Associate/Full Professor-Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) Program Director-Social Work-Fall 2026

Associate/Full Professor-Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) Program Director-Social Work-Fall 2026

Location:
Knoxville or Nashville, TN
Open Date:
Sep 11, 2025
Description:

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville College of Social Work invites applications for a full-time faculty position as Director of the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program for our accredited DSW program. We are looking for a proven leader who has strong clinical practice experience, understands the needs of working MSW-level practitioners, and has a background working with online education. The successful candidate will help the CSW move forward in our commitment to the College’s mission and vision.

The Director of the Doctor of Social Work Program has the primary responsibility for managing day-to-day programmatic activities for this online program. This position oversees admissions, curriculum development and implementation, student advising, faculty teaching assignments, program assessment, and compliance with accreditation standards. The DSW Program Director is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective relationships with faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders. The DSW 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 DSW Program.

Candidates for this position must have earned a doctoral degree in social work. They also will meet the requirments for the appoinment at the appropriate rank for the University of Tennessee. Successful candidates would need to meet the qualifications in order to be eligible to pursue tenure upon initial appointment. The positions can be located on the Knoxville campus, the Nashville campus, or may work remote. This is a 12-month position.

The University and the College of Social Work

The University of Tennessee Knoxville is a land-grant, flagship research institution, 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 university is in the midst of unprecedented growth, with current enrollment of approximately 37,000 students. The University is one of 38 land-grant universities with Carnegie Foundation classification as both a Research 1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production, and the elective Classification for Community Engagement. Forbes Magazine recently ranked UTK as one of the best places to work in the US, including ranking it ninth among public higher education institutions in the United States. UTK offers a competitive benefits package, and 9-month tenure-track faculty are eligible for additional summer salary.

The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTCSW) has almost 1,000 students enrolled in undergraduate, MSSW, DSW, and PhD programs in Knoxville, Nashville, and online. Ranked 24th nationally by the US News and World Report (2024), the college prepares highly skilled and culturally sensitive social workers to address areas of need across the state, the country, and the globe. UTCSW is home to four research centers and several individual faculty research labs. The college’s research-active faculty conduct interdisciplinary research in in partnership with faculty from other UTK colleges/departments (e.g., the Tickle College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, and Departments of Public Health, Child and Family Studies, Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Psychology, among others), the UT Health Science Center in Memphis, and UT Extension. UTCSW also has community-based partnerships with numerous state and community agencies.

The UTCSW is committed to the success of our faculty. We offer a strong mentoring program, manageable teaching load, competitive start-up funds, pre-tenure teaching releases, and opportunities for internal research funding. The university also offers supports for teaching and research innovation.

Campus Locations

The City of Knoxville is a hidden gem, located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Knoxville has 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. As the state capital, Nashville is home to state government, multiple statewide child-serving nonprofit agencies, and 16 colleges and universities, including Vanderbilt University and several HBCUs (Tennessee State University, Fisk University and Meharry Medical College) with whom our college regularly partners. It is currently listed as #50 on the U.S. News and World report’s best Places to Live (2024) and offers events such as the CMA Festival, the Nashville Film Festival, Tomato Art Fest, and the Nashville Pride Festival. 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.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

· A doctoral degree in Social Work or related field MSW degree from a CSWE-accredited program

· At least five years of experience as a clinical social worker and/or social work manager

· A record of outstanding teaching experience at a university level, including considerable graduate-level and online teaching

· Excellent written and verbal skills

· Evidence of scholarly or applied substantive expertise in one or more content areas in the DSW Curriculum

· Demonstrated leadership in the profession (i.e., leadership in social service or nonprofit agencies and/or in social work education, etc.)

· Evidence of commitment to creating a welcoming, positive climate in classroom and research settings where all students can succeed and thrive

Preferred Qualifications

· A Ph.D. or D.S.W.in Social Work

· Experience in doctoral education

· Experience in academic administration

· Commitment to interdisciplinary research and collaboration

· Experience with academic innovations such as course development, curricular modifications, implementing innovative teaching methods, or novel strategies for course evaluations

• For associate professor, established record of excellence in teaching across multiple modalities (online, hybrid, in-person) including teaching innovations or developing new courses and/or mentorship of DSW/PhD students in teaching, practicum, or dissertation/capstone projects.
• For associate professor, publication record, including scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), with consideration for leadership roles (peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, practitioner-focused pieces).
• For associate professor, recognition of scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL) through invited talks, conference presentations, or integration into broader practice and/or evidence of impact on pedagogy or professional practice
• For associate professors, leadership of program-level initiatives, involvement in accreditation or program review processes and/or active membership and committee work in professional organizations
• For full professor, development of signature pedagogical models or courses and mentorship of early career faculty and doc students
• For full professors, publications that shape the field’s discourse in pedagogy, professional practice, or leadership.

Application Instructions:

Interested individuals should provide: (1) a cover letter addressing research, teaching, and practice experience as well as experience relevant to each required and preferred qualification, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) a writing sample (preferably a published article), and (4) contact information for three professional references. In your letter, pay specific attention to your experiences that are not easily found on your CV. Priority consideration will be given to applications submitted by March 16, 2026 though review may continue until an appointment is made. Materials should be submitted electronically https://apply.interfolio.com/173793. Inquiries may be addressed to the search committee chair, Dr. Bridget Freisthler at bfreisth@utk.edu

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

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.

Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to eoa@utk.edu, or by phone at 865-974-2498. 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 Investigation and Resolution, 216 Business Incubator Building, E J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to investigations@utk.edu, or by phone at 865-974-0717.