Chair and Executive Director - Associate or Professor in Social Work

The University of Kentucky, College of Social Work (CoSW) is a renowned leader in higher education. Through rigorous research, excellence in instruction, and steadfast service, the CoSW works to improve the human condition. Always, in all ways. As the state’s flagship university, CoSW is committed to actualizing this mission through innovative, accessible academic programming. The college offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, including Bachelor of Arts in Social Work, Master of Social Work, Doctorate of Social Work, Ph.D. in Social Work, and multiple certificate programs, available in traditional, hybrid, and online formats. In addition to the main campus in Lexington, CoSW has a satellite campus at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.

About the role

The Chair and Executive Director of Social Work Programs serves as the chief academic and administrative leader for the College’s social work educational enterprise. Reporting directly to the Dean and serving as a member of the College leadership team, the Chair provides visionary leadership and strategic oversight for all aspects of the social work programs, including the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work, Master of Social Work, Doctorate of Social Work, Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work, and related certificate programs. The role advances the College’s strategic vision through academic leadership, faculty development, student success, community engagement, operational excellence, and organizational growth.

Responsibilities

• Leads Strategic Growth and Innovation
  • Develops and implements the strategic vision for the College’s social work programs.
  • Guides academic innovation and program growth across modalities.
  • Uses workforce, enrollment, and market data to inform planning.
  • Identifies opportunities for new educational initiatives.
• Advances Faculty Success
  • Recruits, mentors, supervises, and evaluates faculty and instructional personnel.
  • Supports promotion, tenure, annual review, and workload planning.
  • Supports faculty leadership development.
  • Cultivates a collaborative faculty culture.
• Promotes Academic Excellence
  • Oversees BASW, MSW, DSW, Ph.D., and certificate programs.
  • Supports curriculum innovation.
  • Ensures compliance with CSWE and SACSCOC.
  • Promotes instructional quality across all modalities.
• Supports Student Success
  • Partners with admissions, advising, practicum, recruitment, and student success teams.
  • Advances recruitment, retention, persistence, and graduation initiatives.
• Strengthens Community Impact
  • Develops relationships with agencies, alumni, professional organizations, and community partners.
  • Supports fundraising and workforce partnerships.
  • Expands community-engaged scholarship and education.
• Manages Resources for Organizational Success
  • Oversees personnel, budgeting, operational planning, and resource allocation.
  • Collaborates with College leadership to advance strategic priorities.

The University’s mission involves three primary functions: instruction, research, and service. The Chair and Executive Director’s distribution of effort (DOE) is subject to negotiation but is anticipated to be roughly 70% administration, 25% research, and 5% service. Work in this faculty appointment, including course instruction, office hours, administrative meetings, and college-wide events, is expected to occur on-site.

Requirements

• An earned doctorate in Social Work from an accredited institution.
• An earned Master of Social Work degree from a CSWE-accredited program.
• A record of teaching, scholarship, and service commensurate with appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor with tenure.
• Strong potential for securing external funding and producing high-quality scholarship.
• Ability to foster, develop, and/or maintain positive professional relationships with local, state, federal, and private social work-focused agencies, organizations, and associations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership experience in higher education, academic administration, community-engaged organizations, or related professional settings.
• Experience providing executive-level leadership, including strategic planning, operational oversight, organizational leadership, and collaborative decision-making.
• Evidence of successful collaboration across interdisciplinary, professional, and community contexts.
• Experience supporting faculty development, mentorship, leadership cultivation, and program growth.
• A commitment to fostering excellence through a wide range of perspectives, methodologies, lived experiences, and approaches to scholarship, teaching, and service.
• Experience with CSWE accreditation standards and processes.
• Experience overseeing curriculum assessment, instructional coordination, and supervision of instructional personnel.

Benefits

Employment at the University of Kentucky includes a focus on total well-being and career development, with benefits such as:

• Generous contributions to employees’ retirement plans.
• Medical coverage and life insurance.
• Optional benefits, including dental and vision insurance, and additional retirement plans.

This is a full-time, tenure-track faculty position with supervisory responsibilities.