Remember a few months ago when I toured the University of Central Florida School of Digital Media, Film, and Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy?  The official opening day for the school is approaching fast.  The majority of the renovations to the existing building are nearly complete and more students are preparing to enter the program.  The Orlando Sentinel has this article about the school and some of the key administration involved with the classes.

The initial class of eight to 12 students will be joined at four-month intervals by new students, bringing the academy's overall enrollment to about 100 by the time the first group graduates in December 2006.  The new program, funded primarily by a $4.2 million grant from the state Legislature, is focused on producing talent for the growing field of interactive-digital entertainment.  The staff includes Executive Director Ben Noel and Technical Director Tom Carbone, both former employees of Electronic Arts Tiburon, the Orlando subsidiary of video-game giant Electronic Arts Inc. Both will be closely involved with running the program.

It's good to see that the local university is teaming with business to train the game developers of tomorrow, but knowing how Electronic Arts treats their employees I wouldn't want to imagine the stacks of homework that these students will have to complete before the big deadline or else.