The ELI Weekly
Commencement Ceremony
Friday, December 5th, University Auditorium, 10am to noon.
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Congratulations on making it to the end of the semester! We hope you learned more English, made some wonderful friends and had some fun this semester. You should all be very proud of yourselves, and we’d like to celebrate your accomplishments at our Commencement Ceremony on Friday. At the ceremony, we will recognize our scholarship and award winners and reflect on this semester at the ELI. |
Please invite your family and friends to join us for Commencement and help celebrate. All of your teachers and language assistants and ELI administration will be there too!
CIP News
The following students have completed their ELI Passports!
- Hayun Cho
- Gyeongmyo Kim
- Eva Sosa
- Aya Zatari
Congratulations and thank you for your involvement with the CIP this semester!
CIP Photo of the Week: Sweetwater Wetlands Park
Last Day of Classes
Wednesday, December 3, is the final day of ELI classes this Fall. Teachers will be submitting final grades and attendance reports at the end of the day.
Special Event
Thursday December 4th– End of Semester BBQ at Lake Wauburg – 12:15pm – 4:30pm
All are welcome to celebrate the end of the semester at our BBQ. Come get free food and kayak or canoe on beautiful Lake Wauburg, North Shore. Play sports, swim and jump off the dock, socialize, and enjoy Florida nature with friends for our very last event of the semester. Meet at Norman Parking Garage.
Please note, no smoking or vaping is allowed anywhere at this location, even if you are outside.
Entrance to the park is free with your Gator1 ID and mentioning the event with the ELI at the entrance gate. Boating has a small fee.
You must sign up to attend this activity, even if you plan on driving yourself. We need to make sure we know how much food to provide. Sign up here!
Certificates and Grades
Semester certificates will be available immediately after the Commencement Ceremony, and grade reports will be available in myELI by Monday, December 8. Certificates can also be picked up in the ELI Main Office after Commencement when the office opens at 2:00pm. If you would like a friend or family member to pick up your certificate for you, please stop by the ELI office by Thursday, December 4, to fill out a form so someone else can pick it up for you.
Notes from the Office
Reduced Hours: The ELI will have reduced office hours between December 8th and January 9th. Here is the schedule:
12/8 – 12/11: 9am – 4pm
12/12: Closed
12/15 – 12/18: 10am – 2pm
12/19 – 01/02: Closed
01/05 – 01/09: 9am – 4pm
People Out: Christine will be out of the office from December 9th to January 5th. Please email her if you need help. Daryl will be out from December 12th to January 5th. If you need to contact Daryl, please email him at studyenglish@eli.ufl.edu.
Check your I-20s: If you are traveling during the break (for example, leaving the US and coming back), make sure your I-20 is signed. Also check the expiration date. You can make an appointment with Daryl to sign your I-20 or to renew your I-20 before it expires.
As a reminder, all people in the US on a visa should always have their I-94 with them. The I-94 is proof that you are a registered alien in the US and shows that you are here on a non-immigrant visa. You can access your I-94 at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/home. Contact Daryl if you cannot access your I-94.
Also, have access to copies of other important documents, like your I-20, visa, passport, letter from USCIS, or other government issued documents related to your status in the U.S.
Gatorlink: If you are not returning to the ELI in the Spring semester, you will not be able to access your ufl.edu email address, one.uf.edu, Canvas, or other Gatorlink service after January 13th . You will need to download any emails, assignments, or information that you want to keep.
Spring C 2026 Check-in: Remember, you must check in using myELI between January 5 th and January 9 th, 2026. Even if you completed the Returning Student Survey, you must check in online to save your space. All students must attend classes beginning on Tuesday, January 20th.
Spring C 2026 Important dates:
- January 5 – January 9: Returning students must check in online in myELI
- January 13: NEW STUDENT Welcome and Registration (returning students are not required to attend)
- January 17: Welcome Picnic
- January 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (ELI Closed)
- January 20: Classes begin. Your teachers will start taking attendance on this day
- February 16: Instructor Workday – No classes, but the ELI office will be open
- April 3: Instructor Workday – No classes, but the ELI office will be open
- March 16 – March 20: Spring Break – No ELI or UF classes
- April 24: ELI Commencement Ceremony
Charges Due: Every ELI student should log in to ONE.uf.edu and look at the “Campus Finances (Bursar)” tile to see if you owe any fees to the university. For example, you may need to pay for services you received at the Student Health Care Center or printing in a library. If you have a scholarship, it will not pay these charges. You must also pay any outstanding non-UF charges or fines you may have, like court fees, speeding fines, or parking tickets.
Financial Guarantees for Spring: This is a reminder that students on government, company, or university scholarships need to request a new financial guarantee letter for the Spring semester, if you plan to return. If you need an enrollment letter or if you have any questions, please email us at fiscal@eli.ufl.edu.
Upcoming Class Notice:
The ELI is offering English for Academics and Professionals – English Interaction and Presentations Skills, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00-7:30pm, starting January 20th, 2026.
This non-credit in-person course designed for intermediate to advanced English language learners provides an opportunity for UF graduate students, visiting scholars, faculty, and staff to improve their spoken English skills. Professionals from the Gainesville community will also benefit from the course. Register for the course here. Find details, course outline, and contact information here.
Birthdays
| Students | Staff | ||
| Yuli Arenas | December 9 | Jolee Gibbs | December 4 |
| Pamela Campuzano | December 18 | ||
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From the Editor
Thank you for reading the ELI Weekly this semester!
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