Academic Chairperson/ Occupational Therapy

The Department of Occupational Therapy at Chicago State University invites applications for the position of chairperson. This is a 12-month full-time appointment.

The Opportunity
Chicago State University and the College of Health Sciences invites qualified candidates to apply for the position of Chairperson for the Occupational Therapy program. The Chairperson provides leadership for a combined Bachelor of Health Sciences and Master of Occupational Therapy program. Additionally, the Chairperson participates in research, service and some teaching within the professional program. This role is responsible for the administration and execution of policies of the department engaged in a programmatic aspect of the campus and University mission.

About Chicago State University
Chicago State University ( CSU), founded in 1867, is the oldest public university in the Chicago Metropolitan area. CSU is known for its impressive landscape, sitting on 161 wooded acres featuring large tracts of open space and beautiful trees. The campus is located near the recently-renovated CTA 95th Street station, as well as other transit systems that all provide commuter students, faculty and staff convenient access to the campus. The University's five colleges-Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Pharmacy- offer various undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree-granting programs. The University also provides the greater South Side Chicago community with a multitude of athletic, cultural, educational and recreational activities.
Under the leadership of President Zaldwaynaka Scott, Esq., whose term began in July 2018, CSU has been committed to a process of renewal and transformation. The President's student-centered vision focuses on the advancement of the outstanding academic programs currently in place, as well as the development of new, innovative, and relevant programs to meet the needs of employers of the twenty-first century. Top priorities for the President include an unwavering focus on sustainable enrollment growth and student academic and career success.

Responsibilities of the Role
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

*Develop, in consultation with faculty members, goals and objectives for the Department in the areas of education, research and scholarly activities, and service, which articulate with the College's mission and programmatic goals and objectives;

*Assure that the Department meets union contractual guidelines and regulations;

*Prepare, in consultation with faculty members in the department, course goals and objectives, descriptions and revisions of educational and training programs and curricula, and course descriptions for the College of Health Sciences catalog and for the Curriculum Committee;

*Work with the Curriculum and Assessment Committees to assure the academic rigor and integrity of the aforementioned courses;

*Prepare, in consultation with the Dean, the annual budget and supervise the implementation of the budget;

*Critically review department records on a regular basis to evaluate the quality of the education, research, and service provided;

*Facilitate the development of research programs and stimulate the faculty to participate actively in research programs;

* Supervise and plan for department facilities;

* Select department staff, supervise their duties, and evaluate their performance, when applicable in accordance with the non-academic personnel policies in force;

*Assign to other members of the Department such specific duties as will make possible effective operations of the Department;

*Schedule, prepare the agenda for, and preside over all departmental faculty meetings and forward minutes of these meetings on a regular basis to the members of the Department and the Office of the Dean;

*Maintain up-to-date departmental records;

*Prepare an annual report on the Department's progress;

*Recruit faculty, as needed, to meet the mission of the Department and acquaint new faculty members with department and college policies and procedures;

* Perform annual faculty performance reviews, prepare written evaluations and professional development plans, make candid and documented recommendations regarding promotion in academic rank/advancement to tenure/renewal of contracts of members of the Department;

*Organize the instructional schedule of the Department giving due consideration to individual faculty workload and delegate teaching responsibilities of each discipline to assure that the educational obligations for courses administered by the Department are satisfied;

*Evaluate student complaints regarding the Department or its members and handle them in accordance with standard institutional procedures;

*Encourage and facilitate the professional development of members of the Department, including active participation by faculty members in professional societies and in research/scholarly activities;

* Establish and coordinate corporate and professional liaisons;

*Present lectures, workshops, and laboratory exercises, as required, within the professional curriculum;

*Assist the Dean with the procurement and allocation of public and private funding; and

Perform other duties as assigned by the Dean.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10 years of experience in the field of occupational therapy, including practice as an occupational therapist and administrative experience as well as at least 5 years-experience in a full-time academic appointment with teaching responsibilities, with a good track record of scholarship and grantsmanship.