Washington, D.C. – President of the University of Central Florida
John C. Hitt will deliver the key President-to-Presidents lecture at the
annual meeting of the American Association of State Colleges and
Universities (AASCU) in San Antonio, Texas.
The talk, Discovering Our Futures: the Power of Partnerships,
will provide insights for developing innovative and mutually beneficial
partnerships vital to delivering on institutional missions, driving
economic growth and fulfilling stewardship roles. The strategies align
institutional and community resources that fuel innovation, address
community needs and add to fiscal stability in a time of state budget
turmoil. Hitt will be speaking on the second day of the November 22-24
annual meeting of AASCU members, who enroll approximately 4 million
students. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will also speak at the
conference. For a complete schedule, go to aascu.org.
Hitt became the fourth president of the University of Central Florida
in 1992. Under his leadership, enrollment at UCF has more than doubled,
the number of doctoral degrees awarded each year has increased
sevenfold, and research funding has risen from $6.2 million to $121
million a year.
One of President Hitt’s greatest achievements was the approval by the
Florida Board of Governors for the UCF College of Medicine, which led
to the founding of the Lake Nona Medical City. This multi-billion dollar
development includes new facilities for medical education, hospital
care and biomedical research.
Hitt holds a B.A. in psychology from Austin College and M.S. and
Ph.D. degrees in physiological psychology from Tulane University.
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AASCU is the leadership association of 430 public
colleges and universities Delivering America’s Promise through their
common commitments to access, affordability and educational opportunity.
Enrolling more than 3 million students, these institutions fulfill the
expectations of a public university by working for the public good
through education, stewardship and engagement, thereby improving the
lives of people in their community, their region and their state.