Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling

Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling

Job Class Code:

FLSA:

Posting Number: FRGV1945

Location: Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Division/Organization: Division of Health Affairs

Appointment Period for Non-Tenure Position:

Tenure Status: Tenured

FTE: 1.0

Scope of Job:

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) invitesnominations and applications for the position of Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling. Reportingdirectly to the Dean of the College of Health Professions, withinthe Division of Health Affairs, the director provides strategicleadership, fosters academic excellence, and ensures alignment withthe goals of the College of Health Professions and the broaderuniversity. This position is equivalent to a department chair andplays a critical role in advancing the school's mission inteaching, research, service, and community engagement. The collegeseeks 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 firstmajor public university of the 21st century in Texas and is thesecond-largest Hispanic-serving institution in the United States.The majority of its students are bilingual and bicultural. UTRGV islocated in a growing, vibrant region on the border with Mexico,which boasts many diverse cultural, ecological, and recreationalactivities.

UTRGV is establishing a Division of Health Affairs to help grow UT Health RGV and ensure the participation of all health-relatedprograms and create a stronger framework for collaboration andimpact among health-related programs. The goal is for the divisionto boost interdisciplinary learning, enhance patient care, andsupport UT Health RGV's growing clinical services, including theupcoming Cancer & Surgery Center and Diabetes Center of Excellence. The Division of Health Affairs aligns the Schools of Medicine, Podiatric Medicine, Nursing, Optometry (launching in2027, pending accreditation), and the College of Health Professions.

The School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling is a dynamicacademic unit dedicated to preparing professionals to assist peoplewith disabilities to live full and independent lives. The School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling currently has 18 full-time(tenured, tenure track, and non-tenured) faculty teaching in theprogram and over 350 students enrolled. Located in a modernfacility (Edinburg Health Affairs Building West) featuringdedicated classrooms and a state-of-the-art Counseling &Wellness Center and Research Center, the school prides itself onpreparing students to enter a rewarding field of helping others toachieve their own goals of independence and productivity.

Leadership Role of the Director

The Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services &Counseling serves as the academic and administrative leader of theschool, equivalent to a department chair, at UTRGV. This rolerequires visionary leadership, strategic planning, and a commitmentto 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'smission in teaching, research, and service, with a focus oninnovation, excellence, and impact.
• Drive enrollment growth at both the undergraduate and graduatelevels, with a particular emphasis on expanding and strengtheningthe PhD program.
• Champion research development, fostering a culture of inquiryand scholarship that supports UTRGV's goal of achieving R1 statusas designated by the Carnegie Commission.
• Cultivate a collaborative and inclusive academic community,promoting shared governance, transparency, and mutual respect amongfaculty, staff, and students.
• Lead the school's administrative operations, including budgetmanagement, policy enforcement, and resource allocation to supportstrategic priorities.
• Recruit, retain, and mentor high-quality faculty and staff,supporting their professional development and fostering a cultureof academic excellence.
• Oversee faculty evaluation, promotion, and developmentprocesses, ensuring alignment with university standards and bestpractices in higher education.
• Strengthen external partnerships and interdisciplinarycollaborations, enhancing the school's visibility and impact withinthe university and broader community.
• Advance curricular innovation and student success initiatives,ensuring academic programs are responsive to evolving professionaland societal needs.
• Foster effective communication and conflict resolution,addressing concerns and promoting a positive and productiveacademic climate.
• Engage stakeholders in shaping the school's direction,including faculty, students, alumni, community partners, anduniversity leadership.

As a faculty member, the Director is also expected to maintain anactive role in teaching (with a reduced load), research, andservice, modeling the values of academic engagement andleadership.

Minimum Qualifications:

The successful candidate will:

• Have a PhD in Rehabilitation Counseling or similar (e.g., Ph Din Rehabilitation Counselor Education & 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 andsatisfaction.
• Have strong organizational and management skills
• Have experience with faculty governance.
• Have a demonstrated ability to secure grants and externalfunding.
• Have a proven record of scholarship and current knowledge ofthe state of the field.

Discipline Specific Required Qualifications:

Preferred Qualification:

• Tenured, full professor.
• Experience as chair, assistant chair, or program director.
• Experience at a Carnegie classified R 1 doctoral university -high research activity - or higher.
• Experience and/or knowledge of distributed campus models.
• Fluency in Spanish.

Salary: Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience

License or Certification Required?: Yes

Number of Vacancies: 1

Desired Start Date: 02/02/2026

EEO Statement:

It is the policy of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley topromote and ensure equal employment opportunities for allindividuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex,age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity orexpression, genetic information or protected veteran status. Inaccordance with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972,Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americanswith Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, our University iscommitted to comply with all government requirements and ensuresnon-discrimination in its education programs and activities,including employment. We encourage women, minorities anddifferently abled persons to apply for employment positions ofinterest.

Open Date: 11/26/2025

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Dear Applicant,

Complete all sections on the application. If you are applying forthe first time, please complete all biographical informationincluding address, email and phone number. You may update this atany time by selecting to edit your profile in the application.Human Resources will not be held responsible for redacting anyconfidential information from the documents you attach with yourapplication. The confidential information includes thefollowing:

• Date of Birth
• Gender
• Ethnicity/Race

Please make sure that you omit this information prior tosubmission. We are advising that Human Resources will be forwardingyour application to the department as per your submission. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley reserves the right todiscontinue accepting applications prior to the stated close dateof this position, after meeting the posting requirement of three(3) calendar days.Security sensitive; All UTRGV employees arerequired to have a criminal background check (CBC). CBCs will beconducted for all candidates invited for an on-campus interview.Ifyou have any questions, please visit our Careers site at https://careers.utrgv.edu fordetailed contact information.

Additional Information:

UTRGV is a distributed institution. As such and as assigned, theposition mayrequire presence at multiple locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Work isperformed primarily in a general officeenvironment. This position is security sensitiveand thereby subjectto the provisions of the Texas Education Code51.215. Theretirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement Systemof Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours perweek and at least135 days in length. This position has the optionto elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS,subject to the position being 40 hours per weekand at least 135days in length.

Please Note:

Texas law requires faculty members whose primary language is not English todemonstrate proficiency in English as determined by asatisfactory paper-basedtest score of 500 (computer-based of 173 orinternet-based of 61) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a satisfactory test score of 6.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Incomplete applicationswill not be considered. All positions are subject to budgetapproval.

To apply, visit https://careers.utrgv.edu/postings/49551

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