Associate Professor - Physical Therapy - Tenure Track

Western Michigan University invites applications for the position of a full-time fiscal year, 12-month Tenure Track Associate Professor, or Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy. This individual will join a DPT faculty of eight (8) in a growing and assessing a contemporary, innovative, and student-centered 2.5-year DPT program.

The Department: The Department of Physical Therapy and the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program were established and approved in 2015. The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at WMU achieved initial accreditation in December 2021 and will seek reaffirmation of accreditation in 2026. We are seeking highly motivated, energetic, and team-oriented individuals with demonstrated contemporary expertise in at least one of the following:

• Program Development and Evaluation
• Research Foundations
• Neurosciences Applied to Physical Therapy
• Geriatrics
• Management of Integumentary Conditions
• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Healthcare Practice Management

The University: Western Michigan University (WMU), located in Southwest Michigan, is a vibrant, nationally recognized student-centered research institution with an enrollment of over 18,000. WMU delivers high-quality undergraduate instruction, has a strong graduate division, and fosters significant research activities. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies WMU as a doctoral university and one of just 185 public universities in the nation conducting research at a high level.

The College: In 1976, pioneering allied health and human services professional programs united in the WMU College of Health and Human Services, carrying on a tradition of excellence and innovation that began in 1922 with the establishment of the occupational therapy program. That tradition continues today. The College of Health and Human Services has high-quality, nationally ranked academic programs; exceptional students and faculty; unmatched clinical education; many regular opportunities for inter-professional education; state-of-the-art teaching facilities; outreach, service and community engagement; and a strong research record that is helping shape the future of health care.

The college is composed of departments, schools, centers and clinics. Departments include Blindness and Low Vision Studies; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Physician Assistant; and Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. The college's schools include Interdisciplinary Health Programs, with programs in Gerontology, Healthcare Administration, Integrative Holistic Health and Wellness, Healthcare Services and Sciences, and Public Health; Nursing; and Social Work. The college also houses the Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Program. The college also operates the Center for Disability Services, Aging Services, the Resiliency Center for Families and Children, and the Unified Clinics, a multidisciplinary service/training clinic. CHHS is housed on east campus in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with online and regional programs that extend the depth and breadth of the college's access and influence.

Approximately 100 board appointed faculty serve approximately 1,202 undergraduate and 715 graduate students, with majors and programs that lead to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. A number of graduate certificate programs and undergraduate minors are also offered.

The students and faculty of the College of Health and Human Services extend the energy of the college and University through significant efforts toward community engagement and service. With required internships, field placements and clinical rotations alone, faculty-supervised CHHS students provide more than 600,000 hours of service annually to children and families in the community, region and across the nation. Substantial volunteerism increases this positive impact.

The mission of the College of Health and Human Services is to engage every person in an experiential, interprofessional and inclusive academic environment that inspires compassion, integrity and advocacy. We prepare all learners to thrive in health and human services careers that are high in demand, high in purpose, high in satisfaction and unsurpassed in impact.

Major Duties

• Teach in areas of expertise and additional assigned content areas.
• Contribute to the department's program development and management.
• Supervise and advise students.
• Develop and sustain a scholarly research agenda in accordance with contemporary CAPTE standards and WMU institutional expectations.
• Contribute to curricular development and assessment.
• Participate and provide expertise to reaffirm program accreditation.
• Provide service to the DPT program, department, university, profession, and community.
• Contribute to an interprofessional environment of instruction and community collaborations.
• Contribute to the department's recruitment and retention efforts.

Minimum Qualifications

• Earned Physical Therapy (PT) degree from an accredited institution.

• Academic credentials to include any of the following:

• PT degree AND an academic doctoral degree (PhD, ScD, EdD, or DHSc), OR

• Clinical doctorate in physical therapy (DPT) AND ABPTS certification.

• Current, active physical therapy licensure, and eligibility to obtain Michigan physical therapy licensure.

• Demonstrated academic rank of Assistant Professor for a minimum of 3 years.

• Demonstrated academic contemporary expertise in one or more of the identified areas.

• Demonstrated teaching excellence and assessment experience at a graduate level.

• Demonstrated experience conducting research with evidence of a strong scholarly agenda including external funding and peer-reviewed scientific study publications.

• Strong oral, written, and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to function well within a collegial, collaborative work environment.

Desired Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise AND at least 3 years of graduate level teaching (must be completed by date employment would commence).
• Minimum academic rank of Associate Professor.
• Completion of APTA accredited fellowship or residence.
• History of mentoring faculty in research.
• Experience with CAPTE accreditation process.
• Membership in the American Physical Therapy Association.

Special Instructions to Applicants Additional Position Information

Go to: wmich.edu/hr/employees/faculty for benefits and other information.