Chair, Associate/Full Professor of Occupational Therapy

Alabama State University, in partnership with the national search firm Scott Healy & Associates, invites applications and nominations for the position of Chair, Associate/Full Professor of Occupational Therapy. This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic leader to guide and advance a graduate program within the College of Health Sciences at one of the nation’s oldest historically Black colleges and universities.

Reporting to the Dean of the College of Health Sciences, the Chair serves as the chief administrator of the department and provides academic and administrative leadership for the program, faculty, staff, and students.

Responsibilities:

• Promote the development of the program.
• Create and implement the program’s mission, vision, philosophy, and strategic plan in alignment with the college and university missions, visions, and strategic plans.
• Recruit and retain faculty who meet ACOTE standards.
• Annual evaluation of the faculty in collaboration with Program Director.
• Serve as the chair of the screening/hiring committee for new faculty.
• Set goals and establish program policies in collaboration with faculty, staff, and students.
• Manage the program’s budget in collaboration with the Dean of the College of Health Sciences.
• Assign teaching loads and develop course schedules in collaboration with the Program Director.
• Assign program committees and committee chairs.
• Facilitate the new student application process.
• Assign students to respective faculty advisors.
• Assist faculty and students with issues as appropriate.
• Engage in teaching, research, and/or other scholarly activities.
• Provide service to the institution, profession, and community.
• Participate in professional development activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Earned post-professional doctoral degree (EdD, PhD, ScD, OTD, etc.) awarded by an accredited institution
• Eight years of documented experience in the field of occupational therapy, which must include: Clinical practice experience as an OT; Administrative experience including, but not limited to, program planning and implementation, personnel management, evaluation, and budgeting; Scholarship (e.g. scholarship of application, scholarship of teaching and learning); Understanding the role of the OTA; Four years of experience as a faculty member with teaching responsibilities at the post baccalaureate level.
• Possesses requirements for appointment of an associate or full professor
• Certified as an occupational therapist who is licensed (or eligible for licensure) in Alabama
• Possesses content expertise and current level of knowledge in assigned teaching areas and demonstrate scholarly achievement and research expertise
• Knowledge of curriculum design, application of principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice concepts, and the content delivery method

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated a record of previous administrative experience as Chair, and/or Program Director
• Experience with ACOTE accreditation, program/curriculum design, resource allocation, and personnel management
• Active membership of the American Occupational Therapy Association
• Strong record of scholarly research activities