Director Of The School Of Rehabilitation Services And Counseling

Director Of The School Of Rehabilitation Services And Counseling

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) invites nominations and applications for the position of Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling. Reporting directly to the Dean of the College of Health Professions, within the Division of Health Affairs, the director provides strategic leadership, fosters academic excellence, and ensures alignment with the goals of the College of Health Professions and the broader university. This position is equivalent to a department chair and plays a critical role in advancing the school’s mission in teaching, research, service, and community engagement. The college seeks a dynamic leader who will collaborate with faculty, staff, and students to foster a culture of excellence. UTRGV was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas and is the second-largest Hispanic-serving institution in the United States. The majority of its students are bilingual and bicultural. UTRGV is located in a growing, vibrant region on the border with Mexico, which boasts many diverse cultural, ecological, and recreational activities. UTRGV is establishing a Division of Health Affairs to help grow UT Health RGV and ensure the participation of all health-related programs and create a stronger framework for collaboration and impact among health-related programs. The goal is for the division to boost interdisciplinary learning, enhance patient care, and support UT Health RGV’s growing clinical services, including the upcoming Cancer and Surgery Center and Diabetes Center of Excellence. The Division of Health Affairs aligns the Schools of Medicine, Podiatric Medicine, Nursing, Optometry (launching in 2027, pending accreditation), and the College of Health Professions. The School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling is a dynamic academic unit dedicated to preparing professionals to assist people with disabilities to live full and independent lives. The School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling currently has 18 full-time (tenured, tenure track, and non-tenured) faculty teaching in the program and over 350 students enrolled. Located in a modern facility (Edinburg Health Affairs Building West) featuring dedicated classrooms and a state-of-the-art Counseling and Wellness Center and Research Center, the school prides itself on preparing students to enter a rewarding field of helping others to achieve their own goals of independence and productivity.

Leadership Role of the Director

The Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling serves as the academic and administrative leader of the school, equivalent to a department chair, at UTRGV. This role requires visionary leadership, strategic planning, and a commitment to advancing the mission of the university and the College of Health Professions. The Director is expected to:

• Provide strategic academic leadership to advance the school’s mission in teaching, research, and service, with a focus on innovation, excellence, and impact.
• Drive enrollment growth at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, with a particular emphasis on expanding and strengthening the PhD program.
• Champion research development, fostering a culture of inquiry and scholarship that supports UTRGV’s goal of achieving R1 status as designated by the Carnegie Commission.
• Cultivate a collaborative and inclusive academic community, promoting shared governance, transparency, and mutual respect among faculty, staff, and students.
• Lead the school’s administrative operations, including budget management, policy enforcement, and resource allocation to support strategic priorities.
• Recruit, retain, and mentor high-quality faculty and staff, supporting their professional development and fostering a culture of academic excellence.
• Oversee faculty evaluation, promotion, and development processes, ensuring alignment with university standards and best practices in higher education.
• Strengthen external partnerships and interdisciplinary collaborations, enhancing the school’s visibility and impact within the university and broader community.
• Advance curricular innovation and student success initiatives, ensuring academic programs are responsive to evolving professional and societal needs.
• Foster effective communication and conflict resolution, addressing concerns and promoting a positive and productive academic climate.
• Engage stakeholders in shaping the school’s direction, including faculty, students, alumni, community partners, and university leadership.

As a faculty member, the Director is also expected to maintain an active role in teaching (with a reduced load), research, and service, modeling the values of academic engagement and leadership.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Have a PhD in Rehabilitation Counseling or similar (e.g., PhD in Rehabilitation Counselor Education and Supervision, PhD in Rehabilitation Psychology, ScD in Rehabilitation Science, RhD in Rehabilitation, etc.).
• Be a tenured associate professor or higher.
• Have a demonstrated commitment to student success and satisfaction.
• Have strong organizational and management skills.
• Have experience with faculty governance.
• Have a demonstrated ability to secure grants and external funding.
• Have a proven record of scholarship and current knowledge of the state of the field.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Tenured, full professor.
• Experience as chair, assistant chair, or program director.
• Experience at a Carnegie classified R1 doctoral university - high research activity - or higher.
• Experience and/or knowledge of distributed campus models.
• Fluency in Spanish.