Associate Professor or Professor and Chair of the Department of Social Work

Job Description:

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Department of Social Work in the College of Health Sciences invites applications for Associate Professor/Professor and Chair of the Department of Social Work, with an anticipated start date in mid-August 2027. We seek an accomplished social work scholar and experienced academic leader who will provide collaborative leadership, advance the department's teaching and research mission, and strengthen its community and binational partnerships. Candidates must present a record of scholarship, teaching, and service commensurate with appointment at the rank of Associate Professor/Professor and eligibility for tenure at UTEP.

Located in the El Paso-Ciudad Jurez binational region, the Department of Social Work prepares practitioners and scholars to respond to the strengths and needs of border communities and beyond. The next Chair will build on this regional identity while advancing social work education, student success, research, and community engagement.

The department offers a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) preparing students for generalist practice and a Master of Social Work (MSW) preparing students for advanced practice with concentration in Social Work in the Border Region. The online MSW program expands access to graduate social work education. The Chair will guide the continued development of these programs in collaboration with program directors, faculty, staff, students, and community partners.

Reporting to the Dean of the College of Health Sciences, the Chair will provide strategic direction and oversee departmental academic and administrative operations. Responsibilities include collaborative strategic planning; budget and resource management; faculty and staff recruitment, supervision, and evaluation; faculty mentoring and support for promotion and tenure; curriculum and program development; Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accreditation and outcomes assessment; and coordination of teaching, advising, and field education with program leaders. The Chair will promote student recruitment, retention, and degree completion; strengthen externally funded research and interdisciplinary collaboration; cultivate community, agency, alumni, and binational partnerships; and represent the department within and beyond UTEP. The successful candidate will support shared governance, communicate transparently, manage conflict constructively, and sustain a respectful and productive workplace while maintaining an active scholarly agenda and contributing to teaching and mentoring.

Requirements:

1. PhD in Social Work, DSW, or earned doctorate in a closely related field.
2. An MSW from a CSWE-accredited program.
3. A minimum of two years of post-MSW experience as a practicing social worker.
4. A sustained record of scholarly publications, teaching effectiveness, and professional and institutional service commensurate with appointment at the rank of Associate Professor/Professor and eligibility for tenure at UTEP.
5. Demonstrated research productivity and experience securing or leading externally funded research, with expertise relevant to mental/behavioral health, health disparities, policy practice, and/or community-based research.
6. Demonstrated successful academic leadership and administrative experience as a department chair, program director, associate chair, or in a comparable role, including responsibility for personnel, budgets or resource allocation, and academic planning.
7. Demonstrated ability to lead collaboratively through shared governance, mentor faculty and staff, support student success, and work effectively with communities whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the border region.
8. Licensure or eligibility for licensure as an LMSW or LCSW.
9. Strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills; demonstrated sound judgment, constructive conflict management, and a commitment to social work ethics, social justice, and a respectful learning and working environment.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Experience as a department chair or in a comparable academic administrative role with responsibility for strategic planning, budget management, personnel evaluation, and faculty development.
2. Experience leading CSWE accreditation, reaffirmation, curriculum development, and assessment of student learning and program outcomes.
3. Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish and experience building binational or international academic and community partnerships.
4. Experience leading BSW and MSW programs, including online graduate education, field education partnerships, and initiatives supporting recruitment, retention, and degree completion.
5. Experience in a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a research-intensive university; experience mentoring graduate and doctoral students and supporting faculty advancement and interdisciplinary research.
6. A record of developing community-engaged scholarship, securing external resources, and cultivating partnerships with agencies, alumni, donors, and other stakeholders to advance departmental priorities.

Additional Information:

In keeping with its access, excellence, and impact mission, The University of Texas at El Paso is committed to an open, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment that honors the talents, respects the differences, and nurtures the growth and development of all. We seek to attract faculty and staff who share our commitment.

Application Instructions:

Applicants must submit the following information:

1. Letter of application describing interest in serving as Associate Professor/Professor and Department Chair and explaining how the applicant meets the required and preferred qualifications. The letter should present a leadership philosophy and vision for the department, with specific examples of administrative accomplishments in strategic planning, personnel and budget management, faculty development, accreditation or program assessment, student success, and community partnerships.
2. Curriculum vitae.
3. Abbreviated research philosophy and plan (2 pages or less).
4. Brief teaching philosophy (2 pages or less).
5. A sample of research publications or scholarship productivity; and
6. Names and contact information of three references (references will not be contacted until an applicant has been selected for an on-campus visit).

Review of applications will begin immediately. Preliminary interviews will be conducted by video conference call Fall semester 2026 with on-campus finalist visits to follow. The position will remain open until filled. The successful applicant will commence duties mid-August 2027.

Contact Information:
Dr. Hyejin Jung
Associate Professor
Search Committee Chair
UTEP Department of Social Work.
hjung2@utep.edu