Tenure-Track Assistant/Associate Professor, Social Work

About the role

James Madison University is a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives. Situated in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty. JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

The Department of Social Work offers a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree which is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The Department is a thriving academic unit that offers multiple interprofessional educational (IPE) opportunities including an interdisciplinary minor: Family Studies (which has dual foci in family ecology and gerontology). Currently, the Department is actively exploring the development of a CSWE-accredited MSW program. The BSW program has a long history of excellence, leadership in social work education, and continuous national accreditation. We are a student-centered department that values open interactions between students and faculty. Our faculty of eight members is committed to respectful, supportive collegiality. The College of Health and Behavioral Studies is committed to shaping a forward-thinking and dynamic environment by refining policies, practices, and processes that strengthen our community, drive real-world advancement, and maintain spaces conducive to individual and collective growth.

Responsibilities

Full-time instructional faculty on the tenure track are responsible for teaching, research, and service. The department prioritizes teaching, with a typical schedule of 3/3 plus a 1/1 assignment load of active professional advising. Target starting date is August 2027.

Qualifications

Required:

• MSW from a CSWE-accredited social work program (or documented equivalent for international programs) and a DSW, PhD, or other doctoral degree related to social work (ABD candidates with a completion date before August 1, 2027, will be considered)
• Minimum of two years (24 months) of post-MSW, agency-based practice experience
• Expertise in direct individual, family, and group practice

Preferred:

• Demonstrated experience teaching across CSWE curricular areas particularly in individual, family, and group practice
• Demonstrated interest in graduate social work education program development

Skills

Expertise in direct individual, family, and group practice; demonstrated experience teaching across CSWE curricular areas (individual, family, group practice); interest in graduate social work education program development.