Resident or Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Work, MSW Program

General Description:

The Department of Social Work at Pacific Lutheran University invites applications for a Resident or Visiting Assistant Professor position to begin September 1, 2026. We seek faculty who are inclusive educators committed to supporting students as they discover their vocation. The successful candidate will primarily teach in the newly established MSW program, which is pursuing accreditation with CSWE, and participate in its growth and initial accreditation process. MSW faculty are part of the Social Work Department, which also is home to a BSW 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.

The MSW program’s focus is clinical with an emphasis on health and behavioral health. Candidates with experience and/or teaching interests in these areas as well as those with knowledge and experience practicing social work in the Pacific Northwest are preferred. There are opportunities to teach in the BSW program and to be involved in PLU’s robust study-away program. PLU and the Department of Social Work are committed to building and sustaining a PLU community that is supportive and inclusive of all individuals. Qualified applicants with experience in diverse settings and/or who demonstrate a commitment to serving diverse student populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Service is expected, including student advising and other contributions to the Social Work Department, the College of Health Professions, PLU, and the community. Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Teach 6 courses per year, primarily in the MSW program (both advanced standing and 2-year students).
• Serve in the department and contribute to the life of the University through advising, committee work, and other service activities.
• Hold regular student hours.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Familiarity with teaching generalist and advanced 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, throughout campus, and in the community.
• Commitment to inclusive graduate and undergraduate teaching in a university that blends the liberal arts with a generalist-focused professional education in undergraduate social work.
• Understanding of the impact of race and other forms of diversity on social work practice.
• Effective communication, including ability to collaborate with colleagues across disciplines.

Required Qualifications:

• MSW from a CSWE-accredited program and a current clinical social work license.
• Evidence of inclusive teaching or training excellence and a demonstrated concern for improving the quality of their teaching.
• A commitment to university and other community service.
• Applicant must be legally eligible to work in the United States on hire date AND legally authorized to work in the United States for Pacific Lutheran University without sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced clinical practice skills.
• Previous teaching or training experience.
• Knowledge of CSWE accreditation standards.

Work Conditions: Physical Requirements: Special Instructions to Applicants: To apply, please submit the following:

• Cover letter that includes an overview of your clinical social work practice experience and how this has prepared you to educate future social work clinicians.
• Statement on your teaching and/or training experience that includes: 1) the pedagogical methods that support students from diverse backgrounds and attention to diverse perspectives or methodologies in the material you assign; and 2) a description of how, through mentoring, and/or community service, you would create an inclusive learning environment in spaces beyond the classroom that is attuned to diversity, equity, and anti-racism. (Maximum 1,000 words)
• Curriculum vitae
• List of three professional references

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 faculty, staff, and student body from all religions, races, socioeconomic groups, sexual orientations, and gender expressions and from all over the world. For the 2024–25 academic year, 40.6 percent of PLU undergraduate students are from the first generation in their families to attend college; 48.0 percent self-identify as students of color; and 34.2 percent are Pell Grant–eligible.
Offering distinctive opportunities for global engagement, collaborative student-faculty research, and purposeful learning, our faculty guide 2,700 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 marginalized 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. Click here for detailed benefits information.