Director for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program - University of Florida

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida invites applications for the full-time, nine-month position of Director of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, with appointment to begin August 16, 2025. The appointment requires a Ph.D. in one’s discipline and will be made at the rank of a tenured or tenure-earning assistant, associate, or full professor. All geographic fields and disciplines that fall within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will be considered.

The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP) is an award-winning, nationally respected institution that has long been a cornerstone unit on the University of Florida campus, providing its services across disciplines and to the general public. The director will supervise a professional staff of five, along with several undergraduate and graduate assistants, and oversee a collection that constitutes more than 150,000 transcribed pages produced from more than 8,000 interviews found in the SPOHP archives and University of Florida Digital Collections.

The successful candidate therefore should have considerable experience in acquiring, conducting, and archiving oral histories and come with a strategic vision for the future of SPOHP in the digital age. Equally essential is the ability to manage personnel, budgets, and applying for and winning grants. The new director must also be willing to work with other units on campus, such as various area-studies programs, UF libraries, the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere, and the Gulf Scholars Program (a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine-supported certificate program for undergraduates).

The new director will have a tenure home in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and, in addition to SPOHP responsibilities, must be able to contribute to their department's intellectual growth and emphasis on interdisciplinary and collaborative research. The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching a diverse body of undergraduate and graduate students in Gainesville, Florida, and maintain a robust research and publishing agenda appropriate to a Research 1 institution. Teaching responsibilities include upper-division undergraduate and graduate courses in the applicant's field. Equally important is the ability to contribute effectively to the graduate program of one’s department: mentoring graduate students, offering graduate seminars, and chairing and serving on graduate committees (including serving on committees in other departments). The position also includes service responsibilities appropriate to rank.

UF is the state’s oldest, largest, and most comprehensive land grant university with an enrollment of over 50,000 students and was ranked 7^th in the country among public universities (US News and World Report 2024 rankings), and 1^st among public institutions in the Wall Street Journal 2023 survey. UF is located in Gainesville, a city of approximately 150,000 residents in North-Central Florida, 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, and 67 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and within a 2-hour drive to large metropolitan areas (Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville). The beautiful climate and extensive nearby parks and recreational areas afford year-round outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and nature photography. UF’s large college sports programs, museums, and performing arts center support a range of activities and cultural events for residents to enjoy. Alachua County schools are highly rated and offer a variety of programs including magnet schools and an international baccalaureate program. Learn more about what Gainesville has to offer at Visit Gainesville.

The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, and the compensation includes a full benefits package.

Employment Benefits include:

Health Insurance: UF participates in state- and university-sponsored benefits programs for individuals, families, and domestic partners, and offers voluntary insurance that includes vision, dental, long-term disability and more.

Retirement Options: Attractive options include Florida Retirement System Pension Plan, State University System Optional Retirement Program, Florida Retirement System Investment Plan, and Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan.

PhD

History of applying for and managing grants from private and/or public sources

Experience administering personnel and budgets

Ideas for working with a variety of different academic and administrative units

For full consideration, applications must be submitted online. Click on Apply Now at the top of this posting.

A complete application includes (1) a letter of application summarizing the applicant's qualifications, interests, and suitability for the position, while also articulating one’s vision for an oral history program (2) a complete curriculum vitae, (3) a statement on teaching and research goals, and (4) and names of three references (the search committee will request confidential letters of recommendation only from candidates selected for its preliminary “long” list).

Applications will be reviewed beginning November 15, 2024, and the position will remain open until filled. Only complete applications will be reviewed at this time. Applications received after this date may be considered at the discretion of the committee and/or hiring authority.

All candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening which includes a review of criminal records, reference checks, and verification of education.

The selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States require evaluation by a professional credentialing service provider approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.

The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law. If an accommodation due to disability is needed in order to apply for this position, please call (352) 392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at (800) 955-8771 (TDD). 

The Department of History is committed to promoting an environment that welcomes all abilities, classes, ethnicities/races, gender identities and expressions. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service.