The Opportunity

The School of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) invites applications for a 12-month, tenured professor to serve as school director. The position is located at the UCF main campus with an anticipated start date in August 2027.

The successful candidate will assume leadership of a school with a growing team of internationally recognized faculty engaged in rigorous graduate and undergraduate education, expansive clinical service-delivery, cutting-edge research, and innovative partnerships. Opportunities for innovation and expansion abound in the interprofessional context of the College of Health Professions and Sciences within UCF’s Academic Health Sciences Center. The selected candidate will provide academic and administrative leadership (i.e., management of human resources, implementation of a new budget model, academic and clinical programming, student success and research excellence); facilitate intra- and inter- school collaborations to enhance the impact of scholarship, teaching, and service; support and mentor faculty to secure external funding; and advance impactful programming to fulfill the healthcare needs of the community.

The School of Communication Sciences and Disorders was founded in 1969 and was first accredited in 1987. It has a strong history of excellence in teaching, research, and community service. The school includes 34 full-time faculty members serving an average of 175 graduate and 500 undergraduate students. It offers bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in communication sciences and disorders and ranks among the top 15% of speech-language pathology programs in the nation. The Master of Arts program boasts numerous internal and external affiliations, and the UCF Communication Disorders Clinic serves as the centerpiece for clinical education and applied research. This 15,000+ square foot state-of-the-art facility houses several research labs and specialty services, including audiology, the Aphasia House, the AAC Lab / Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST) Center, the Communication Technologies Research Collaborative, the Communication, Aphasia Recovery, and Emotion (CARE) Lab, Early Language & Literacy Intervention & Education Lab, Examining Patient-Provider Language and Interactions in Healthcare (EXPLAIN) Lab.  For more information about the school, visit our website at:  UCF School of Communication Sciences and Disorders - College of Health Professions and Sciences

Along with the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the College of Health Professions and Sciences at UCF is home to the School of Health Sciences, the School of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, the School of Global Health Management and Informatics, and the School of Social Work. The college also houses several labs and research collaboratives, including the CHPS Rehabilitation Innovation Center – a state-of-the art interdisciplinary facility designed to become a destination center for solving complex healthcare problems through allied healthcare research, education, technology development/applications, and collaboration. UCF and its 12 colleges provide opportunities to more than 69,000 students offering 240+ bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and specialist degree programs.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A research doctoral degree in communication sciences and disorders or a related discipline from an accredited institution;
• To be eligible for appointment as a tenured professor upon hire, the selected candidate must have a record of teaching, research/scholarly achievements, and service commensurate with a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at UCF;
• A record of administrative leadership and mentoring in a university setting.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Effective communication skills;
• Experience overseeing complex budgets;
• Experience with program accreditation;
• Experience with student recruitment for undergraduate and graduate programs;
• A record of federally funded research & mentoring faculty in securing external funding;
• Experience with interprofessional education;
• A record of facilitating successful collaborations within and outside the university setting;
• Experience with alumni engagement; and
• Experience with curriculum revisions and launching new educational programs.

Additional Application Materials Required:

UCF requires all applications and supporting documents to be submitted electronically through the Human Resources employment opportunities website, https://www.ucf.edu/jobs/. In addition to the online application, interested candidates should upload the following:

• A curriculum vitae.
• A letter of interest describing qualifications for the position, such as research agenda and teaching experience/interest.

NOTE: Please have all documents ready when applying so they can be simultaneously uploaded. Once the online submission process is finalized, the system does not allow applicants to submit additional documents later.

The selected candidate will be required to submit official transcripts (and, as applicable, U.S. degree equivalency evaluations) documenting the conferral of their qualifying academic credentials.

Questions regarding this search should be directed to: Dr. Shawn Lawrence at Shawn.Lawrence@ucf.edu.

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

All applicants must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer. H-1B visa sponsorship is not available for this position, and the university cannot accommodate H-1B transfers or employment-based visa processing for individuals currently sponsored by another employer.

Note to applicants: Please keep in mind that a job posted without an end date may close at any time without notice. As such, we encourage you to submit your application and all required documentation as quickly as possible to ensure consideration for the posted position.

Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?

As a next-generation public research university and Forbes-ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to grow, you’ll work alongside talented colleagues on complex projects that will challenge you and help you gain new skills and you’ll have countless rewarding experiences that go well beyond a paycheck.

Working at UCF has its perks! UCF offers:

• Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program. 
• Paid time off, including annual (12-month faculty) and sick time off and paid holidays.
• Retirement savings options. 
• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions. 
• Education assistance.
• Flexible work environment. 
• And more…For more benefits information, view the UCF Employee Benefits Guide click here.

Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.

Additional Requirements related to Research Positions:

Pursuant to Florida State Statute 1010.35, prior to offering employment to certain individuals in research-related positions, UCF is required to conduct additional screening. Applicants subject to additional screening include any citizen of a foreign country who is not a permanent resident of the U.S., or who is a citizen or permanent resident but is affiliated with or has had at least 1 year of education, employment, or training in China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Syria, or Venezuela.

The additional screening requirements only apply to research-related positions, including, but not limited to faculty, graduate positions, individuals compensated by research grants or contract funds, post-doctoral positions, undergraduate positions, visiting assistant professors, and visiting research associates.

Department

Work Schedule

Type of Appointment

Expected Salary

The University of Central Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law.  The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.

As a Florida public university, the University of Central Florida makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.  

UCF is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer. 

For general application or posting questions, please email talent@ucf.edu.

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please email onac@ucf.edu.