Career Center

Position Announcement:

Associate Professor or Associate Professor of Teaching, and Program Director Position in School Psychology

The School of Education (SOE) at the University of California, Riverside invites applications and nominations for a full-time, tenured Associate Professor and Program Director position in the area of School Psychology. The position will commence as early as January 1, 2024, or as negotiated. 

Our Program, School, and University

The UCR School Psychology program aims to develop scientist-practitioners who will disrupt structures, policies, and practices that contribute to educational inequities and work to promote the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional well-being of K-12 students through their scholarship and/or practice. We are seeking a colleague who will demonstrate leadership and contribute to the School Psychology program’s mission to provide exceptional training, address educational and mental health disparities, and develop culturally and linguistically responsive leaders in school psychology. The APA-accredited and NASP-approved doctoral-only School Psychology program benefits from program colleagues who are committed to excellence in school psychology research and training; a strong annual applicant pool; faculty, staff, and students in the School of Education who are committed to promoting equity; and consistent support for the program from the university and college. 

UCR is a Minority Serving Institution that ranks among the top public universities for Making a Public Impact (No. 20, Princeton Review) and was 1st among public universities in the U.S. for social mobility four years in a row. As the only public research university in diverse inland Southern California, UCR and our School Psychology program are uniquely positioned to shape effective service delivery for historically and multiply marginalized young people locally and across the state. 

Position Description

We are seeking an innovative scholar whose research, training, and leadership in the role as Program Director will contribute significantly to our nationally-recognized School Psychology PhD program. Ideal candidates will have an established record of exemplary scholarship in school psychology, engage that research through a lens that is culturally and linguistically responsive to racially minoritized communities, and have a commitment to the training, advising, and teaching of diverse graduate students in the school psychology program. 

The Program Director will provide leadership and collaboratively engage in long-term planning for the School Psychology program. Responsibilities of the director include mentoring faculty in the School Psychology program; evaluating curriculum; maintaining program accreditations and approval (APA, NASP, CCTC); overseeing student enrollment, progress, and recruitment and retention activities; and coordination of graduate student field placements. The director can also support SOE initiatives and the development of new programs that align with the university’s and school’s goals for diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications (required at time of application):

• A doctorate in school psychology (or a closely related field) from an APA-accredited school psychology program.
• Previous experience as a faculty member in a school psychology program and a record of excellence in graduate advising and teaching of students from diverse and historically underrepresented backgrounds in culturally responsive ways for courses such as academic and psychological assessment, behavior assessment, applied behavior analysis, classroom and school-wide behavioral interventions, practicum, or internship.
• Established program of research and record of success in securing extramural funding. Candidates should have a demonstrated record for conducting research that centers the needs of students with historically minoritized identities, including those based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomics, linguistics, gender, and others.
• Capacity to build strong, sustainable relationships with local partners in our diverse region.
• Knowledge and skills to supervise graduate students in field activities and placements.
• Commitment to the recruitment, retention, and development of a diverse student and faculty body, including advocating for the learning needs of diverse/historically underrepresented students in culturally responsive ways and the use of innovative teaching strategies.
• Record of professional contributions to the field of school psychology (e.g., professional development workshops, professional conference presentations).
• Familiarity with NASP, APA, and/or CCTC Accreditation requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Preference will be given to applicants with experiential knowledge of conducting research that centers the strengths and needs of historically minoritized student populations. Ideal candidates will demonstrate this commitment through scholarship in one or more of the following broad areas (1) Sociocultural and contextual risk and protective factors, (2) Assessment and data-informed decision-making, (3) Academic curriculum and instruction, (4) Language and literacy, including bilingual and multilingual school psychologists, (5) Multi-tiered systems of support, and (6) Direct prevention and early through intensive intervention services
• Prior experience working with historically marginalized and underserved students, families, and communities.
• Prior experience recruiting and retaining graduate-level school psychology students from diverse, historically underrepresented backgrounds (e.g., gender, racial/ethnic, linguistic).
• Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) & licensed or eligible to become licensed as a psychologist in CA.
• Experience teaching diverse graduate and undergraduate students.
• Experience supervising graduate students in field activities and placements that serve diverse populations.
• UCR is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification.
• Strong, inclusive leadership skills, flexibility, creative problem-solving skills, and a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the profession.

Advancement through the faculty ranks at the University of California is through a series of structured, merit-based evaluations, occurring every 2-3 years, each of which includes substantial peer input.

Inquiries about the position should be directed to the search committee chair Austin Johnson, austin.johnson@ucr.edu

Interested candidates should submit an electronic application to https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF01783 that includes a cover letter describing current and proposed future areas of research, curriculum vitae, statement of teaching philosophy, recent teaching evaluations, a statement of contribution to diversity, and 6 letters of reference. Review of applicants will begin December 8, 2023 and may continue until the position is filled.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

About University of California, Riverside

As a proud member of the world’s most prestigious public university system, UC Riverside both embodies and empowers the California Dream. Right here in Inland Southern California, on our nearly 1,200-acre campus, tomorrow’s leaders come together today, finding new ways of thinking, doing, and achieving to make a difference in an increasingly multicultural and interconnected global society. At UCR, belonging, motivation, and sustainable progress for students, the region, and the world is real — and really important. We’re among the top 1.3% of universities worldwide, according to the Center for World University Rankings, and continue to be named the nation’s leader among public universities for social mobility by U.S. News. Off campus, our more than 26,000 students and 1,100 faculty — among them two Nobel Prize winners and 15 members of the National Academies of Science and Medicine — have access to our region’s diverse geography, from the desert to the coast, as well as Riverside’s vibrant cultural and recreational activities. On campus, all are empowered to accelerate their bold ideas. Because our mission is clear: to launch a new generation of innovative thinkers.

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