The wait for #UFRising is over — kind of.
The mysterious hashtag has piqued the interest of the followers of UF social media accounts since it appeared in posts beginning Tuesday.
Ambiguous posts on Instagram and Twitter, using the handle @uflorida for both accounts, left followers’ comments and questions unanswered, instead replying to commenters by hinting at a reveal to be announced today.
But UF spokesman Chris Moran said no big announcement was planned for today, just the launch of a social media campaign to spark conversation about UF’s future plans to become a top 10 public research university.
“We recognize that the plan needs to start with support on campus,” he said, “a campus culture that strives for improvements and excellence. We want to hear from people on how to get there.”
However, UF’s preeminence plan hinges on the Board of Governors’ approval to be decided at a meeting in Miami next week.
The UF Rising Path to Preeminence website, urel.ufl.edu/ufrising, was spotty throughout Thursday. When available, a posted description of a plan to raise UF’s status included details of a billion-dollar campaign and a hiring spree of acclaimed scholars and researchers.
After Wade Ingram saw an Instagram post, he Googled for answers.
“To me, I had the image of a phoenix rising,” the 20-year-old UF materials engineering sophomore said. “It’s a little dramatic, but that was my immediate reaction.”
A version of this story ran on page 1 on 11/15/2013 under the headline "Mysterious #UFRising campaign aims to start conversation"
