Collections

The University of Central Florida Office of Global Perspectives & International Initiatives Records collection, 2001-2013, contains presentations from the Office of Global Perspectives & International Initiatives. It mainly consists of printed and recorded presentations, newspaper clippings, VHS tapes, and CDs, relating to the Global Perspectives & International Initiatives office. This collection provides insight into the presentations and projects that the Global Perspectives & International Initiatives office led and participated in. The UCF Office of Global Perspectives & International Initiatives was founded to support students and offices on campus with international activities and learning. They also collaborate with national and international partners on projects, research, events, and initiatives. The focus of this work being on the study of modern slavery, human trafficking, diplomacy, and other foreign affairs.

The Office of Graduate Studies records, 1969-2015, documents the creation and maintenance of several graduate programs across six colleges at the University of Central Florida. The collection chiefly consists of program initiation proposals, program requests, reports, reviews, committee papers and correspondence relating to the formation of and proposed alterations to the given programs. The Office of Graduate Studies was founded in the late 1960s and was associated with the Office of Research. In 2003, they changed their name to the Division of Graduate Studies, and in the fall of 2008, they became the College of Graduate Studies. The College supports graduate students through their degree program, from the application period to graduation and beyond.

The Office of Student Involvement (OSI) supports student success and enhances the campus environment by focusing on their core principles of connect, involve, and impact by providing programs, services, student leadership opportunities, and intentional environments. This collection of records contains memorabilia, documents, and media relating to OSI's history, programs, and agencies.

The University of Central Florida Office of Technology Transfer records, 1989-2024 contains United States patents, international patents, trademarks, copyrights, Certificates of Correction, and correspondence about inventions made by UCF faculty, students, and staff. These materials were collected by the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) within the Office of Research. This collection provides researchers with the ability to view firsthand what patents, trademarks, copyrights, and certificates of correction consist of and understand what the process of obtaining these documents looks like.   Established in 1989, the University of Central Florida Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) serves the University of Central Florida research community and their discoveries by guiding them through the intellectual property protection, marketing, licensing, and networking processes. Through a combination of the disciplines of science, business, and law, OTT formulates a unique intellectual property plan and commercialization strategy for each discovery, promoting a transition from idea to market. Once on the market, OTT helps to manage corresponding patents, trademarks, and copyrights. The Office of Technology Transfer exists within the Office of Research. 

The Office of the General Counsel strives to protect the University of Central Florida from adverse legal and financial consequences and to provide counseling to university units and departments by using the foundational principles that guide the conduct, performance, and decisions of the university. This collection of records contains documents relating to the General Counsel's dealings with the legal advice and cases the university has been involved in the past.

Charles N. Millican was the first President of Florida Technological University, serving from 1 December 1965 until 31 January 1978. This collection of his administrative papers documents the organization of Florida's university system during those years with particular reference to the decision to found a new university in Central Florida and the physical and philosophical construction of the university that would become the University of Central Florida. Millican's papers include his correspondence, speeches and reports, State University System reports, as well as minutes of the Board of Regents and the Council of Presidents meetings. Of particular interest are documents that were written before his appointment, which concern the establishment of the University, initial planning conferences, site selection and legislative lobbying. After his appointment, topics of historical significance include construction, five-year plan, groundbreaking, dedication and presidential inauguration. Photographs are distributed throughout the record group and show faculty, students, staff, administrators, buildings and dignitaries who had any involvement with the University or its president. All aspects of university life are represented in these papers, academic affairs and faculty achievements, student affairs, and administrative decisions. Commencement ceremonies are well documented especially President Richard M. Nixon's speech at the 1973 commencement. Other topics in the collection include evaluation of the president, college housing program, faculty opinions and regional campuses.

H. Trevor Colbourn was the second president of Florida Technological University and the first president of the University of Central Florida because he was responsible for the name change. Dr. Colbourn served from 1978 to 1989, and during that time, he established the football program, honors program, Institute of Simulation and Training, and Central Florida Research Park. The collection of correspondence, reports, memoranda, photographs and pamphlets not only covers the period of his presidency but also his earlier research interests and subsequent service to the university as Professor of History and University Historian. Included in these materials are earlier documents created by Dr. Colbourn's predecessor, Dr. Charles N. Millican.

The collection contains materials created and used by the UCF Presidential Inauguration Committee for the inauguration celebration of UCF's fourth president, John C. Hitt. Event maps, brochures, correspondence, budgets, inauguration day materials, President Hitt's inauguration speech, and letters of congratulation from academic institutions world wide are found here.

The John C. Hitt collection, 1963-2018 (bulk 1992-2018), is made up of materials collected during John C. Hitt's 26 years as president of the University of Central Florida, as well as memorabilia he owned from before his time at the University. These items pertain to his presidency and contain correspondence with other university presidents and notes sent within the Office of the President, as well as various awards and memorabilia collected throughout his presidency. These include magazines, VHS tapes, books, shirts, photos, and a signed basketball. John C. Hitt was born on December 1, 1940 in Houston, Texas. On March 1, 1992, Hitt was appointed as the fourth president of the University of Central Florida (UCF). As president, he awarded over 260,000 degrees and opened several buildings across campus, including the Bright House Networks Stadium, Student Union, and Burnett Honors College. Enrollment at UCF more than tripled during his tenure, graduation and retention rates rose, minority enrollment increased from 17% to 46%, and the average SAT score for incoming freshmen increased by over 300. On June 30, 2018, after 26 years of service, Hitt retired. He died on February 20, 2023 at the age of 82 and is survived by his wife Martha Hitt as well as their two children, Charles and Sharon.

The University of Central Florida is a public multi-campus, metropolitan research university that not only educates the local community but also partners with technological companies and with educational facilities abroad. As Chief Executive Officer of the University, the president has support from a large team; therefore, the Records of the Office of the President document the University's major interests. Nevertheless, correspondence, reports, minutes, leaflets and news clippings also show the breadth and depth of the president's work and his personal interests.