Career Center

MSSW Online Program Director

The University of Tennessee College of Social Work (UTCSW) invites applications for an Online MSSW Program Director. We seek an experienced faculty colleague who has expertise in online graduate social work education. We are looking for a qualified candidate who will contribute to the highest-quality education of graduate students, engage with communities and professional organizations in collaborative ways, and help the CSW move forward in our commitment to anti-oppressive practice, equity, inclusive excellence, and social justice. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Social Work, the position can be located on either the Knoxville or Nashville campus. Faculty rank and appointment type will be based on experience and qualifications.

The Director of the Online Master of Social Work Program has the primary responsibility for managing day-to-day programmatic activities. This position works in tandem with the other MSSW directors on various aspects of the program, including admissions, curriculum development and implementation, student advising, faculty teaching assignments, program assessment, and compliance with accreditation standards. The MSSW Program Director is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective relationships with faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders. The MSSW Director promotes the School's connection with the practice community through active engagement with relevant professional associations at the local and national levels. The level of this position requires comprehensive knowledge and understanding of university practices and processes, sound judgment and decision-making skills, the ability to work collaboratively on a team, and the ability to create a vision and leadership for the Online MSSW Program. This position requires extensive knowledge of best practices in online education, especially as it relates to adult learners. 

The University and the College of Social Work

The University of Tennessee (UTK) recognizes its role as a land-grant, flagship research institution as stated in its new strategic vision that imagines "a world enriched by our ideas, improved through action, and inspired by the Volunteer Spirit of service and leadership." (https://chancellor.utk.edu/vision/). The UTCSW is moving forward on this vision under the dynamic leadership of Dean Lori Messinger and our senior leadership team to deepen our impact as researchers and scholars. With over 850 students enrolled in undergraduate, MSW, DSW, and PhD programs in Knoxville, Nashville, and online, the College is preparing highly skilled and culturally sensitive social workers to address areas of need across the state, the country, and the globe. The person hired in this position would become a member of this exceptional and thriving academic community.

The University of Tennessee Knoxville and the UTCSW are committed to our tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty. There is a strong mentoring program, manageable teaching load, competitive start-up funds for research, and university support for teaching and research innovation and success.

Campus Locations

The City of Knoxville is a hidden gem with a beautiful and walkable downtown, a diverse music scene, active neighborhoods, unique restaurants, outstanding athletic opportunities, and a robust offering of outdoor and cultural activities. Knoxville enjoys the charm of a small city with activities that range from green energy initiatives and community greenways to thriving festival culture, music, culinary, and outdoor recreation scenes. Knoxville's community brings events such as the Asian Festival, Knoxville Opera's Rossini Festival, Kuumba Festival, Hola Festival, Dogwood Arts Festival to name a few. The city is also home to the Knoxville Museum of Art, the Beck Cultural Center, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame,  the Frank H. McClung Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of Appalachia is a short drive from Knoxville. Citing affordability and quality of life, U.S. News and World Report ranks Knoxville among the best places to live.

Nashville is an action-packed and vibrant metropolis with so much more to offer than its famous Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry. It is currently listed as #30 on the U.S. News and World report's best Places to Live (2021) and offers events such as the CMA Festival, the Nashville Film Festival, Live on the Green, Tomato Art Fest, and the Nashville Pride Festival. Nashville is also home to several HBCUs with dynamic campus activities. Outside of Nashville's busy downtown Broadway scene, there are lots of unique neighborhoods filled with fantastic ethnic food options and cultural events, with unlimited opportunities to explore gorgeous parks and greenways, both inside and outside the city limits. Nashville is a short distance away from national parks that are great for camping and hiking.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work
• Evidence of ability to support the College's commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
• Evidence of online curriculum and program development experience
• Evidence of committee or team leadership
• Ability to describe teaching experience in the undergraduate and/or graduate level, and across modalities
• Experience teaching and or training in an online program
• Evidence of a scholarship and/or teaching agenda that advances social, racial, economic, or environmental justice, among others
• Evidence of professional qualifications appropriate to faculty type and rank

Preferred Qualifications

• A doctorate in Social Work or related field
• Administrative experience in education or training programs
• Evidence of community engagement

The Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee is seeking candidates who have the ability to contribute in meaningful ways to the diversity and intercultural goals of the University. 

Interested individuals should provide: (1) a cover letter addressing professional experience relevant to each required and preferred qualification, (2) a curriculum vitae, and (3) contact information for three professional references. Priority consideration will be given to applications submitted by November 1, 2022, though review may continue until an appointment is made. Materials should be submitted electronically through  http://apply.interfolio.com/112977. Inquiries may be addressed to the search committee chair, Dr. Lizzie Bowland sbowland@utk.edu

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the university. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, and national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equity and Diversity, 1840 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, telephone 865-974-2498. Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Office of Equity and Diversity.

About University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Our primary mission is to move forward the frontiers of human knowledge and enrich and elevate the citizens of the state of Tennessee, the nation, and the world. As the preeminent research-based, land-grant university in the state, UT embodies the spirit of excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, outreach, and engagement attained by the nation’s finest public research institutions.

Connections working at University of Tennessee, Knoxville