandated civic center which has been fast-tracked to become a college by 2025.

NEWS | CAMPUS BREAKING NEWS

UFPD seeks trespass order for undercover activist who targeted UF Muslim professors

By Grace McClung | June 23, 2024

The UF Police Department is still working to trespass an undercover Messianic Jewish activist who sought to bait Muslim UF professors into admitting bias against Israel and conservatives, despite a previous case report declaring the man was “not considered a threat” and wouldn’t be trespassed.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UFPD, GPD end investigations into undercover Messianic Jewish activist who sought to entrap Muslim professors

By Grace McClung | June 21, 2024

An undercover Messianic Jewish activist who sought to bait Muslim UF professors into admitting bias against Israel and conservatives will not be trespassed from campus and is “not considered a threat” by the UF Police Department.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

Tulane University official named next UF Vice President for Construction, Facilities and Auxiliary Operations

By Timothy Wang | June 18, 2024

Tulane University Vice President Randy Philipson will replace Dave Kratzer as UF’s vice president for construction and facilities beginning July 22, according to a news release.

Kate Breaux playing bagpipes as part of Florida Gator Band performance in Mont-Ormel, Normandy, France on Thursday, June 6, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Biden prevents UF Gator Band from leading D-Day parade in Normandy

By Kamala Rossi | June 17, 2024

Hours passed aimlessly as the summer sun beat down on UF’s Gator Band in a parking lot outside Omaha Beach in France. Clad in orange and blue with instruments in hand, they stared down an unlikely blockade to their overseas performance in commemoration of D-Day. The culprit: President Joe Biden.

The University of Florida will locate its new graduate campus around the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center in Jacksonville.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF’s Jacksonville campus received $75 million from the state. What’s next?

By Timothy Wang | June 17, 2024

For more than a year, UF has been making progress toward establishing a graduate campus in Jacksonville, obtaining approval from the Board of Trustees and permission from the Board of Governors to establish a temporary campus location in downtown Jacksonville.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF’s International Piano Festival brings musicians to campus for a week of lessons and performances

By Avery Parker | June 17, 2024

A lone pianist perched above a Steinway piano with his eyes shut. As his fingers flitted across the keys, hundreds of concertgoers leaned forward in their seats in search of what the music might tell them.

P.K. Yonge pictured on Saturday, April 20, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF Board of Trustees presents P.K. Yonge admission process plan of action

By Sara-James Ranta | June 14, 2024

UF PK-12 Vice President Penny Schwinn presented updates Thursday for a P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School plan of action regarding her previous recommendation to change its admission process.

A black bear cub spotted on a tree near the UF Genetics Institute off Mowry Road on Thursday, June 13, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Black bear cub spotted 'chilling' in tree on UF campus

By Lee Ann Anderson | June 13, 2024

The UF Police Department responded to a call about a mid-sized black bear perched in a tree near the Cancer and Genetics Research Complex on Mowry Street around 10 a.m. Thursday.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Student Senate passes 2024-2025 budget, ‘Stop the Stall’ legislation

By Avery Parker | June 13, 2024

The UF Student Senate passed its 2024-2025 budget bill Tuesday night with bipartisan support, ensuring another year of funding for Student Government, Student Engagement, the Reitz Union and RecSports.

Officers Susan Pratt and Diana Ullery flank Chief Linda Stump-Kurnick as she answers a question at the University Police’s town hall in UF’s Rainbow Suite on Tuesday, February 7, 2017. The officers were there to answer questions from the students, but several students attended only to disrupt the event, interrupting with phrases such as, “Lay with pigs, wake up dirty.”

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF’s first female police chief named Assistant Vice President of Public Safety

By Timothy Wang | June 12, 2024

Linda Stump-Kurnick, who became UF’s first female police chief in July 2003, will become the Assistant Vice President of Public Safety, according to a Wednesday UF news release.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

UF continues searches for top leadership positions, deans

By Kamala Rossi | June 10, 2024

Within the past year, UF has filled positions from the shifting vacancies that followed after Ben Sasse was announced as UF’s new president in February 2023.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Student Senate to vote on 2024-2025 budget, ‘Stop the Stall’ legislation

By Avery Parker | June 10, 2024

The UF Student Senate is set to vote June 11 on the 2024-2025 Student Government budget as well as bills proposing significant changes to Senate speaking rules.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF’s financial ties, publicly disclosed partnerships with Israel, explained

By Garrett Shanley and Diego Perdomo | June 10, 2024

After reviewing publicly available information on UF’s business partnerships, investment portfolio and contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense, The Alligator identified UF’s financial ties with Israel and organizations supplying military aid to the nation.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

Gator Water Polo president, coach no longer at university following sexual harassment allegation

By Garrett Shanley | June 7, 2024

A UF employee who coached a university-affiliated water polo club is no longer working at the university after he was accused of being “overly touchy” and sharing a bed with student athletes.

The Social at Midtown pictured on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS

The Social at Midtown set to reopen as MacDinton’s Gainesville

By Avery Parker | June 6, 2024

The Social at Midtown, the popular sports bar situated on West University Avenue across from campus which closed May 5, is set to reopen in Summer B as MacDinton’s, an Irish pub.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF strips staff, faculty of free access to RecSports facilities

By Avery Parker and Kamala Rossi | June 3, 2024

As summer approaches and the UF community flocks to campus pools to cool off, UF RecSports announced staff and faculty will have to pay to use Lake Wauburg, campus pools and gyms starting July 1.