Chair of the Department & Associate Professor, Master of Occupational Therapy (Tenure-Track)

Job Description Summary

Shawnee State University is seeking candidates for the position of Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and a tenure-track associate professor position in the Master of Occupational Therapy with a start date of August 1, 2025.

The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences is one of three College of Health and Human Services academic units. The Department houses the following programs: post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate, entry-level Master of Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant, developing Social Work, Criminal Justice, and Behavioral Health Paraprofessional certificate. The Chair position reports directly to the Dean of CHHS. The Department Chairperson serves a three-year term and is eligible to serve multiple consecutive terms.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities of the Chair:

The Department Chairperson holds faculty rank and status and is a member of the bargaining unit. They shall serve as a liaison between faculty and the administration and be responsible for the following duties with the exception of accredited programs whose accrediting bodys language specifies that the Program Director is responsible for specific aspects of program management:

• Leads and coordinates the recruitment and selection of department faculty by providing oversight and direction to search chairs and search committees;
• Leads the orientation of new department faculty; provides the Dean with feedback on the instructional performance of faculty in the department.
• Leads the implementation of the promotion and tenure process in accordance with the CBA;
• Leads the planning of school/departmental offerings through assessing needs and recommending revisions in curricula, new degree programs, library acquisitions, and approaches to improving the delivery of instruction.
• Leads faculty in generating initial proposed course offerings that respond to the scheduling needs of prospective and new students, and the scheduling requests of faculty; submits course schedule recommendations to the Dean.
• Coordinates department advising with all applicable divisions personnel, including acceptance of majors, fulfillment of degree requirements, and assessment of equivalency and transfer credits;
• Proposes changes to the budget and submits it to the Dean for approval, and oversees implementation of the approved budget;
• Serves as the department representative for appropriate meetings;
• Coordinates the department outreach between the prospective students and programs and courses to ensure student enrollment decisions are completed effectively;
• Leads the department initiatives to grow the enrollment of students in the programs in their assigned areas;
• Has primary responsibility to oversee the department faculty in meeting their contractual obligations (e.g. attendance, office hours, and advising,);
• As needed may provide guidance and assist in informal resolutions of concerns to prevent them from reaching the level of a complaint that may lead to discipline;
• Leads the department initiatives in online programming and encourages faculty to become qualified to teach online.
• Encourages all faculty to pursue professional development opportunities.
• Performs other assignments relevant to the department as assigned by the Dean, including coordination assignments for department staff. These additional duties shall not include directly supervising Bargaining Unit Members, serving as an investigator, or applying discipline.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities of Associate Professor, Tenured-Track Faculty:

• Teaching in the Occupational Therapy Masters program using in-person and online delivery methods and experience with online course development

• Teaching responsibilities include, pediatric/children/youth, leadership, and/or program development content as assigned courses
• Mentoring graduate scholarly projects

The search committee will review applications until April 25, 2025. Only online applications are accepted. Complete your application by clicking the Apply for this Job link above and including:

• cover letter addressed to Dr. Barbara Warnock, Chair, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Human Services, specifically addressing how your qualifications meet the posted minimum requirements of the position;
• a CV;
• academic transcripts from all higher education institutions attended (official transcripts will be requested prior to hiring);
• a 1 to 2-page statement of teaching philosophy;
• In the Professional References section of your application, enter a minimum of three references who can confirm your experience and abilities to perform the responsibilities of this position. The References you provide will receive an email containing a unique link that allows them to upload your reference letter confidentially. Reference letters should be addressed to Dr. Barbara Warnock, Chair, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health and Human Services.

Candidates invited for an on-campus interview will be required to present a teaching demonstration of their instructional abilities. Specific questions regarding this position may be directed to Dr. Barbara Warnock, ...
Shawnee State University is the regional state university for South-Central Ohio. It is a primarily undergraduate, four-year public university with limited graduate degree programs. Enrollment is approximately 3,500 students. Shawnee State is located on the Ohio River in Portsmouth, Ohio a small city nestled in a beautiful, rural area of Southern Ohio. Portsmouth is approximately an hour's drive from Huntington, WV, and two hours from Columbus or Cincinnati, Ohio. Additional information about SSU is available at www.shawnee.edu.
Shawnee State offers a competitive salary (commensurate with experience and qualifications), including an attractive benefits package (see Overview of Employee Benefits for more information).

Employment with the University is dependent upon BOT budget approval for the fiscal year. Official transcripts and a background check are required prior to hire. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive learning environment in which students, faculty, administrators, staff, curriculum, social activities, governance, and all other aspects of campus life reflect a diverse, multi-cultural, and international worldview. The University community recognizes and values the many similarities and differences among individuals and groups. We are committed to preparing students to understand, live among, appreciate, and work in an inherently diverse country and world made up of people with different ethnic and racial backgrounds, military backgrounds, religious beliefs, socio-economic status, cultural traditions, abilities, sexual orientations and gender identities. To do so, we commit ourselves to promoting a community that celebrates and models the principles of diversity and inclusivity.

SSU seeks individuals who share our commitment to students as our first priority.

Shawnee State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. The University prohibits discrimination against any individual because of race, color, genetic information, religion, age, disability, national origin, ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or military status.

Minimum Job Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge in budgeting, recruitment, and retention
• Interpersonal skills and experience working within a higher education leadership group
• Experience in mentoring faculty and conflict resolution
• Knowledge of the curriculum design, application of instructional delivery principles (in-person and distance/online), and ability to apply required ACOTE accreditation standards
• Expertise in content related to research methodology and mentoring students on scholarly projects must demonstrate ongoing scholarly achievement and research expertise
• Experience in both face to face and online course development and teaching

• Training and experience in addressing needs of a range of learners within higher education teaching environment

Minimum Qualifications

• Masters degree in area of teaching specialization and six (6) years of full-time teaching experience as an Assistant Professor at a regionally accredited institution. If there is evidence of exceptional scholarship, professional, and/or teaching experience this may be considered as fulfilling or partially fulfilling the teaching experience.

OR

• Earned terminal doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy or related field (PhD, DSc, EdD, post-professional OTD, DrOT, etc) from a regionally accredited institution
• Occupational Therapist with NBCOT certification
• Currently licensed as an occupational therapist in Ohio
• Experience and skill in teaching and evaluation of student learning
• Current expertise in the area(s) of child/adolescent population, leadership, and/or program development for assigned teaching responsibility
• Experience in engaging in scholarly work
• A minimum of 5 years practicing as an occupational therapist and a minimum of 2 years experience as a faculty member with teaching responsibilities at the postsecondary level

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD/ScD as earned doctorate that reflects expertise in ACOTE research competencies
• Established research agenda and/or receipt of external funding for scholarship efforts
• Advanced training and/or certifications relevant to child/adolescent specialty practice (e.g.., specialization in sensory processing/sensory integration; advanced feeding, etc.)
• 8 years documented experience in occupational therapy, including clinical practice and administrative experience
• 4 years documented experience as a faculty member with teaching responsibilities at the postsecondary level