uf phd anatomy

• Environment

UF Online: Early Childhood Education among three new majors to be offered this fall

UF Online, the University of Florida’s online degree program, will begin offering three new majors this fall

The new fields of study for a bachelor’s degree are a part of a push to increase access for students in high-demand fields and better meet the needs of Florida’s workforce.

The new bachelor’s degrees are:

Agricultural Education & Communication, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

• Will prepare students for entry into agribusiness and communication positions related to human resource development, training, political interests and public relations.
• Coursework focuses on core leadership and communication skills including teamwork, digital media, content development, interpersonal skills and presentation development.

Early Childhood Education, College of Education

• First initial teacher preparation program of its kind in the state of Florida (according to UF).

This was developed in response to Florida’s Programs of Strategic Emphasis and the critical teacher shortage facing our state, and the major prepares UF Online students with the knowledge and skills to positively impact young learners from age 3 to grade 3. Through this FLDOE and CAEP accredited initial teacher preparation program, students gain a rich understanding of the research-to-practice foundations of early childhood education.

Entomology & Nematology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

• Relates to insects and nematodes (roundworms).
• Prepares students for careers in academia, private industry, government and more.

Online students can choose between two specializations: Biological Science of Insects or Urban Pest Management. They will have opportunities to engage in undergraduate research or industry internships.

Depending on which specialization they choose, coursework will include topics such as ecology, animal behavior, physiology, evolution, biodiversity conservation, pest management, and research.

“It is heartening to welcome these three new majors into UF Online,” said Rhiannon Pollard, the program's interim director. “The faculty in these units, as with all UF Online programs, truly care about the success of their students and are committed to offering meaningful learning experiences that lead to gainful employment after graduation. We are proud to partner with them and to have the opportunity to offer these new pathways for our online students.”

UF Online currently supports over 4,000 students from 50 states and 24 countries. More than 6,000 students have graduated from UF Online programs with a bachelor’s degree since 2014.

The online degree program offers over 25 degree options from 10 colleges with many academic specializations. UF Online provides pathways for traditional and non-traditional students such as veterans and mid-career professionals, among others, who can benefit online courses which offer flexibility and access.

“The introduction of these three new fully online majors is a testament to the university's commitment to providing accessible, flexible, and high-quality education to learners within and beyond Florida. With these new majors, UF Online continues to break down barriers and support and empower students to pursue their academic and career goals,” Pollard said.

• Frank Cerabino
• Nation & World
• Fort Lauderdale

Much-touted UF campus plan for downtown West Palm Beach dies, leaving huge disappointment

One official calls demise of the university of florida graduate school campus in west palm beach "the greatest economic development loss that i've seen in my 30-plus years of doing this.".

There will be no University of Florida graduate school campus in downtown West Palm Beach .

The state's flagship university this summer quietly ended plans for the Global Technology and Innovation Campus, quashing a venture that backers said would have elevated Palm Beach County's educational offerings and supercharged its growing finance and tech industries.

"This is probably the greatest economic development loss that I've seen in my 30-plus years of doing this," said Kelly Smallridge, president of the Business Development Board, the business recruiting arm of Palm Beach County.

The 12-acre campus, first announced in 2021, was supposed to offer graduate-level programs in business, engineering and law with a focus on financial technology, or fintech, and cybersecurity.

All would have been in combination with UF's cutting-edge artificial intelligence curriculum.

To create the campus, plans called for gifting UF roughly 2 acres from the city of West Palm Beach plus an additional 5 acres from Palm Beach County. The remaining 5 acres would come from Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene, who owns numerous downtown West Palm Beach tracts.

The campus was slated to extend from Datura Street south to Fern Street, and from South Tamarind Avenue east to South Sapodilla Avenue in a section of the city dubbed Government Hill. A fall 2026 campus opening was planned.

But UF and Greene couldn't agree on terms , including naming rights, for Greene's donation.

In February, The Palm Beach Post revealed that the campus plan had stalled. After the story came out, UF publicly announced it was "pausing" plans for the campus.

The Gainesville-based university said the West Palm Beach campus plan instead would be folded into a six-month strategic review of UF's programs under the leadership of its new president, former Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse.

At about the same time, UF moved forward with an effort to place a satellite graduate-level campus in Jacksonville, an effort that received $75 million in funding from state lawmakers this spring.

West Palm Beach campus Is University of Florida's grad school downtown campus in peril?

UF campus in West Palm Beach fizzled before UF finished critical review

But the West Palm Beach campus plan died well before the six-month review was completed, according to documents obtained by The Palm Beach Post.

In a June 14 email to a top county official, UF associate general counsel Colt H. Little said the land deal between UF and Palm Beach County had been terminated. Little told Isamí C. Ayala-Collazo, the county's director of facilities, that the university's own six-month review process was the reason UF could not comply with a May deadline for due diligence, agreed to by both the county and UF.

UF spokesman Steve Orlando on Tuesday confirmed that the campus pause led to the expiration of the land-conveyance agreement for the campus, as per the contract's terms. He did not respond to a question explaining why UF didn't try to extend or salvage the campus agreement so it could survive past the six-month review.

But Orlando kept open the door for some unspecified UF presence down the line.

"As we have said all along, UF is committed to being a unifying presence throughout the state — that's why we are evaluating opportunities in the West Palm Beach community and around the state," Orlando said.

County Administrator Verdenia Baker said the 5-acre county parcel will be earmarked for government expansion, as it was designated prior to the UF campus proposal.

Business and government leaders expressed deep disappointment that the UF expansion failed.

UF campus coverage: Jeff Greene: University offered to name West Palm graduate school after me. 'A deal's a deal.'

Smallridge said the campus plan's termination is a blow toward creating a more well-rounded business climate. "At the cornerstone of any great economy is a solid education and offerings, and UF certainly would have bolstered our economic development efforts," Smallridge said.

"It's clearly disappointing. We were all looking forward to it," said Palm Beach County Mayor Gregg Weiss.

Weiss added that he hopes that at some point UF might reconsider: "We're always hoping to hear back from them."

West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James also expressed regret.

“Although I have not been formally advised of this decision, I am not surprised," James said in a written statement. "It is unfortunate that the city and the county have missed out on what I still believe is a wonderful opportunity."

UF campus in West Palm once hailed as major boost to county's fortunes

When the UF campus plan first was announced two years ago, university and local government leaders said UF's presence would bring thousands of highly skilled graduate students to the area and attract even more companies and jobs.

Last year, the city and the county moved quickly to complete land agreements with UF to create the downtown campus.

But Greene expressed concerns about UF's commitment to the project. He then added various conditions to his portion of the land donation, including enrollment requirements. Greene said he wanted assurances the campus would feature at least 700 students, but UF correspondence to Greene said he wanted "1,000 students forever."

Greene said he also wanted UF to adhere to a promise to name the school after him. "A deal's a deal," Greene said this year.

Want to get The Dirt?

In a February 2022 letter to Greene, a top UF Foundation official had offered to name the school the Jeff Greene School of Technology and Innovation.

But UF backpedaled on the promise. In one letter to Greene, former UF President Kent Fuchs said if UF named the campus after Greene, it would hinder efforts to obtain other private donations for the school and other naming opportunities for would-be donors.

Fuchs instead offered to name a building after Greene, a proposal Greene rejected.

By October 2022, UF decided it could not come to terms with Greene's requirements for the donation. The university began negotiations to buy the land from Greene. The sale fell apart in December.

More: Is University of Florida's grad school campus in West Palm Beach in peril?

When UF announced in late February of this year that the campus plan was on hold, Greene struck a conciliatory tone and said he still hoped things could work out. "I don't care about a building. This was never about naming. It was about getting involved," he said.

Greene said he also wanted to meet with UF's Sasse to work out a deal.

But in an interview Monday, Greene said he never got the chance to meet the new president.

"They changed their minds," Greene said. "I said from the beginning, this new president, Ben Sasse, didn't want to do this project. When you hear there's a little disagreement, you meet people. You make it happen. I never met the guy in my life."

James even tried his hand at salvaging some type of university campus downtown.

In April, James told The Palm Beach Post that efforts were afoot to lure a top, private, out-of-state university in a bid to replace the stalled UF campus plan. "Conversations are taking place behind the scenes," the mayor said. "We have the land."

A city spokesperson didn't respond to a request for comment this week about the status of that plan.

It's not clear if any other stakeholders would have wanted to join the mayor's would-be higher education venture.

Baker said the reason the county had agreed to donate its downtown West Palm Beach land to UF is because UF is a public, state university.

Where did $100 million in taxpayer money go?

In 2022, the Florida Legislature awarded UF $100 million for the West Palm Beach campus.

But the legislation contained a giant loophole. If the West Palm Beach campus didn't happen, the $100 million could stay with UF to use as it sees fit elsewhere in the state in a location outside Palm Beach County.

It's not clear where the $100 million will be used by UF now.

Orlando, the UF spokesman, said no decisions have been made about the money.

Alexandra Clough is a business writer and columnist at  The Palm Beach Post . You can reach her at  [email protected] . Twitter:  @acloughpbp .  Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

University of Florida

Applied Physiology and Kinesiology

APK 5102 Kinetic Anatomy 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Will provide in-depth coverage of musculoskeletal anatomy as a foundation for learning components of simple and complex motor tasks, with an emphasis on proper execution and analysis of joint movement and common exercises.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 5102

APK 5127 Assessment in Exercise Science 3 Credits

Techniques and methodologies to assess health and physical fitness.

Prerequisite: PET 3351C or equivalent.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 5127

APK 5133 Human Pathophysiology for the Exercise Sciences 3 Credits

Macrotraumatic and microtraumatic inflammatory processes, factors affecting inflammation and healing, and the role of exercise in controlling the onset or course of an inflammatory response.

Prerequisite: PET 2320C, 2350C, 3351C.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 5133

APK 5150C Clinical Anatomy for the Exercise Sciences 3 Credits

Designed for students to learn advanced dissection skills from a whole systems approach with the intent of practical application. The primary focus will involve human cadaver dissection. The role of anatomical structures as they relate to musculoskeletal injury mechanisms, evaluation, and rehabilitation will be emphasized.

Prerequisite: (APK_BS or APK_MS) & (APK 2100c or equivalent).

APK 5166 Sports Supplements 3 Credits

This course covers sport supplements and their effects on athletes. We examine aspects of diet and how supplements can influence different components. Then the history of sports supplements will be reviewed along with regulations that govern them. Lastly, supplements that are currently being used throughout the world will be discussed.

Prerequisite: APK 3110C with a minimum grade of C.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 5166

APK 5177 Strength and Conditioning for Beginning Practitioners 3 Credits

This course addresses the principles of designing training programs of varying duration aimed at improving muscular strength, power, speed, agility, endurance, balance, stability, and hypertrophy. Emphasis will be placed on creating and administering evidence-based periodized training programs and ensuring safe and productive technique of fundamental exercises in each modality.

Prerequisite: Must be enrolled in applied physiology and kinesiology (APK) degree program.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 5177

APK 5404 Sport Psychology 3 Credits

Survey of current research, learning processes, motivation, performance intervention, strategies, group dynamics, history of sport psychology, and other topics.

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 5404

APK 5702 Applied Sport Science 3 Credits

Examines fundamental concepts related to the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data relevant to the outcome of human performance across myriad physical and cognitive domains including sport, exercise, tactical operations, and medical professions. Addresses the use of statistics and broader fields of data science, artificial intelligence, analytics, and technology management necessary to evaluate performance and strategically adjust training methods to enhance performance.

Prerequisite: Required major of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 5702

APK 6116C Physiological Bases of Exercise and Sport Sciences 3 Credits

Applying fundamental concepts of human physiology to programs of physical education and sports. Recent research developments in sports physiology.

APK 6118 Neuromuscular Adaptation to Exercise 3 Credits

Research developments; and describing neural and muscular function and adaptation to acute and chronic exercise.

Prerequisite: APK 6110C.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6118

APK 6145 Movement Disorders 3 Credits

Covers the sensory and motor systems of the nervous system responsible for regulating movement in movement disorders. We cover movement disorders including Parkinson's disease, tics, Huntington's disease, dystonia, tremor, spinal cord injury, spasticity, cerebellar disorders, and speech and language disorders.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6145

APK 6167 Nutrition Aspects of Human Performance 3 Credits

Offers an overview of the roles nutrient selection, metabolism, and timing play in supporting and improving physical performance. Evidence-based strategies and recommendations are applied to industry specific examples. Course concepts aid in preparation for certification exams within the exercise sciences that include nutrition as a component.

Prerequisite: MS APK Student OR MS APK Certificate Student.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6167

APK 6170 Advanced Exercise Physiology 3 Credits

Covers advanced concepts in integrative physiology and exercise focusing on metabolism and endocrine exercise physiology, skeletal muscle contraction and fatigue, cardiovascular and hemodynamics regulations, and respiratory exercise physiology. The course emphasizes acute responses to exercise and environmental challenges in both health and disease.

Prerequisite: APK4112 or APK6116C or equivalent or instructor approval

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6170

APK 6176 Strength and Conditioning for Advanced Practitioners 3 Credits

Addresses advanced physiological, biomechanical, and exercise program design principles relevant to the practice of strength and conditioning. Emphasis is placed on making informed decisions from available data when designing training programs to optimize athletic performance. Prepares students for advanced strength and conditioning certification exams through various professional associations.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6176

APK 6205C Nature and Bases of Motor Performance 3 Credits

Principles of motor skill development, and conditions affecting motor skill development and retention in physical education activities.

APK 6206 Planning Motor Actions 3 Credits

Processes and mechanisms involved in planning voluntary human motor actions. Variables that influence movement planning and initiation.

Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6206

APK 6225 Biomechanical Instrumentation 3 Credits

Overview of data collection and analysis tools. Hands-on experience conducting projects using EMG, videography, and force transducer technology.

Prerequisite: APK 6220C.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6225

APK 6226C Biomechanics of Human Motion 3 Credits

Applying the principles of statics, kinematics, and kinetics to kinesiological systems of the human body in movement and sports skills.

Prerequisite: PET 2320C; MGF 1202 or MAC 1142.

APK 6320C Corrective Exercise 3 Credits

Examines fundamental concepts of human movement and movement impairments on musculoskeletal injury risk. Includes evidence based program design and practical skills necessary to successfully identify and correct movement impairments in active populations. Content will prepare students to sit for the National Academy of Sports Medicine Corrective Exercise Specialist certification.

Prerequisite: HH College

APK 6406 Exercise Psychology 3 Credits

Overview, examining research evidence on psychological factors associated with adapting and maintaining an exercise program.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6406

APK 6408 Performance Enhancement 3 Credits

Mental and psychological techniques and strategies to improve performance and achievement in sport and exercise.

Prerequisite: APK 5404 .

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6408

APK 6611 Tactical Strength & Conditioning 3 Credits

Examines fundamental concepts in bioenergetics, biomechanics, cardiopulmonary responses, and skeletal muscle function adaptation. Includes evidence based program design and practical skills in fire and rescue, law enforcement, and military careers. Content prepares students to sit for the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator certification.

Prerequisite: HH College.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6611

APK 6704 MATLAB for Biomedical Sciences 3 Credits

This course introduces MATLAB foundations to code, compute, analyze, and plot research data in biomedical sciences. Each week, the course consists of a 1-hour didactic lecture and a 2-hour lab session dedicated to Q As and troubleshooting non-working codes.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6704

APK 6715 Grant Writing in Health & Human Performance 3 Credits

Acquaints students with grant submission requirements. We will focus on NIH predoctoral (F31) specific aims and research strategy, but more general grant writing tips and approaches will also be discussed. Topics and examples will cover health and human performance. The course will conclude with the formation of “study sections” to peer review proposals.

Prerequisite: There are no prerequisites for this course, but doctoral student status is strongly recommended.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6715

APK 6900 Directed Independent Study 1-5 Credits, Max 12 Credits

Individual research projects under faculty guidance.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6900

APK 6940 Advanced Practicum in Exercise and Sport Science 1-5 Credits, Max 5 Credits

On-site practical experience in exercise and sport science.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 6940

APK 7107 Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology 3 Credits

Basic mechanisms of cardiovascular dynamics at rest and in response to exercise.

Prerequisite: APK 6110C/6356L or equivalent.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 7107

APK 7108 Environmental Stress Exercise Physiology 3 Credits

Energetics of environmental stress on cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, and muscle physiology as they pertain to physical performance.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 7108

APK 7117 Exercise Metabolism 3 Credits

Principles of metabolic regulation during exercise; effects of chronic exercise on muscle metabolism.

Prerequisite: APK 6110C or equivalent.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing APK 7117

ATR 6124 Clinical Anatomy for the Exercise Sciences 3 Credits

Cadaver dissection and lectures. Appreciation of clinical applications of anatomical knowledge for those pursuing careers in exercise science fields.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing ATR 6124

ATR 6215 Evidence-Based Orthopedic Exam I: Upper-Extremity 3 Credits

Identifying, evaluating, and managing acute athletic injuries.

Prerequisite: for students who are BOC-certified athletic trainers.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing ATR 6215

ATR 6216 Evidence-Based Orthopedic Exam II: Lower-Extremity 3 Credits

Orthopedic and biomechanical assessment of lower-extremity function and dysfunction. Students develop skills and study the principles and procedures used in advanced evaluation techniques. Students examine components of lower-extremity function from biomechanical, neuromuscular and anatomical perspectives. Topics include advanced orthopedic special tests, 3-dimensional kinematics, interpreting contemporary diagnostic tests and treatment of lower-extremity pathology/dysfunction and critical reviews of related research.

Prerequisite: ATR 6215

Catalog Program Pages Referencing ATR 6216

ATR 6304 Rehabilitation and Modalities of Athletic Injuries 3 Credits

Rehabilitation and therapeutic modalities in the field of athletic training.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing ATR 6304

ATR 6624 Athletic Training Research and Technology I 3 Credits

Current theory and practical application of techniques (cardiovascular testing, isokinetic strength testing, and EMG testing) for understanding and designing research projects related to athletic training and sports medicine.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing ATR 6624

ATR 6625 Athletic Training Research and Technology II 3 Credits

Current theory and practical application of techniques (modalities in research, proprioception testing, and force plate and balance testing) for understanding and designing research projects related to athletic training and sports medicine.

Prerequisite: NATA certified or eligible, or related degree or certification.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing ATR 6625

ATR 6934 Seminar in Athletic Training 3 Credits, Max 5 Credits

Research topics or contemporary issues in athletic training.

Prerequisite: NATA certification.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing ATR 6934

HLP 6515 Evaluation Procedures in Health and Human Performance 3 Credits

Evaluation and interpretation of tests and analysis of research data.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing HLP 6515

HLP 6535 Research Methods in Health and Human Performance 3 Credits

Introduction to research methodology and design.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing HLP 6535

HLP 6911 Research Seminar 1 Credit

Grading Scheme: S/U

Research presentations by graduate students and faculty in the College.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing HLP 6911

HLP 6935 Variable International Topics 1-6 Credits, Max 15 Credits

Opportunity to study in a wide range of cultural settings.

Prerequisite: adviser's approval.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing HLP 6935

HLP 7939 HHP PhD Professional Development Seminar 3 Credits

Designed to complement the scholarly emphases of the HHP PhD program by providing insight into key considerations for professional development and personal growth.  Best practices will be shared for developing professional aptitude and the skills necessary for successful matriculation through graduate studies and future professional careers.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing HLP 7939

HLP 7979 Advanced Research in Health and Human Performance 1-12 Credits

Research for doctoral students before admission to candidacy. Designed for students with a master's degree in the field, or for students who have been accepted for a doctoral program. Not appropriate for students who have been admitted to candidacy.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing HLP 7979

HLP 7980 Research for Doctoral Dissertation 1-15 Credits

Research for Doctoral Dissertation

Catalog Program Pages Referencing HLP 7980

PET 5936 Special Topics/Seminars 1-3 Credits

Special Topics/Seminars

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PET 5936

PET 6910 Supervised Research 1-5 Credits, Max 5 Credits

Supervised Research

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PET 6910

PET 6947 Graduate Internship in Exercise and Sport Sciences 3-9 Credits, Max 9 Credits

On-site full-time practical experience in field of study.

Prerequisite: completion of 2 terms of course work applicable to specialization; permission of adviser, written application, and site approval.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PET 6947

PET 6971 Research for Master's Thesis 1-15 Credits

Research for Master's Thesis

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PET 6971

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• Social Media

PhD Student Alexa Tierno receives 2024 Latino Excellence and Achievement Award

Alexa Tierno, a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology who also studies traumatic brain injury in the  Robert Hunt Lab , received the Excellence in Research and Health for the Latino Community Award at UC Irvine's 7th Annual Latino Excellence and Achievement Awards Dinner on April 4, 2024. The event is held annually to honor key leaders, graduate students, faculty and staff who have advocated, supported and championed student success and research excellence in the Latino community at UCI and in Orange County. 

Tierno received her BS in neuroscience at UCLA where she studied forelimb recovery following spinal cord injury using epidural stimulation. She then earned her master’s degree in physiological science at UCLA, continuing her research in spinal interneurons and spinal cord injury. At UCI, Tierno’s PhD work focuses on understanding the structural and functional circuit changes after traumatic brain injury. She has earned several awards, including the Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship to give a talk at the Gordon Research Conference on Epilepsy in Barcelona, Spain, and an NINDS F31 fellowship.

Outside of the lab, Tierno strives to give back to her Hispanic community. During her time at UCLA, she participated in an outreach education program designed  to teach local high school students at traditionally underserved schools about the effects of drug abuse on the brain. At UCI, she has volunteered at events hosted by ReachOut TeachOut, an organization designed to immerse local underrepresented high schoolers in STEM research and careers. Tierno is currently looking for ways to establish outreach programs through the UCI Epilepsy Research Center  and hopes to set an example for aspiring Latinos interested in pursuing STEM careers.

Media Contacts

Matt Miller Director, Communications and Public Relations [email protected]

Michelle Strombeck Manager, Communications and Public Relations 312-498-8208 [email protected]

Florida News | Florida Supreme Court weighs UF campus shutdown…

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Subscriber only, florida news | florida supreme court weighs uf campus shutdown case.

Attorneys for student Anthony Rojas went to the Supreme Court after a divided panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal rejected a potential class-action lawsuit stemming from fees that students paid for services such as transportation, health care and athletics.

The appeals court ruled that an Alachua County circuit judge should have dismissed the lawsuit because UF was shielded by sovereign immunity, a legal concept that generally protects government agencies from liability.

But a key issue is whether UF breached a contract with Rojas. Under sovereign immunity, government agencies can face lawsuits if it is shown that contracts have been breached.

Douglas Eaton, an attorney for Rojas, characterized UF’s argument Wednesday as “we don’t actually have to do anything for the money you paid us.”

“I don’t think it’s extreme to ask that someone be bound to their contract, to say that when you are paying for a service that’s specifically delineated for a specific purpose, that you receive something in exchange for that,” Eaton said.

But Joe Jacquot, an attorney for UF, said an “express contract” did not exist and that the appeals court properly ordered dismissal of the lawsuit. Jacquot said, for example, that the university could use fees in ways other than providing direct services to students, such as for capital-outlay projects.

“The relief he is seeking is (for) on-campus-only services during the spring and summer 2020 terms,” Jacquot said. “Is there any possible other use of those fees in the contract? And the answer is, of course. The statutes give all kinds of other uses of the fees.”

Justices asked numerous questions of attorneys on both sides and likely will take months to issue a ruling. If the court sides with Rojas, it would allow the lawsuit to move forward — not decide the underlying merits of the case.

UF and other schools across the country temporarily shut down campuses in early 2020 after the start of the pandemic. They continued to offer classes online, and Rojas’ lawsuit does not seek tuition refunds.

Chief Justice Carlos Muniz raised an issue during Wednesday’s hearing that UF’s regular online students do not pay the same fees that on-campus students pay. But he said all students went online during the shutdown, with the students who would otherwise study on campus still responsible for the fees.

“It doesn’t seem implausible to suggest that something that a student would have rationally thought they were bargaining for just isn’t being provided. And the question is who’s going to bear the brunt of that. Is it going to be the student or the school?” Muniz said. “And I think that’s a very complicated merits question. But I don’t know as far as just, did they allege that we had an agreement, and have they alleged that there was a breach, I don’t know why that isn’t enough to get past at least the sovereign immunity hurdle.”

As another example of issues raised during the hearing, Justice Charles Canady said many students might not use services that are funded with the fees.

“Isn’t it the reality that, for instance, for the health fee, many students may never get any benefit from that because they’re not sick,” Canady said. “They don’t access the services, they don’t want the services. They’ve got something else that they access.”

“But it’s available to them,” Eaton responded.

“I understand that,” Canady said.

“It wasn’t available to them here,” Eaton said.

“But they don’t have a choice about whether they pay it,” Canady said. “They may have great health insurance but they’ve still got to pay it, right?”

“That’s correct, but they get a service in exchange for it if they want it,” Eaton said. “Here they did not. Here they paid something and they received nothing in return. And that is a breach of contract.”

Like in the UF case, Florida appellate courts have issued a series of rulings rejecting lawsuits filed against schools including the University of Central Florida, Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University , Florida A&M University, Miami Dade College and the private University of Miami.

At least some of those cases have been appealed to the Supreme Court, where they were put on hold pending the outcome of the Rojas case.

One exception has been a class-action lawsuit filed against the University of South Florida. The 2nd District Court of Appeal refused a request by USF to dismiss the case, and the Supreme Court last year declined to take up an appeal by USF.

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