Undergraduate Department Chair/Assistant Professor

Saint Leo University has been changing lives for over 125 years. We have been recognized by the Chronicle of Education as a Great College to Work for, and ranked in the top 15% in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 list of Best Value Schools. Employees at Saint Leo University advance their careers in a rewarding and diverse environment that cultivates the leaders of tomorrow with the skills they need today.
The College of Education and Social Services (CESS) houses four disciplines and 10 programs within those disciplines. Criminal Justice, Education, Social Work, and Human Services are degrees offered in undergraduate, graduate, and two doctoral programs. Criminal Justice is one of these programs with an undergraduate Criminal Justice Program, graduate Criminal Justice Program, and a Doctorate in Criminal Justice. Over 1500 students are currently attending these programs, with over 900 students in the undergraduate Program. The College in the University has over 3,000 students with 50 fulltime faculty and staff. Drawing on CESS's renowned faculty and practitioners, the College's Programs provide opportunities for personal and scholarly growth, career advancement, greater community participation, and new ways to advance leadership. Students who complete the undergraduate program will advance to the 36 credit hour graduate program with 6 graduate credits based upon their GPA, allowing them to complete the M.S. degree in one year.
We are currently seeking a full time Dept. Chair for the Undergraduate Criminal Justice Dept. to join our team on the university campus in Saint Leo, Florida Center in August 2022. The Dept. Chair of the Criminal Justice Program works with their dept., as well as collaborates with other depts. within the college. This position reports to the Dean of the College and provides leadership to ensure the development, implementation and continual assessment of strategies and processes to grow capacity while remaining committed to student success. The Chair of the Program must be committed to the educational mission and core values of Saint Leo University, which include a demonstrated commitment to excellence, community, and integrity in education through scholarship, practice, and engagement. Faculty chair appointments are for twelve (12) months with a reduced teaching load of 6 credit hours per semester for chair responsibilities. The Criminal Justice Program is offered on campus, Online, and several centers in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
The Dean will consult with the faculty in the appointment of Department Chairs, but the Dean will not, in any respect, be bound by any recommendation. The Dean shall recommend faculty as Department Chairs to the VPAA, who has the final authority and responsibility to name the Department Chair. Department Chairs are normally appointed for a one-year probationary term and if successful, yearly at the discretion of the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
The Chairperson reports directly to the Dean of his or her College. The Chairperson provides the academic leadership and supervision for the department and is responsible for all administrative activities necessary to its efficient operation. Specifically, the responsibilities are as follows in Duties and Tasks.

Job Description

Qualifications:

• An earned PhD, in Criminal Justice or related field preferred; DCJ, or EDD in Criminal Justice or related discipline with specialization in Criminal Justice from a regionally accredited university will be considered.  Juris doctorate not considered for this position.
• One-Two Years, at least, of on-ground teaching experience
• Experience of teaching online or in blended formats
• 1-2 years of practice experience in criminal justice or related field
• An established record of scholarly research, publications, or presentations in Criminal Justice or related discipline.
• Experience teaching at the graduate level is a plus
• Demonstrated effectiveness in working collaboratively with faculty, administrators, and community partners.
• Strong interest in developing and leading innovative higher education programming.
• Leadership, supervision, management, and Criminal Justice Program knowledge

Duties and Tasks:

I.              Goal:  Provide academic leadership and supervision to all department full-time and adjunct faculty

                  Goal Objectives :

1. Oversee the hiring of all full-time faculty in the department. Oversee the Search process for all full time hiring in conjunction with the HR dept. Oversee the hiring and review of part time adjuncts.

2. Oversee where needed in the appointment of, or non-renewal of, adjunct and annual contract faculty in the department at all locations.

3. Complete or remove faculty teaching clearances, as needed for full and part time faculty, on campus, Online and in centers.

4. Observe, mentor, and supervise probationary full time faculty, assisting them in the development of their annual portfolios leading up to the tenure and promotion process.

5. Observe the teaching of all full time faculty within the department, as defined in the Faculty Agreement, and of off-campus faculty who teach at the centers and online.  This involves annual observations of all full time faculty and observation and review of all part time faculty in conjunction with the associate chairperson. Provide teaching support for faculty who are in additional need of training as defined in the observation as “developing” and collaborate with the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence for faculty in need of additional training.

6. Encourage faculty development and improvement of instruction for all faculty through professional activities in the department, and through internal training at Saint Leo University utilizing the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, as well as external professional development with discipline associations and conferences.

7. Supervise and assist faculty who are engaged in their Faculty Development Review (FDR). This involves meeting with the faculty member to review the portfolio, make recommendations, and write the annual portfolio letter for the Dean and VPAA.

8. Oversee, assist, and review with the faculty member the development of the Faculty Annual Plan, which is sent to the Dean in Sept. of each year.  Collect, review, make recommendations, comment, sign, and send to the Dean the completion of the Faculty Annual Plan, in May of each year.

9. Establish, facilitate, and attend to monthly department meetings and provide the leadership for the attainment of dept. goals annually.

10. Ensure overload pay for full-time faculty and adjuncts are correct and review the number of courses scheduled per term/semester.

11. Develop professional improvement plans for faculty doing poorly in the classroom with assistance from the Associate Chair. Provide an avenue for student grievances within the department Provide an avenue for faculty grievances within the department

II.              Goal:  Ensure academic quality and continual improvement toward excellence

Goal Objectives :

1. Undertake the supervision and oversight of recruitment and retention of new students on campus, Online and on-ground at centers.

2. Supervise preparation of master syllabi and updates yearly on SLU website.

3. Review and submit all department course schedules after consultation with associate chair, colleagues and with Dean. This may include coordination with any centers where the program exists, and coordination with the Online program

4. Maintain an updated course syllabus file for all courses offered in the department with the assistance of the Associate Chair.

5. Assign text book updates and course redesigns

6. Coordinate the Academic Program Review of majors within the department every 3-5 years. This includes collaborating with the department on an updated plan including the dept. history, review of curriculum, assessments, and program vision.  The Chair contributes to writing the major portion of the plan, in conjunction with the Associate Chair, and securing the external reader for the APR. Meetings with the students, faculty, Dean and VPAA are established by the Chair for the external reviewer. 

7. Work in consultation with Deans, VPAA, Associate Chair, and students to resolve grade appeals.

8. Work with the Associate Chair to periodically update advising sheets for faculty advisers and the registrar to reflect new and revised courses or outdated courses that are no longer needed

9. Evaluate course equivalencies for transfer credit from other institutions

10. Approve blended courses as needed by faculty on campus, in centers and online in conjunction with the Associate Chair Work with the dept. to review current required textbooks, journals, and other research required in the discipline. 11. Work with the Associate Chair to ensure that library holdings are appropriate to the needs of students and faculty in the department.

12. Oversee any curricular changes in the Dept., and review course changes before being sent through the Saint Leo University process for changing or adopting new courses, programs, and new majors. This involves review of any changes coming from the dept., through the College survey review process, and then to the chair of the curriculum committee. After curriculum committee decisions are made, the chair works with their faculty to make any requested changes before final curriculum committee approval.

13. Collect, review and oversee the final submission of all department-related catalog materials. An updated catalog review and revision of courses, policies, and catalog language will be completed annually.

14. Assist in the development and creation of marketing and recruiting materials, related to the department, with the university marketing department. Attend any marketing meetings with the college chairs and directors and the university marketing team to keep program guides updated, provide marketing with current partnerships, provide updates to social media, inform marketing of departmental conference attendance for distribution of marketing materials, and dept. related newsworthy activities

15. Monitor and ensure compliance with SACSCOC criteria and other external agency criteria, as applicable to the department. This includes completion of Internal Change Forms, SACSCOC perspectives for new programs, and center location changes related to SACSCOC

16. Monitor and ensure continued compliance with all Standards and Policies for membership programs for the Academy of Criminal Justice Science (ACJS) 17. Facilitate dept. meetings regarding accreditation self-studies and CSHSE site visits.  Prepare and write the self-study in conjunction with the Associate Chair of the Dept. 

18. Oversee activities of all students interning through the department. Work with the Director of Field, or the Associate Chair for the CJ program if no director exists in the field position, to ensure that agency contracts, Saint Leo Articulation Agreements, and Student Learning Contracts are up to date, reviewed by the legal department, signed, and stored annually for students on campus, Online and in the centers. Field Placements are optional for students.

19. Oversee intra-departmental, inter-departmental, and intra-university communication and activities. This includes collaboration with other depts. within the College, and coordination with other dept. chairs within the university, on faculty forums, training, and university activities such as alumni events, admission programs, speaking engagements, Online webinars, center programs, and cultural or athletic events for students.

20. Work with the University’s Office of Admissions or Online Enrollment Office in the recruitment and retention of all students. Plan, prepare and attend admission events throughout the year which includes weekly, evening, and often weekend events, Online or in centers.

21. Attend industry specific events as part of community outreach.

22. Oversee and review proposals for micro-credentials in the department; encourage new ideas for micro-credentials.

23. Prepare and review proposed articulation agreements, where applicable. Coordinate with the registrar’s office the acceptance of courses from two year schools into the CJ programs.

24. Maintain oversight of the undergraduate CJ program on campus, Online, at the Centers.

25. Monitor D2L course development for the CJ Program.

26. Monitor Assessment Data on the program, curriculum, and student achievement. Use of this information will inform strategic planning for the department. 

III             Goal:  Engage in Strategic Planning and Execution

Goal Objectives

1. Participate in the Strategic Planning of the College annually through college meetings, chair and director meetings, and Dept. meetings

2. Coordinate, develop, conduct, and report annual Departmental Goals and Objectives and outcome evaluation of those goals and objectives, with input and assistance from other department faculty.

3. Attend monthly meetings with admissions and enrollment counselors to recruit and retain students on campus, Online and in the center locations

4. Manage and maintain program documents for future membership associations

5. Completion of the Annual YAR report for the Assessment Office

6. Attendance and participation at monthly CESS Chairs and Director meetings 7. Attendance and participation at monthly VPAA meetings

8. Attendance and participation at annual CESS Chairs and Directors Retreats

9. Attendance and participation at annual VPAA Chairs and Directors Retreats 10. Prepare, submit, and supervise annual department budget.

11. Undertake other reasonable, professional, and academically related duties as requested by the Dean

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of higher education and criminal justice discipline
• Willingness to take on diverse roles and multi-task
• Knowledge of online teaching platforms and experience in teaching online
• Subject matter expertise in Criminal Justice  
• Knowledge and experience in teaching adult learners in a variety of formats
• Knowledge of APA formatting.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, to include critical thinking.
• Assess, assist, and guide adjunct and full-time faculty;
• Demonstrate the ability to use discipline-related computer programs;
• Knowledge needed to develop program and course schedules;
• Continually update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, participating in professional organizations, publishing in respected journals;
• Knowledge of curriculum guides and use of standard syllabi
• Departmental duties will require attendance at meetings, webinars, travel to campus or other centers periodically, and use of Zoom or other technology to say connected to the university

Skills:

• Excellent Communication Skills
• Competent in Public Speaking
• Proficiency in Writing
• Best Practices in Criminal Justice coursework as related to ACJS
• Skill in using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Skill in communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Skill in complex problem solving including reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Skill in adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Intermediate skill in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Skill in communicating with students, faculty, administrators, or other community partners through Online technologies such as D2L, Zoom, etc.

Abilities:

• Ability to think creatively to develop new and innovative programming in the department
• Ability to adapt and be flexible to the changing needs of students, faculty, the dept., the college and the university

• Ability to work with others in a congenial and cooperative environment with teamwork utilized in recruitment, community partnerships, and departmental collaboration
• Expertise and willingness to establish community partnerships, Articulation Agreements, and new on-ground and Online courses for campus, centers, and Online
• Ability to use technology to enhance learning
• Ability to conduct program academic reviews when needed
• Ability to travel from campus to centers when, or if, needed

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

In addition to your curriculum vitae, the following documents are required for consideration. Please be sure to check the email under which you applied for important instructions on completing the remaining steps, including uploading documents in the second step of the application packet process as follows:

• 
  Cover Letter
  
• Teaching Philosophy  - (500 words or less), should highlight how your teaching philosophy and practices fit the Mission and Values of Saint Leo University.
• Three (3) Letters of Recommendation  – All letters of recommendation should be professional references and at least one (1) from a recent superior. If you do not have those documents at the time of application, please upload a text or word document stating, "Recommendations will be sent independently." Recommendation letters can be mailed to Academic Affairs at the address stated below
• Student Evaluations  (six classes minimum) – Student evaluations  from the last year (at least six classes, an even mix of graduate and undergraduate).

TRANSCRIPTS:

All official transcripts must be requested from the universities and/or colleagues attended and/or certified transcript evaluations/translations from World Education Services (WES) to be sent to the attention of Veronica Mantegna by email to [email protected]  or hardcopy to the following address:

ATTN: VERONICA MANTEGNA

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS – MC 2006

SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY

PO BOX 6665

SAINT LEO, FLORIDA 33574

Full-time faculty positions are pending final budget approval prior to the start of the academic year.

ENVIRONMENT: 

The work environment characteristics described here are a representation of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  The term “qualified individual with a disability” means an individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of this position.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate professionally in person, over the telephone, through email and other electronic means, move about the office and University, handle various types of media and equipment, and visually or otherwise identify, observe and assess.   The employee is occasionally required to lift up to 10 pounds unless otherwise specified in the job description.

DEIJ Statement:

At Saint Leo University, we believe that a vibrant and meaningful learning community embraces people from all backgrounds, races, genders, and ethnicities.

Our university community is united by a shared passion for excellence, respect, and integrity, and not divided by our differences.

Keeping and working to strengthen our culture of inclusiveness contributes to the development of our community and new ideas, and it supports an ethos of innovation.

Most importantly, it helps all members of the community learn, grow, and develop to their fullest potential.

Since its founding, Saint Leo University has always been a place where those who have a strong desire to learn are embraced, and tomorrow will be no different.

We welcome all to our rich learning community not because they are Catholic, but because we are!

NOTICE:

The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position.  Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.  Saint Leo University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and embraces diversity as a critical step in ensuring employee, student and graduate success.

Why Work at Saint Leo?

What it’s Like to Work Here:  Ask our employees and the one word they’d use to describe working at Saint Leo University is “Community.” Our team members all share the Saint Leo core values, positive attitudes, and problem-solving abilities, enabling them to provide excellent student centered service. Our mission is educating and preparing students for life and leadership in a challenging world.  Thank you for your interest in joining the Saint Leo PRIDE!

We are committed to providing our employees with the support they need. At Saint Leo, we offer an array of medical, dental, and vision packages as well as several add-on perks to make your benefits package truly customizable to you and your family needs. Available benefits based on employment status (Full Time vs Part Time).

• Inclusive Group Health Plan (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• Group Health Plan features include Teledoc, Surgery Plus!, Wellness Incentive Program, Nationwide Pet Insurance, just to name a few!
• Health Reimbursement Account (University Paid!) and Flexible Spending Accounts (healthcare and dependent options)
• Tuition Remission (Employee, Spouse, and Dependents)*
• Tuition Exchange opportunity for dependent of employees*
• Paid Personal Leave (Sick, Vacation, Holidays)
• 403b - Annual match 3%-9% of pay based on employee’s contribution. University match and fully vested within one month of hire date.
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance valued at 30k (University Paid!)
• Income Protection Benefits after one year
• Additional options for supplemental insurance 

*Eligibility based on meeting required service period