Open Rank Faculty - School of Social Work
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
Full-time
Education
Posted on April 9, 2024
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Social Work invites applications for tenured/tenure-track faculty members at the assistant, associate, or full professor level. Several positions will be filled in this open rank search; both individual and cluster hire applications will be considered.
Founded in 1917, VCU's School of Social Work is a long-established leader in social work education and research. With BSW, MSW, and PhD programs, as well as fully online and on-campus learning modalities, ours is one of the largest accredited, comprehensive social work programs in the United States. VCU is a preeminent national, urban public university and health sciences center. One of only 28 public universities nationwide designated as both a Carnegie designated Research Intensive (R1) and Community Engaged University, VCU was also recently recognized as a Minority Serving Institution. We are located in the capital city of Richmond, recently ranked among the top 25 places to live in the U.S.
The mission of the VCU School of Social Work is to prepare professional social workers as practitioners, scholars and leaders; to generate research and scholarship that advances knowledge and practice; and to improve quality of life in local, state, national, international and professional communities. Guided by principles of social and economic justice in a diverse and multicultural society, our programs focus on service to and empowerment of people who experience oppression or vulnerability due to inadequate and/or inequitable distribution of personal, social or institutional resources. Our faculty and staff have articulated Commitments to Social and Racial Justice, which guide our priorities and decision-making. We seek faculty candidates with demonstrated experience and commitments to advancing these priorities through their research and scholarship, teaching, and service.
As a research-intensive University, we welcome faculty colleagues with active research programs and publication records in social work and interdisciplinary refereed journals, as well as a track record of funding to support their research and scholarship, commensurate with career stage and rank. The SSW encourages and supports research across a range of substantive areas, paradigms, and methodologies, with a particular focus on inquiry that embraces community engagement and impact and is aligned with the school's commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion. While all research areas are welcome, we have particular interest in research which contributes to our racial and social justice initiatives, including health and behavioral health equity, anti-oppressive practice, community mental health and mental health services research, international social work and social welfare, child welfare, and policy advocacy to promote social change.
Candidates will join a community of active scholars and are expected to have the ability to obtain external funding to support their research; publish their research findings; infuse their classroom teaching with knowledge based on the latest and strongest evidence; and provide service to the SSW, VCU, the State of Virginia, the nation, as well as in international settings. Opportunities for collaborative research exist within a number of centers across the University, including the Clark-Hill Institute for Positive Youth Development, Partnership for People with Disabilities, Center on Health Disparities, Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Institute for Women's Health, The Queer Research and Advocacy Center (Q Collective), the Department of Gerontology, the Institute for Research on Behavioral and Emotional Health, and the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, among others. Our location in Virginia's capital allows collaboration with state agencies and proximity to federal agencies and organizational partnerships. Faculty also maintain dynamic relationships with community agencies and research groups in the area, across the U.S., and the world. To learn more about the School of Social Work, please visit https://socialwork.vcu.edu/.
Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a PhD in social work or a related field or be at an advanced stage of completing a doctoral dissertation. Preference will be given to applicants with a master's degree from a CSWE accredited social work program and a minimum of two years of post-MSW social work practice experience and to those who have demonstrated the capacity to secure extramural funding for research or who have worked in research groups with substantial extramural funding. Must have demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU. Salary is competitive and will be commensurate with experience.
Application Instructions:
Candidates should electronically submit (1) a curriculum vitae, (2) a letter outlining teaching and research expertise, (3) a statement on how anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion informs teaching, scholarship and service, (4) a current writing sample, and (5) the names of three professional references. Candidates should be prepared to provide supporting documentation, including publications and teaching evaluations.
The anticipated start date for all positions is August, 2024. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Please direct questions and inquiries about the search to the committee chair, Dr. Denise Burnette (jdburnette@vcu.edu).
Position Type: Teaching & Research Faculty
Full time equivalent: 100
Tenure: Tenure Track
Rank: Open
Months: 9
Department: School of Social Work
Salary: Commensurate with Experience
Contact Information:
Contact Name: Denise Burnette, PhD
Contact Email: jdburnette@vcu.edu
Contact Phone:
