Florida Gators

The University of Florida will officially open the state-of-the-art Otis P. Hawkins Center for Academic and Personal Excellence at Farrior Hall on Monday following a $25 million renovation project. The facility stands ready to provide an unparalleled experience for the nearly 500 Gator student-athletes.
 
The 21-month process of planning, design and construction on the Hawkins Center have culminated in a 260% increase in square footage, now providing 82,613 square feet of advising, tutoring and support space for the academic and personal development of UF student-athletes.
 
UF President Kent Fuchs, Director of Athletics Jeremy Foley, members of the Farrior family and others will cut the ribbon at the grand opening on Monday, followed by a dedication ceremony emceed by Gator football great Kevin Carter.
   
Wood Ceiling
The featured wood ceiling in the building's communicating space/lobby is constructed from river reclaimed long-leaf heart pine.  In addition to being milled locally by Goodwin (Micanopy, Fla.), the wood was reclaimed locally from the Suwannee River. The use of the wood is both conceptually significant to the project and sustainably significant.
 
LEED Gold Certified
The building was designed to meet the minimum requirements for the USGBC's LEED Gold Certification Level (United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).  A third-party certification program, the USGBC LEED program "is a nationally accepted organization for design, operation and construction of high performance green buildings."
 
Construction and Materials Facts & Figures

• River Reclaimed Wood – 41,408 linear feet (7.84 miles)
• Rebar – 134,400 lbs. (67.2 Tons)
• Concrete – 1,744 cubic yards
• Concrete Foundation Removed – 2,730,600 lbs. (1365.3 Tons)
• Steel – 880,000 lbs. (440 Tons)
• Clay Roof Tiles – 21,000
• Square Footage of Gypsum (Interior and Exterior) – 314,860 square feet
• Gallons of Paint – 950 gallons
• Number of Bricks – 130,000 bricks (16.25 miles if laid end to end)

 Space Facts & Figures

• 74 study rooms/tutoring Labs featuring interactive digital media and room management systems
• 4 designated online testing rooms, with 4 additional flex room for tutoring and online testing
• 25 academic advising and support offices
• State-of-the-Art Mac and PC Labs seating 24 students each
• Multimedia project room
• 700 square foot quiet study room
• Nutrition suite with Demonstration Kitchen, Fuel Bar and Body Composition Assessment Room
• Research Suite with Biomechanics Technology, Exam and Locker Rooms
• Wellness Suite
• 2000 square foot Auditorium with multiple media displays
• Conference Rooms with videoconferencing capability
• Multiple study lounge and collaboration spaces throughout each floor

Fueling Station Facts & Figures

• The fueling station and demo kitchen are approximately 800 sqaure feet
• Fruit, nuts, hydration and snack bars
• Fruit and snack options were chosen to target student-athletes' individual goals, such as weight gain vs. lean out vs. maintain
• UAA nutrition anticipates serving:
  • 625 snack bars per week
  • 285 bottles of hydration per day
  • 1,008 individual pieces of peanut butter per month
  • 620 string cheeses per month

Programs & Services Provided by UAA
Academic Support

• New-student orientation
• Structured study hall and test reviews
• Content tutoring, study skills, and strategy tutoring
• Daily communication with coaches
• Support for learning disabilities

 
Career Development and Support

• Mock interviewing
• Career counseling
• Specialized job fairs

 
Personal Development

• Workshops in goal-setting, stress management, and fiscal responsibility
• Personal counseling and referrals
• Alcohol, drug and performance-enhancing supplement education
• Sexual responsibility, harassment and assault education

 
Leadership and Service Development

• Student Athlete Advisory Committee
• Skill-specific seminars
• Goodwill Gators Community Outreach