The University of Kansas

The School of Education
Department of Special Education

Position Announcement for Chairperson/Professor

The School of Education at the University of Kansas, Lawrence is seeking a Chairperson/Professor for the Department of Special Education to assume responsibility by July or August, 2008. The Department of Special Education is nationally recognized for its strong graduate programs at the doctoral, post-doctoral, master’s levels, and teacher licensure programs. It is a major center for research and development in the field.

The Department is looking for an individual who will embrace and advance our commitment to effective preparation of special education and early intervention teachers and leadership personnel for professional practice in school, community, and higher education. Our program graduates are prepared to serve infants, toddlers, children, youth, and adults with special education needs in inclusive learning environments. Administratively, the Department is located on the main campus in Lawrence. The faculty offers preparation programs at this location and at the Edwards campus in suburban Kansas City.

DUTIES:

  1. Guide the Department during a period of change in both public and higher education and represent the Department to the University, state, and professional communities.
  2. Administer innovative preservice/inservice personnel preparation programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels for special education, related service, and early intervention/early childhood, special education instructional and leadership personnel who serve individuals with special needs and their families across the life span.
  3. Facilitate faculty efforts to secure internal and external support for research, teaching, and demonstration programs.
  4. Recruit new faculty to maintain and further develop the Department and its personnel preparation and research programs.
  5. Sustain and advance the Department’s collaborative relationships among students and faculty in teacher education, research, and outreach activities.
  6. Seek out and respond to personnel preparation needs with particular emphasis on partnerships with the field and the use of instructional applications of emerging information technologies.
  7. Ensure that personnel preparation program curricula meet the needs of professionals entering the field now and in the future.
  8. Facilitate collaboration across all disciplines that affect the education of infants, toddlers, children, youth, and adults with special needs.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  1. Doctoral degree in special education or related field.
  2. Teaching and/or related experience with individuals having special needs.
  3. Demonstrated administrative leadership skills.
  4. Evidence of strong scholarly contributions to the field.
  5. Record of service to the profession.
  6. Commitment to or experiences in securing external support for program development and maintenance.
  7. Knowledge of local, state, and federal, educational structures and regulatory processes and requirements.
  8. Competence in developing interdisciplinary approaches to the education of infants, toddlers, children, youth, and adults with special needs.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  1. Administrative experience in an institution comparable to the University of Kansas.
  2. Experience with special education, related service, and/or early intervention/early childhood special education personnel preparation.
  3. Current engagement in sponsored research and development activities.
  4. National reputation in the field of special education.
  5. Knowledge of and experience with educational applications of emerging information technologies.
  6. Record of collaboration with early intervention programs, preschools, K-12 schools, and/or human service agencies, and university departments.

SALARY RANGE:
Salary is competitive and dependent on the experience and qualifications of the candidate.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS AND SCHOOL OF EDUCATION:
The University of Kansas is a leading research university and has a strong tradition of academic excellence that attracts 21,000 undergraduates and 6,000 graduate students from every state in the nation and over 100 countries (www.ku.edu).

The School of Education educates future teachers, administrators, counselors, psychologists and health and sport professionals. There are over 700 undergraduate and 1300 graduate students with 85 tenure-track faculty (www.soe.ku.edu).

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY:
The University of Kansas is located in Lawrence, Kansas, approximately 45 minutes from downtown Kansas City and an hour from the Kansas City International airport (www.lawrence.com). Lawrence is a vibrant university community with a total population of about 80,000, and is well known for its historic downtown, art and cultural experiences, and excellent public schools.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES:
A complete application will include the following: a letter of application, a curriculum vita and three letters of reference (names, titles, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses). We prefer that the materials be sent as PDF files attached to an email sent to goodwin2@ku.edu. In the letter of application, please include information pertinent to the position qualifications, and specifies the applicant’s philosophy relevant to program development and administration, teaching, scholarship, and service. Contact person is Don Deshler, Search Committee Chair, Joseph R. Pearson Hall, Room 518, 1122 West Campus Road, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045 (phone: 785-864-4954; email: ddeshler@ku.edu). Screening of applications will begin December 1, 2007 and will continue until the position is filled.

The University encourages applications from under represented group members. Federal and state legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, disability, and veteran status. In addition, the University policies prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, marital status, and parental status.