"Instructor - Criminal Justice, Social Work & Sociology - Social Work (Director of Field Education)"

Job Description

Instructor (Regular Non-Tenure Track)

Social Work

Department of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Southeast Missouri State University (Southeast) invites applications for an Instructor of Social Work to begin in Spring or Fall 2026. This position will also provide oversight for Field Education. The Instructor is responsible for teaching across the social work curriculum and administration of the Social Work Program's field education program for BSW students at Southeast. The Director of Field Education appointment will be subject to annual evaluation. This a 10-month recurring non-tenure track faculty position at the rank of Instructor.

Along with teaching, service responsibilities, and on-campus engagement, the Instructor provides leadership in the development and implementation of field courses and curriculum, collaborates with current and potential field practicum sites and human services communities, and interacts with other social work programs regarding regional and national field education standards and policies. The Instructor assures appropriate educational processes are implemented to support student learning and students' emerging professional development, and leads efforts to recruit, develop, and provide ongoing support to field supervisors and field site organizations.

Candidates must demonstrate a student-centered professional focus, a strong commitment to social work education, experience with student practice training, and dedication to social work values and ethics. The Instructor/Director of Field Education ensures Council of Social Work Education standards for field education are maintained. Previous faculty experience in higher education and field education, and a current clinical social work license (LCSW), are a plus.

Primary Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate courses across the BSW social work curriculum, both in-person and online, according to workload assignments.
• Direct and administer the field education program
• Establish and maintain agency placement criteria.
• Ensure agencies provide appropriate learning experiences for students.
• Oversee and monitor student practice placement performance to ensure timely, appropriate, and ongoing student placements.
• Oversee and monitor the performance of practice placement agencies, as well as review all affiliation agreements, coordinate the renewal of said agreements, make site visits to practice placement agencies, and develop new practice agency placement sites.
• Provide oversight for all background screening, and ensure compliance with all Field Education application procedures, review and make recommendations (as needed) for practice placements, and ensure the establishment, monitoring, and confidential maintenance of background screening records.
• Develop and implement Field Education related policies in collaboration with Social Work faculty and the department chairperson.
• Actively participate in the design of the Social Work Program curriculum, the evaluation procedures of the Program, and the development of academic policies.
• Oversee the implementation and quality of Field Education orientation for students, agencies, faculty liaisons, and Field Education agency instructors.
• Maintain current data regarding the status of students in practice placement, as well as ensure the consistent monitoring of all records of students in Field Education to support compliance with Program, agency procedures, and recording standards.
• Oversee the timely and accurate preparation and updating of Field Education manuals, forms, and procedures as approved by the Social Work Program faculty.
• Engage in departmental and university service.
• Serve as academic advisor to Social Work Program students.
• Participate in service activities including active participation in recruitment and retention activities.

Required Qualifications

• Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program. Degree must be from a regionally accredited or internationally accredited/government certified university.
• Current active Missouri social work license or eligibility for Missouri licensure.
• Minimum of two years full-time post-MSW direct practice experience.
• Demonstrated evidence of commitment to social work values and ethics.
• Evidence of or demonstrated potential for teaching excellence in higher education.
• Ability to teach in multiple modalities (in-person, hybrid, online)
• Demonstrated experience or potential overseeing and monitoring student practice placement performance.
• Demonstrated experience or potential in on-campus engagement.
• Demonstrated experience or potential in public service and outreach.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to collegiality when interacting with others within the University community

As a public regional university, Southeast seeks candidates with a commitment to excellent undergraduate education and student success within the framework of the teacher-scholar model. Applications of instructional technology and pedagogical research are supported through the Center for Teaching and Learning and SEMO Online. Successful candidates will contribute to the development of innovative curricula and delivery strategies, including traditional, blended, and online formats, and participate in initiatives promoting student success, retention, and degree completion.

Required Information & Deadline

Application Deadline: Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Priority consideration will be given to complete applications received by October 31, 2025. The position is slated to begin January 2026, but a later start date is possible based upon candidate availability.

Required Information: To apply, submit the following items online by clicking on the Apply button at the top of the page:

• Cover letter of interest addressing required position qualifications.
• Statement of teaching philosophy.
• Current curriculum vitae.
• Unofficial copies of transcripts (official transcripts are required when an offer of employment is accepted).
• Names and contact information of three professional references.

Departmental Information: The Department of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology at Southeast houses undergraduate degree programs (BS) in Criminal Justice and Social Work; undergraduate minors in Criminology & Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology; undergraduate certificate programs in Law Enforcement and Social Data Analytics; and a graduate degree (MS) in Criminal Justice. Several programs are available fully online, and the department strongly supports Prior Learning Credit (PLC) and experiential learning. More information regarding the Department of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology can be found at https://semo.edu/cjsws/. The Social Work Program is CSWE Accredited.