SW - Associate Professor or Full Professor of Social Work - Tenured, DSW Program Director - 528238

Apply nowJob no: 528238
Work type: Regular Full-time (Benefits eligible)
Location: Tuscaloosa
Categories: Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty

Department/Organization
224102 - Social Work

Rank
Associate/Full Professor

Position Summary
The University of Alabama School of Social Work invites applications for one (1) 12-month faculty appointment at the rank of Associate Professor (tenured) or Professor (tenured) to begin August 2026, with the opportunity to begin July 1, 2026. This position will also serve as DSW Program Director. High priority areas include behavioral health, health disparities, poverty, and asset or strengths-based community approaches. Candidates with scholarship expertise in other areas are also encouraged to apply. The committee will strongly consider all areas that complement current faculty research and/or needs of the State of Alabama. The position requires a Social Work doctoral degree or a closely related discipline and an MSW. A minimum of two years post-MSW practice experience is preferred. This is not a remote position.

Detailed Position Information
The University of Alabama School of Social Work invites applications for one (1) 12-month faculty appointment at the rank of Associate Professor (tenured) or Professor (tenured) to begin August 2026, with the opportunity to begin July 1, 2026. This position will also serve as DSW Program Director. This is not a remote position.

The School seeks an exceptional mid-career or senior scholar with an established research program incorporating community-engaged scholarship. We welcome candidates with 1) evidence of high-quality teaching at the undergraduate and/or graduate level across teaching modalities; 2) evidence of mentoring at the undergraduate and/or graduate level and early career scholars; 3) a strong record of external funding; and 4) an exceptional portfolio of publication and dissemination products. DSW Program Director candidates should have experience in 1) teaching and advising doctoral students; and 2) knowledge of face-to-face and online program planning, evaluation and assessment, curriculum development, and monitoring students' progress.

The DSW Program Director provides administrative oversight to the DSW Program. The DSW Program Director is a member of the UA School of Social Work executive committee and chairs the DSW Program committee. The successful candidate will effectively communicate a vision for leadership and administration of the Doctor of SociaI Work (DSW) program and demonstrate the ability to work collegially and effectively across and within multiple academic, student, and community audiences.

High priority areas include behavioral health, health disparities, poverty, and asset or strengths-based community approaches. Candidates with scholarship expertise in other areas are also encouraged to apply. The committee will strongly consider all areas that complement current faculty research and/or needs of the State of Alabama. The position requires a Social Work doctoral degree or a closely related discipline and an MSW. A minimum of two years post-MSW practice experience is preferred.

Salaries are competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications. New faculty are provided a generous start up package.

To apply, candidates should go to http://careers.ua.edu to complete an online application and upload the following:
• Cover letter detailing interest in position;
• Statement describing research and scholarship;
• Statement of teaching philosophy and experience;
• Statement of higher education administrative experience or supervisory experience;
• Curriculum vitae;
• Evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., student evaluations; peer observations of teaching); and
• Contact information for three (3) professional references.

Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. The expected start date is August 16, 2026, with the opportunity to begin July 1, 2026. Confidential inquiries about the position may be sent to Dr. Leah Cheatham, Search Committee Chair, at lpcheatham@ua.edu.

Minimum Qualifications
High priority areas include behavioral health, health disparities, poverty, and asset or strengths-based community approaches. Candidates with scholarship expertise in other areas are also encouraged to apply. The committee will strongly consider all areas that complement current faculty research and/or needs of the State of Alabama. The position requires a Social Work doctoral degree or a closely related discipline and an MSW. A minimum of two years post-MSW practice experience is preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

Instructions and Required Materials for Application
To apply, candidates should go to http://careers.ua.edu to complete an online application and upload the following: • Cover letter detailing interest in position; • Statement describing research and scholarship; • Statement of teaching philosophy and experience; • Statement of higher education administrative experience or supervisory experience; • Curriculum vitae; • Evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., student evaluations; peer observations of teaching); and • Contact information for three (3) professional references.

About the Division/College/School
The School of Social Work was established in 1965 by an act of the Alabama Legislature to address the state’s critical shortage of and pressing need for professionally trained social workers. Now, it stands as the only one of its kind in the state of Alabama, offering BSW, MSW, DSW, and Ph.D. degrees in social work. Additionally, the college is the only school outside Washington, D.C., with semester-long internship opportunities in the nation’s capital.

Since our founding, we have been proud to lead the charge in training students for tomorrow’s workforce. Our distinguished faculty are recognized nationally and internationally for their research and exceptional advancements in the field of social work. During the previous year, we received 23 million dollars in external funding to support our school’s research efforts.

About the University
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.

In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.

UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.

For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.

UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.

Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.

The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.

Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf) discrimination is illegal poster.

The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.

Advertised: 07 Jan 2026 Central Standard Time
Applications close: 14 Aug 2026 Central Daylight Time

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