"Assistant Professor of Communication Disorders-Tenure Track"

Description

Faculty within the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies at University of Central Missouri support the university's mission of providing student-centered, quality education and are committed to the success of students. This includes quality teaching, advising, collegiality and communication. In addition, faculty provide service to their program, department and university, engage in research, scholarship, and professional development activities. During contractual employment, faculty members are expected to be available to assist, engage, and respond to students, colleagues, departmental, college, and institutional needs.

The UCM Communication Disorders program offers a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. The program has maintained continuous accreditation since 1969 from the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Housed within the program is the Welch-Schmidt Center for Communication Disorders (WSCCD). The WSCCD provides student clinicians with on-campus diagnostic and treatment experiences involving individuals across the life span and with a wide range of communication and/or swallowing disorders at various levels of severity. On-campus clinical training is supported by state-of-the-art materials, instrumentation, and facilities. Within the WSCCD, faculty continuously support the development of new training opportunities, including the Parkinson's Voice Project, the Babbles to Books early childhood program, the university's THIRIVE program, the new Sensory Room, experiences with telehealth, and the future development of adult and pediatric feeding and swallowing clinics.In addition to the dynamic and rich experiences obtained in the on-campus clinic, students enroll in two mandatory off-campus practicums, one educational and one medical. Graduate students participate in a variety of clinical collaborative experiences with other professions.

The Communication Disorders Program is located in the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies' Department of Human Services. With four colleges, UCM offers 171 programs of study, including 74 Bachelors programs, 52 certificates, and 41 graduate programs all at an affordable cost that has been applauded by the U.S. News & World Report for several honors including America's Top Public School in the Midwest Region and Best Regional University (Midwest). Nearly 12,000 students from 48 states and 49 countries enjoy small class sizes, learning opportunities with hands-on experiences, and personalized attention from dedicated faculty members. Currently, UCM successfully places 98% of graduates (across all graduate programs) within six months of graduation. We are a leader in discipline-specific accreditation and serve as Missouri's lead institution in professional technology.

The Communication Disorders Program at the University of Central Missouri (UCM) in Warrensburg invites applications for a 9-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Speech-Language Pathology beginning in the Fall Semester (August 2026). Reassigned time for research is available. Summer teaching may be available.

Responsibilities include
(a) teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, including clinical (teaching) supervision,
(b) mentoring undergraduate and graduate research,
(c) discipline-based scholarship, and
(d) university/discipline service.
Expertise with acquired communication disorders in adults including cognitive-linguistic communication disorders, voice disorders, motor speech disorders, and/or swallowing disorders is desired; however, other areas of emphasis (e.g., fluency disorders) would be considered. Ideal candidates will have experience teaching at the university level, instructing and mentoring student clinicians, and demonstrated or potential ability to build and sustain a programmatic line of research. Successful candidates should possess attention to detail, exhibit effective communication skills, manage multiple concurrent projects, meet deadlines, and maintain confidentiality.

Examples of Duties

Teaching -

The primary responsibility of the faculty is quality teaching in their respective content areas, regardless of delivery format. This entails adequate preparation for courses, effective course design and instruction, and fair and timely evaluation/feedback of student progress. To ensure quality teaching, faculty must be committed to the success of students as well as ongoing assessment of curriculum and of student learning.

• Keep current in your discipline.
• Organize courses to facilitate quality student engagement and high impact practices.
• Assist department/school chairs with scheduling of classes that meet the needs of students.
• Comply with departmental, college, and university standards concerning the academic quality and integrity of their classes.
• Keep current in their use of technology by attending university training sessions and other professional development opportunities.
• Be available to meet students outside the classroom by being available before or after classes by scheduling office hours both in a physical and electronic format to include in person and virtual office hours.
• Assist with department and college assessment and be proactive with modifications to curriculum based on assessment feedback.

Scholarship/Professional Development -

The strength of a university rests on the knowledge and skills of its faculty. Faculty must stay current in their field of expertise/teaching area.

• Authoring academic writings.
• Presentation of work at local/state/regional/national conferences.
• Active membership and/or office holding in professional organizations at the local/state/regional/national level.

Service -

An expectation of a professional faculty member is to serve the department, college, and university community.

• Attending department/college/university meetings
• Engaging in committee work that will advance the department/college/institution.
• Assisting with student recruitment.
• Participating in graduation and convocation ceremonies.

Advising -

A primary responsibility of faculty is the proper, timely, competent and professional advising of students.

• Be knowledgeable of the requirements of their degree programs as stated in the appropriate catalog(s).
• Meet/advise students on academic and non-academic matters (e.g. curriculum mapping, internships, graduate/professional school options and career preparation).
• Provide leadership and promote excellence in student organizations.

Communication -

Faculty should communicate effectively and in a timely manner with students and colleagues at all levels of the institution. This implies an understanding of the communication hierarchy within departments, colleges, and administrative levels. Timely communication with students supports other faculty responsibilities (teaching, advising).

• Cultivate a collegial atmosphere when interacting with other faculty/staff within their own department, the college and the university.
• Be responsive and timely. Respond to student phone calls and email messages within university guidelines.

Typical Qualifications

Education:

Candidates must possess a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) in Communication Disorders and/or Sciences, or another associated discipline. Strong ABD candidates would be considered.

Experience:

Candidates must be eligible for Missouri licensure and hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing-Association for a minimum of 9 months prior to employment.

Supplemental Information

Please complete an on-line faculty profile, which may be found at https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/ucmo. Provide the following either on your faculty profile or as an attachment:

• cover letter,
• curriculum vitae, and
• contact information for three professional references (include names, phone numbers, and email addresses).

If selected for an interview, you will need to provide three letters of reference and official transcripts from all universities attended.

The anticipated review date is January 15th, 2026, and reviews will continue until the position is filled. For more information about the position, contact Caitlin Imgrund Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Search Committee Chair, Communication Disorders Program, email address: Imgrund@ucmo.edu. Contact Phone: 660-543-4418

For information about the online application process, please contact Human Resources at humanresources@ucmo.edu or (660) 543-4255.

All documents requested for this position must also be attached to the faculty profile at the time of application. Only completed online faculty profiles with attached documents will be accepted for this position

Special Instructions:

• Full-time staff & 12-month faculty benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks paid vacation per year; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes at UCM.
• 9-month faculty benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes at UCM.
• Part-time benefits-eligible positions: Benefits include generous education assistance for the employee.
• Temporary, adjunct, student employment, or graduate assistant positions: Benefits are not included.

Completed UCM online application for employment required. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

A review will begin immediately and continue until filled unless indicated otherwise.

NOTE: A background check is required for the selected candidate of all staff, faculty, adjunct, and temporary positions and any job offer is contingent on the results of this check. Student employees and graduate assistants do not require a background check to be conducted prior to employment.

The University of Central Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.