Chair, Occupational Therapy

Job Details

OT Chair Job Description

Alabama State University, Academic Affairs/College of Health Sciences, invites applications to fill the vacant position of Chair, Associate/Full Professor of Occupational Therapy. The successful applicant serves as chief administrator of the academic department; directs, plans, and coordinates all activities within the department and teaches appropriate departmental courses; supervises the work of all faculty members and staff associates assigned to the department; advises students; provides academic and administrative leadership to the graduate program and assists with establishing relationships with clinical partners. They will also lead the student recruitment initiative. Work is performed under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Health Sciences.

Chairperson: The department chair's role is to provide overall leadership for the program and faculty by fostering excellence in teaching, research, professional development, and service to the community. The chair represents the faculty to the upper administration and, in turn, reports the upper administration's decision to the faculty. This is a full-time position (12 months) with a teaching reduction of one course per academic semester.

Duties and 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
• Annual evaluation of the faculty in with collaboration with Program Director
• Recruit and retain faculty who meet ACOTE standards
• 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 with 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

Has earned a post-professional doctoral degree (EdD, PhD, ScD, OTD, etc.) awarded by an accredited institution, demonstrated a record of previous administrative experience as Chair, and/or Program Director with 6 years of higher education experience, 3 years of full-time experience as a core faculty member in an ACOTE-accredited entry-level occupational therapist education program. Meets the requirements for appointment of an associate or full professor. Must be a certified occupational therapist who is licensed (or eligible for licensure) in Alabama. Content expertise and current level of knowledge in assigned teaching areas.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with ACOTE accreditation, program/curriculum design, resource allocation, and personnel management. Is an active member of the American Occupational Therapy Association. A strong record of scholarly research activities is preferred.