Assistant/Associate Professor - Special Education

Assistant/Associate Professor - Special Education

Brief Summary of Work for this Position
The Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, Literacy, and Special Education within the Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) seeks an outstanding faculty member for an Assistant or Associate Professor, nine-month tenure-track position in the Special Education program beginning August 2023. Teaching responsibilities include core special education courses designed to prepare teacher candidates pursuing General Curriculum and Adapted Curriculum special education licensure, including a course related to secondary transition.

Applicants should have a strong background and scholarly record/trajectory with K-12 learners with low-incidence or high-incidence disabilities. Preference will be given to candidates with a scholarly and teaching record that promotes positive outcomes among diverse learners with disabilities.

Faculty in the Special Education program aims to prepare excellent special educators who teach, advocate, and advance equity in schools for learners with disabilities. We are committed to building a diverse faculty and therefore seek candidates who will promote an equitable and inclusive culture through their teaching, research, and service.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

· Doctoral degree in Special Education or a closely related field with at least 18 hours of graduate coursework closely related to Special Education at the time of employment.

· Applicants who are ABD for the terminal degree may be considered depending on the expected completion date.

· Three years of experience as a Special Education Teacher of learners with disabilities including intellectual disabilities.

· Demonstrated potential or record of scholarly productivity.

· Demonstrated evidence of ways research, teaching, and service contribute to building and sustaining equitable, diverse, and inclusive communities.

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills & Experience

· Earned doctorate in Special Education.

· Scholarly and teaching record that promotes positive outcomes among diverse learners with intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities.

· Evidence of successful teaching of transition-aged youth with disabilities.

· Evidence of successful experience in secondary transition coursework.

· Evidence of successful college level teaching experience in face-to-face and online learning environments.

· Evidence of successful supervision of prospective special educators in school-based experiences.

· Successful mentorship and supervision of pre-service special educators completing the EdTPA for Special Education Teacher Candidates.

· Applicants for a senior appointment must have a substantial publication record, current research agenda, a successful record of teaching, and evidence of faculty leadership.

Primary Function of Organizational Unit
The Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, Literacy and Special Education is a community of professional educators dedicated to the preparation of teachers and other professionals who have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work with children from early childhood through middle grades, students with special needs and their families. It values the integration of current theory, research, and professional expertise from multiple disciplines and perspectives to inform practices that enable all learners to reach their full potential.

The department provides opportunities for students to develop as educational leaders and advocates for the children and families they serve. It develops, implements, and coordinates programs leading to undergraduate degrees and/or licensure in birth through kindergarten education, elementary, middle grades, and special education (general and adapted tracks) as well as graduate degrees and/or licensure in elementary, middle grades, and language and literacy.

College/School Information
The Watson College of Education (WCE) (www.uncw.edu/ed) is a rapidly growing college with over 65 tenure-track faculty members working in undergraduate and master’s programs in the Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, Literacy and Special Education and the Department of Instructional Technology, Foundations and Secondary Education, and master’s and doctoral programs in the Department of Educational Leadership. It offers several international study programs, a newly developed laboratory school, and maintains partnerships with numerous school districts, community colleges, and colleges/universities in the region.
The Watson College of Education is committed to the essential and vital work of building a diverse professional community that — with intention and conviction –has at its center the inherent value of equity, inclusion, and social justice. As a college of education, we must be committed to the intrinsic value of all learners in all communities, who represent the totality of who we are as human beings. As we build, we must also dismantle racist and colonizing structures and practices in our college, at our university, and in our world. Therefore, we seek colleagues who will contribute to our commitment to diversity, equity inclusion, and social justice by sharing in our ongoing work and struggle to create the college and professional community our world needs.

University Information
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state’s coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking and a community rich in diversity, inclusion and global perspectives.

A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to-BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation’s only bachelor’s degree program focused on coastal engineering.

The university’s efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of “Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity” institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.

Please apply online at https://jobs.uncw.edu/postings/26353

Special Notes to Applicants
Candidates will provide a cover letter speaking to their interest in the position and relevant experience and credentials.

In the cover letter candidates should speak specifically to the ways their research, teaching, and service will contribute to building and sustaining equitable, diverse, and inclusive communities. Candidates should also detail their teaching and transition experience with specific populations of disabilities.

Prior to the official appointment to the university, the candidate selected for hire must be able to demonstrate eligibility to teach assigned courses by successfully meeting the credentialing requirements based on official transcripts and other documentation as required. Please note that a minimum of three professional references are required for all applications.

EEO Statement
At the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), our culture reflects our values of inclusion, diversity, globalization, ethics and integrity and innovation and we are committed to providing equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents – except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs. UNCW believes that embracing the unique contributions of our faculty, staff and students is critical to our success and paramount in being recognized for our global mindset.

Eligibility for Employment
Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. UNC Wilmington participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.