The President’s Office set aside $43 million in one-time allocations for college programs that supported the University’s strategic initiatives. Through four rounds of funding, CJC received nearly $400,000 to support two initiatives: $300,000 over three years to expand student journalism coverage of the environment, small businesses, and natural disasters and emergencies, and $70,000 to create a live, student-produced Gator Football preview show.

The Center for Public Interest Communications is also part of a $1.75 million multi-college project to design and construct a statewide digital twin technology program to reduce barriers to collaboration and engagement between UF researchers and public- and private-sector stakeholders.

The news expansion funding will be used to establish an Environment/Sustainability/Small Business Desk, a Natural Disaster/Emergency Coverage Desk, including creation of a mobile unit, and coverage in “news desert” communities in partnership with professional news organizations.

The Gator Football preview show, modeled after ESPN’s “College Gameday” program, will provide valuable hands-on experiences in producing live sports content and telling powerful, data-driven sports stories. Students will gain experience both in front of the camera and behind the scenes, including anchoring, reporting, producing and directing. The $70,000 in seed money will be used to assist with up-front costs for the program, including the creation of a portable news set that can be used in a highly visible location during home sporting events. The funding will also help cover student travel and lodging during away games.

CJC also received $2.3 million in recurring funds for the College. That includes $1.7 million in discretionary spending for overhead, salary increases, etc. and about $700,000 to support CJC’s strategic initiatives. The College is evaluating proposals from faculty and staff and will determine funding during the spring semester.

CJC 2028 Strategic plan

The College’s strategic goals for the next four years include:

• BUILD ON CJC’s scholarly excellence to advance competitive advantages and drive innovation.
• ENHANCE CJC’s recruitment, retention and placement of faculty, staff, and students with diverse identities, experiences and perspectives.

• DEVELOP an environment that fosters a culture of active participatory inclusiveness, collaboration and collegiality.
• ELEVATE undergraduate and graduate student career preparation, readiness, cultural competency, and competitive standing for evolving professions.
• ACQUIRE & CONTINUALLY REFRESH infrastructure and technology to be innovative, forward-looking and cutting-edge.