Program Director – Department Chair

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Provide leadership to attain the highest standards of excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service activities by members of the academic department.

• Facilitate annual goal setting for faculty and the department.

• Establish a culture that promotes openness to change and innovation.

• Oversee both core and part-time faculty, ensuring equitable workload distribution and contributions to the department’s and university's mission and objectives.

• Guide and coordinate faculty workload planning to support professional aspirations and work-life balance while addressing departmental and student requirements.

• Monitor faculty engagement in courses to guarantee quality teaching and effective communication with students.

• Ensure quality instruction aligns with institutional learning objectives.

• Maintain and implement processes for faculty appointment, contract renewal, rank applications, and professional development.

• Conduct annual evaluations of core faculty while maintaining open channels for feedback throughout the year.

• Monitor adjunct faculty course engagement and evaluations, providing necessary guidance and support.

• Assess the performance of part-time faculty when considering reappointment.

• Communicate and collaborate with Human Resource Services, Labor Relations, and the Office of General Counsel on personnel matters as needed.

• Coordinate the implementation of the unit's educational programs with faculty, scheduling courses and assigning instructors in consultation with specialization coordinators, faculty, and the dean's office.

• Monitor course registrations and make necessary adjustments to course schedules and instructor assignments in collaboration with other departments/areas/programs and the dean's office.

• Inform all faculty about new academic policies and procedures, including grading and evaluation deadlines.

• Collaborate with Academic Affairs to deliver an effective faculty orientation program that reviews Saybrook University’s policies and provides LMS training.

• Plan and manage the unit's budget in consultation with the dean’s office.

• Manage budget expectations and present recruitment requests for the department.

• Approve faculty and FWS schedules, pay, and expenses.

• Act as a central figure to address questions, concerns, and communications from students, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders, ensuring resolution at the department level.

• Keep the Dean informed.

• Facilitate administrative and departmental faculty meetings and committees.

• Follow up on faculty and student inquiries and requests related to academic progress.

• Lead recruitment efforts for faculty replacement or net growth when resources permit.

• Ensure that the diversity goals of the department and college are met by recruiting a diverse pool of highly qualified candidates.

• All core faculty are encouraged to play a significant role in recruiting prospective students and processing student admissions.

• Review and interview applications, utilizing established systems to efficiently progress applicants through the review process.

• Cultivate relationships and maintain regular communication with relevant university and system partners.

• Coordinate and participate in annual academic program and faculty review processes to comply with accreditation requirements and external accrediting bodies as necessary.

• Facilitate regular program reviews to ensure relevance and pedagogical innovation.

• Monitor the curriculum and recommend changes to meet the evolving needs of students and the University.

• Coordinate curricular changes initiated within the department before forwarding them to the appropriate college and University committees.

• Support the development of curricula and courses for new and existing programs to keep content and pedagogy current and relevant.

• Regularly review and support degree program policies, coordinate catalog revisions, and update website managers on program changes.

• Propose new initiatives, programs, and projects; organize and facilitate the approval of new course offerings and learning outcomes; support the maintenance, growth, and relevance of the academic program.

• Teach specific courses and serve on student research committees.

• Utilize university resources to maintain technology skills pertinent to each program and process.

⛳️ Requirements

• Doctorate (PhD or PsyD) in Clinical Psychology from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

• At least 5 years of combined faculty and administrative experience, including leadership experience within a doctoral-level program.

• Direct experience leading an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited doctoral program.

• License or certification in the relevant discipline, as appropriate (e.g., clinical psychology, counseling, coaching, etc.).

• Experience engaging with institutional accreditors (e.g., WSCUC and HLC) and state regulatory/licensure bodies.

• Strong interpersonal, collaboration, and communication skills.

• Willingness to cultivate strong organizational, delegation, and follow-through skills.

• Experience leading projects and/or teams.

• Record of scholarship sufficient to support and facilitate faculty scholarly activity at the doctoral faculty level.

• Passion for innovative pedagogy and demonstrated teaching quality in online and hybrid environments.

• Established history of meaningful service to the department, university, discipline, and/or community.

🏝️ Benefits

• Generous paid time-off.

• Medical and dental coverage.

• Company-paid life and disability insurance.

• Retirement plan with employer contribution.

• Multiple flexible spending accounts (FSA).

• Tuition reimbursement.

• Professional development.

• Regular employee appreciation events.