Professor and Chair, Department of Counselor Education & School Psychology

The Opportunity  

The Department of Counselor Education & School Psychology (CESP) in the College of Community Innovation and Education (CCIE) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) seeks a dynamic and innovative leader to serve as professor and department chair, a full-time 12-month, tenured position, anticipated to begin Summer 2025.

The Department of Counselor Education & School Psychology provides excellence in teaching, research, and service related to the clinical mental health counseling; counselor education and supervision; marriage, couple, and family therapy; school counseling; and school psychology. Dedicated to students in the department, the faculty delivers outstanding instruction primarily at the graduate level, incorporating learning, service, and inquiry. By actively developing meaningful partnerships and externally funded research projects, the department provides exemplary service to the college, university, and the broader profession and community. The Department of Counselor Education & School Psychology, with approximately 275 graduate students, was ranked number 12th in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings. With 17 full-time and additional adjunct faculty, the department offers graduate degrees in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.A.); Counselor Education and Supervision (Ph.D.); Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy (M.A.); School Counseling (M.A., M.Ed.); and School Psychology (Ed.S.), as well as an undergraduate minor in health services. The graduate program in Counselor Education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and the School Psychology program is approved by National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).

The department consistently attracts and cultivates a diverse student population for success in careers in community agencies and centers, non-profit organizations, and schools, promoting the functionality of individuals, groups, and communities. The department provides students with multiple opportunities to engage in embedded field experiences, internships, and research projects. Within the department is the UCF College of Community Innovation and Education Community Counseling and Research Center (CCRC), which offers free individual, couple and family counseling services to the Central Florida community. The CCRC is a state-of-the-art clinical training facility for master's and doctoral level counselors-in-training in the Counselor Education program and clinical supervision is provided by program faculty. In addition, the department faculty led the UCF Marriage and Family Research Institute (MFRI), which was created in 2003 to support and strengthen healthy relationships for individuals, couples and families. The MFRI is committed to: (a) conducting and disseminating rigorous research that contributes to the understanding of relationships and provides useful clinical applications; (b) collaborating with community partners to enrich the lives of individuals, couples, and families; and (c) providing inclusive and accessible services to the widest reach of people across race, ethnicity, ability, religion, class, culture, and sexual orientation. For more information about the department, please visit the homepage at: https://ccie.ucf.edu/cesp/

The Department of Counselor Education & School Psychology is committed to excellence and innovation on a large scale that leads to positive impacts. With this commitment in mind, we are looking for an experienced candidate to provide academic and administrative leadership (i.e., management of human resources, budget, academic programming, and fundraising); facilitate programs of individual and collaborative research; support and mentor faculty to seek and obtain external research funding and secure promotion; as well as promote an inclusive, collegial, and collaborative work environment.

The selected candidate will report to the dean of CCIE and serve on the college’s executive and academic councils. Specific duties include the following:

• Provide academic leadership in developing and defining the department's strategic plan. Lead the faculty, staff, and students in fulfilling the goals of the department.
• Create an environment within the department that encourages quality scholarship and research to inform the discipline.
• Promote community-based partnerships that positively impact students, faculty, and the community.
• Collaborate with other administrators within CCIE to support CCIE and UCF goals and initiatives.
• Advocate for CESP priorities among CCIE and university administrators.
• Support faculty and students as they contribute to local, regional, national, and international conversations regarding clinical mental health counseling; counselor education and supervision; marriage, couple, and family therapy; school counseling; and school psychology.
• Lead and manage the development of departmental missions in teaching, research, and service.
• Build and maintain an inclusive, collegial, and collaborative organizational culture within the department.
• Coordinate the execution of the department's educational programs with faculty through equitable assignments of duties to teaching, research, and service.
• Lead faculty in addressing key issues within the unit, including future direction of the department, acquiring resources (e.g., efforts to generate auxiliary funds, strategic enrollment plans, etc.), strengthening promotion and tenure standards, and aligning with CCIE and UCF initiatives.
• Lead all faculty and staff recruitment activities, supporting the best interests of CESP.
• Coordinate budget allocation and planning with the CCIE offices.
• Conduct annual evaluations of faculty and staff, as appropriate.

UCF College of Community Innovation and Education is a one-of-a-kind academic unit with distinct, interdisciplinary expertise and potential for partnership with community stakeholders, conceived to address societal challenges and work alongside the community. Established in 2018, the college offers undergraduate and graduate programs on the main campus and UCF Downtown. At the heart of the college's mission is the institutional commitment to transform lives and strengthen society by developing a unified vision and innovative solutions to complex social issues. CCIE promotes innovation through state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research with social impact; contemporary inclusive teaching and learning practices; and preeminent service for the disciplines, the institution, and the community. For more information about the school, please visit the homepage at: https://ccie.ucf.edu/

Located in Orlando, Florida, UCF is classified as a Very High Research Activity (R1) university by the Carnegie Foundation. With a diverse student body of more than 70,000 students, UCF is one of the largest universities in the country. The university offers more than 240-degree programs. UCF is committed to diversity and was designated a Hispanic Serving Institution in 2019.  For more information, visit https://www.ucf.edu.

Minimum Qualifications:

A Ph.D. in Counselor Education or School Psychology or closely related field from an accredited institution and have previously achieved the rank of at least a tenured associate professor in his or her academic career.

Be eligible for appointment at the academic rank of professor with tenure. To be eligible for appointment as a professor with tenure upon hire, the selected candidate must have a strong record of research and scholarship, teaching, and service at a comparable or peer institution commensurate with a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of professor in a department related to counselor education and school psychology and as well as at UCF.

The selected candidate must have prior experience serving in an administrative capacity within higher education, such as serving in role(s) as program coordinator, center director, department chair, associate dean, or other appropriate leadership level experience within the university setting.

Demonstrated record of supporting faculty and students from diverse backgrounds.

Demonstrated skill related to organization, planning, budgeting, and administration.

Be collegial and have demonstrated experience in working in interdisciplinary activities.

Candidates must have prior experience with national accreditation of graduate programs (CACREP and/or NASP).

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Hold the rank of professor with tenure at a research doctoral-granting university (very high research activity or high research activity).

• A distinguished record of research and scholarship, academic, and programmatic leadership.

• Experience with administration of graduate programs.

• Demonstrated experience with community-based interdisciplinary research.

• Ability to develop and maintain productive collaborative relationships with university administrators, faculty, staff, students, professional societies/organizations, and alumni.

• History working with student experiential learning activities such as practicum and internship experiences.

• Experience in fundraising to secure external funding to support academic program performance and growth.

Additional Application Materials Required:

UCF requires all applications and supporting documents be submitted electronically through the Human Resources employment opportunities website, https://www.ucf.edu/jobs.  In addition to the online application, interested candidates should upload a cover letter, a current curriculum vitae, and a list with contact information for three (3) professional references.

NOTE: Please have all documents ready when applying so they can be simultaneously uploaded. Once the online submission process is finalized, the system does not allow applicants to submit additional documents later.

The selected candidate will be required to submit official transcripts (and, as applicable, U.S. degree equivalency evaluations) documenting the conferral of their qualifying academic credentials. 

Questions regarding this search may be directed to: Dr. Doug Goodman, Search Committee Chair at: Doug.Goodman@ucf.edu

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

N/A

Job Close Date:

Open until filled.

Note to applicants: Please keep in mind that a job posted as "Open until filled" may close at any time without notice. As such, we encourage you to submit your application and all required documentation as quickly as possible to ensure consideration for the posted position.

Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?

As a next-generation public research university and Forbes-ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to grow, you’ll work alongside talented colleagues on complex projects that will challenge you and help you gain new skills and you’ll have countless rewarding experiences that go well beyond a paycheck.

Working at UCF has its perks! UCF offers:

• Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program. 
• Paid time off, including annual (12-month faculty) and sick time off and paid holidays.
• Retirement savings options. 
• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions. 
• Education assistance.
• Flexible work environment. 
• And more…For more benefits information, view the UCF Employee Benefits Guide click here.

Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.

Additional Requirements related to Research Positions:

Pursuant to Florida State Statute 1010.35, prior to offering employment to certain individuals in research-related positions, UCF is required to conduct additional screening. Applicants subject to additional screening include any citizen of a foreign country who is not a permanent resident of the U.S., or who is a citizen or permanent resident but is affiliated with or has had at least 1 year of education, employment, or training in China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Syria, or Venezuela.

The additional screening requirements only apply to research-related positions, including, but not limited to faculty, graduate positions, individuals compensated by research grants or contract funds, post-doctoral positions, undergraduate positions, visiting assistant professors, and visiting research associates.

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Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

The University of Central Florida is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer including Disabled/Vets.  Click on UCF's Equal Opportunity Statement to view the President’s Statement.

The UCF affirmative action plans for qualified individuals with disabilities and protected Veterans are available for inspection in the Office of Institutional Equity, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., upon request.

As a Florida public university, UCF makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request. 

The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer.