Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy

Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy

The person in this position will have primaryresponsibility for developing courses, teaching course content, evaluatingstudent learning outcomes, and revising courses as needed to meet programobjectives. They will also be responsible for identifying how the courses thatthey develop are consistent with the curriculum design and meet program andstudent learning objectives. Individuals holding this position would also beresponsible for active participation in the activities of the university, thecollege, and the academic program, including committee work, studentadvisement, research/doctoral capstone mentorship, and professional developmentas disciplinary scholars.

The successful candidate for this tenure-track appointment will be a registeredoccupational therapist that is licensed to practice in Massachusetts. Thecandidate should have a minimum of 3 years of documented experience inoccupational therapy assessment and intervention, with a strong clinicalbackground in one or more of the following areas of practice:neurorehabilitation/physical rehabilitation; pediatrics; mental health; orcommunity health, wellness, and prevention.

The ideal candidate will have a strong academic record, including ademonstrated interest in conducting scholarly activities, disseminatingfindings on scholarly activities to advance the discipline/profession, and thepotential for advancement in teaching, research/scholarly activity, and servicethat will qualify them for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Teach courses as assigned in clinical expertise or scholarship.
• Maintain and update syllabi for assigned courses that include course descriptions, goals, learning objectives, professionalism expectations and evaluation methods.
• Participate in course evaluation as directed by university or program policy.
• Conduct student advising related to course content/expectations, university policies, program-related academic or fieldwork policies and procedures, and professional behaviors;
  a. Develop remedial plans to assist students to meet institutional and program requirements.
• Collaborate in the implementation of an entry-level doctoral curriculum in occupational therapy:
  a. Collaborate with the program administration and the faculty/staff membership to implement the curriculum and course content
  b. Assume responsibility for membership on institutional, college and division committees as directed
  c. Participate in university, college, and division meetings as appropriate and as directed;
  d. Participate in the admissions process that may include but is not limited to: reviewing applications, conducting interviews, open houses, meetings with recruits, etc. as directed
• Actively participate in the doctoral experiential capstone project component of the curriculum, including the securing of sites/mentors, and the mentoring of students who are involved in the project.
• Collaborate with the program administration in the ACOTE Accreditation Process:
  a. Perform data collection and analysis, and prepare documentation as directed.
  Assist in program assessment as part of the strategic planning process:
  a. Perform data collection and analysis, and provide documentation related to program and student learning outcomes.
• Engage in professional development activities/events that are supportive of the mission of the institution and consistent with the objectives of the Department/Program including enhancing teaching/mentoring effectiveness, demonstrating research/scholarly productivity (e.g., publication), and/or providing service to the institution or external communities.
• Adhere to HIPAA and FERPA privacy standards.
• Participate in all university or program sponsored trainings (e.g., harassment training; first aid)
• Attending all major university events as directed (e.g., Convocation, Commencement).
• Perform other duties as determined by the university or as assigned by the Program Director

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, AND ABILITIES:

• Clinical skills in occupational therapy practice: assessment, intervention, documentation.
• Mentorship abilities to supervise graduate students who are participating in fieldwork education.
• Evidence of scholarly work.
• Excellence in interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to foster teamwork with diverse groups, constituencies, and organizations.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Excellent oral and written skills and a clear, persuasive communication style for negotiating constructive and ethical solutions to academic problems.
• Experience with program evaluation to assist in developing data collection and analysis methods to ensure quality fieldwork education outcomes.
• Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference and apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
• Computer skills include word processing software, database software, spreadsheet software, teaching/learning software (e.g., PowerPoint), on-line learning platforms (e.g., Desire2Learn), internet software (Certiphi/CORI), email systems, etc.
• Reasoning is defined by the ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Language defined by the ability to read, analyze, and interpret professional health journals, technical standards, or government regulations; the ability to write professional correspondence, academic reports, procedural manuals, and scholarly papers using APA format; and the ability to orally present information and respond to questions from students, clients, family members, other health professionals and the public.

ERGONOMIC REQUIREMENTS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must bemet by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with differingabilities to perform essential functions:
• Ability to stand, walk and/or sit and continuously perform essential job functions (academic and clinical).
• Ability to grasp, lift and/or carry or otherwise move lightweight objects.
• Ability to travel distances between and within University buildings (and clinical site buildings)
• Sufficient manual dexterity to operate a variety of work-related equipment including computers, telephones, copiers, fax machines, calculators, clinical equipment (e.g., ultrasound, electrical stimulation), instructional technology (e.g., video capture, document cameras, etc.)
• Visual ability corrected to assure accuracy of all documents produced or disseminated from this position (academic and clinical).
• Auditory ability corrected to hear telephone, fax, and any emergency related alarms such as fire alarms.
• This position requires standing, sitting and walking; minimalpulling, pushing, lifting, stretching, kneeling and individual lifting up to 25lbs.

QUALIFICATION STANDARDS:

• Doctoral degree (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D., OTD, Sci.D.) from a regionally accredited institution.
• Experience in an academic setting including teaching, curriculum development, instructional technology use preferred.
• A minimum of 3 years of documented clinical experience in occupational therapy in one or more of the following areas: neurorehabilitation/physical rehabilitation; pediatrics; or community health, wellness, and prevention.
• Current NBCOT Certification
• Current AOTA Membership
• Current Massachusetts License to Practice Occupational Therapy
  Valid Driver's License

Excellent benefits including tuition remission for employee, spouse, and dependent children.

WesternNew England University (WNE)is a private, nationally ranked, comprehensive institution with a focus onpreparing work-ready and world-ready graduates. Founded in 1919 in Springfield,Massachusetts as a division of Northeastern College, WNE's 215-acre suburbancampus serves more than 3,700 students, including over 2,500 full-timeundergraduates. More than 47,000 alumni have earned degrees through its 90+undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs at Colleges of Arts andSciences, Business, Engineering, and Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and Schoolof Law. Students come from 39 U.S. states and territories and 23 countries. Of45,104 living alumni, 30% remain within the region, residing in the fourWestern Massachusetts counties and northern Connecticut.

WNE is classified among nationally ranked universities in USNews and World Report, and among the Top 100 Undergraduate Engineeringprograms, and in the Doctoral/Professional Universities category in the CarnegieClassification of Institutions of Higher Education.

WesternNew England University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome candidates whose background maycontribute to the further diversification of our community.