Associate/Full Professor of Social Work

Hiring Range: $67,000 - $72,000 per year at associate rank; $80,000 - $90,000 per year at full professor rank

Department: Social Work Department

Work Schedule:
Full-time, tenure-track position available September 1, 2023. Teach 4 classes over the academic year (September – May). Administrative responsibilities: Social Work Program Director/Department Chair.

General Description:

The Department of Social Work at Pacific Lutheran University seeks an Associate/Full Professor to begin September 1, 2023. We are seeking professional faculty who are inclusive educators and leaders committed to supporting students and faculty as they discover their vocation. Applicants will join and lead a dynamic and growing program. The baccalaureate Social Work Program at Pacific Lutheran University has been continuously accredited by CSWE since 1975. The program is well-regarded in the community and has strong support from alumni and professionals in the surrounding area. Graduates are well received in employment settings and MSW programs. Applicants should be able to assume responsibilities as Social Work Program Director (Department Chair) and teach in our generalist social work practice classes, specifically social policy and macro practice. There is also the opportunity to teach field seminar, electives and/or interdisciplinary courses such as First Year Experience (FYEP) and/or International Honors (IHON) and have the opportunity to be involved in PLU’s robust study away program.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Chair the Social Work Department, supporting faculty and students, and maintaining high accreditation standards.
• Teach 4 courses per year, including the social work policy and macro practice courses. Classes may also include field seminar, introductory social work classes, elective(s) or interdisciplinary programs such as First Year Experience (FYEP) or International Honors (IHON), and study away opportunities.
• Serve in the department and contribute to the larger life of the University through advising, committee work, and other service activities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to provide inspiring and visionary leadership to advance the Social Work program at PLU in accordance with CSWE expectations and the 2022 EPAS.
• Effective communication including ability to collaborate with colleagues across disciplines.
• Familiarity with teaching generalist practice social work courses.
• Background working with, teaching, or mentoring diverse groups and/or diverse students and promoting diversity, inclusion, equity, and multicultural competence in the classroom, curriculum, and throughout campus.
• Commitment to inclusive undergraduate teaching in a university that blends the liberal arts with a generalist-focused professional education in social work.
• Clearly defined scholarship agenda relevant to social work.
• Understanding of the impact of race and other forms of diversity on social work practice.

Required Qualifications:

• DSW or PhD in Social Work or closely related field.
• MSW from a CSWE accredited program plus two years-post MSW practice experience.
• Evidence of teaching excellence and a demonstrated concern for improving the quality of their teaching; demonstrated competence in scholarship, along with the potential for continued scholarly achievement; and a substantial and sustained service record.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous teaching experience in policy and macro practice.
• Previous leadership experience in a university or other professional setting.
• Practice experience in social work in medical or behavioral health settings.
• Previous undergraduate teaching experience. Knowledge of CSWE accreditation standards.

Special Instructions to Applicants: To apply, please submit the following:

• Cover letter;
• Curriculum vitae;
• List of three references;
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy in which you describe your goals for student learning, the methods you use to help students achieve them, and how you assess student learning. This statement should also explicitly address pedagogical methods that support learning needs of students from diverse backgrounds, attention to diverse perspectives or methodologies in research and publications, and the ways you create an inclusive learning environment that is attuned to diversity and equity. In addition, describe how your teaching philosophy will translate to your responsibilities as Program Director in supporting your faculty and functioning as a leader in the department.

For questions or more information, please contact Dr. JoDee Keller, Search Chair, at kellerjg@plu.edu.

Other Information:

Pacific Lutheran University purposefully integrates the liberal arts, professional studies and civic engagement in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Our faculty lead with a bold commitment to expanding well-being, opportunity, and justice and instill this commitment in their students. PLU educators work to create an environment where students feel heard and valued, nurturing lifelong learners who aren’t afraid to do things differently to make the world better for everyone. PLU supports faculty as they help students turn ambition into purpose, skills into tools, and their caring into a transformative force.

Because PLU is a community committed to the creation and advancement of knowledge through diversity and inclusion, the university actively recruits a diverse faculty, staff, and student body from all religions, races, socioeconomic groups, sexual orientations, and gender expressions and from all over the world. For the 2021–22 academic year, 34.3% percent of PLU undergraduate students are from the first generation in their families to attend college; 43.7% percent self-identify as students of color; and 34.4% percent are Pell Grant–eligible.

Offering distinctive opportunities for global engagement, collaborative student-faculty research, and purposeful learning, our faculty guide 2,900 students from all faiths and backgrounds to discern their purpose through relevant coursework, inclusive mentoring, and internships at world-class Puget Sound-area businesses and institutions. PLU is located on a 156-acre woodland campus in the Parkland neighborhood of Tacoma, Washington and about 40 minutes south of downtown Seattle. The campus reflects consciously green practices and is in proximity to the natural beauty of Mount Rainier, the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, and the Puget Sound.

PLU administration supports and respects the strong culture of faculty-shared governance by working closely and collaboratively with faculty leadership to sustain and strengthen existing structures and procedures while working together on key institutional, academic and curricular decisions. PLU is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from members of historically underrepresented and minoritized groups, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and others who would bring broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research, or other work activities. For general application questions or if you need accommodations at any point in the application and/or interview process, please contact the Human Resources Office at 253-535-7185 or humr@plu.edu.