Description
Faculty within the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies at University of Central Missouri support the university’s mission of providing student-centered, quality education and are committed to the success of students. This includes quality teaching, advising, collegiality and communication. In addition, faculty provide service to their program, department and university, engage in research, scholarship, and professional development activities. During contractual employment, faculty members are expected to be available to assist, engage, and respond to students, colleagues, departmental, college, and institutional needs.

Warrensburg invites applications for a 9-month, tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor position in Speech-Language Pathology beginning in the Fall Semester (August 2026). Candidates interested in graduate program coordination or administration responsibilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The UCM Communication Disorders program offers a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. The program has held continuous accreditation since 1969 from the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Housed within the program is the Welch-Schmidt Center for Communication Disorders (WSCCD). The WSCCD provides student clinicians with on-campus diagnostic and treatment experiences involving individuals across the life span and with a wide range of communication and/or swallowing disorders at various levels of severity. On-campus clinical training is supported by state-of-the-art materials, instrumentation and facilities. Within the WSCCD, the faculty continuously support development of new training opportunities including the Parkinson’s Voice Project, Babble to Books early childhood program, the university’s THIRIVE program, the new Sensory Room, experiences with telehealth and future development of adult and pediatric feeding and swallowing clinics.In addition to the dynamic and rich experiences obtained in the on-campus clinic, students enroll in two mandatory off-campus practicums, one educational and one medical. Graduate students participate in a variety of clinical collaborative experiences with other professions.

The Communication Disorders Program is located in the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies’ Department of Human Services. Social Work and Human Development and Family Sciences programs are also part of the Human Services department. With four colleges, UCM offers 171 programs of study, including 74 Bachelors programs, 52 certificates, and 41 graduate programs all at an affordable cost that has been applauded by the U.S. News & World Report for several honors including America’s Top Public School in the Midwest Region and Best Regional University (Midwest). Nearly 12,000 students from 48 states and 49 countries enjoy small class sizes, learning opportunities with hands-on experiences, and personalized attention from dedicated faculty members. Currently, UCM successfully places 98% of graduates (across all graduate programs) within six months of graduation. We are a leader in discipline-specific accreditation and serve as Missouri’s lead institution in professional technology.

The ideal candidate will:
(a) be willing to coordinate the graduate program and advise graduate students, or engage in other administrative roles with the program,
(b) teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses, including clinical supervision,
(c) mentor undergraduate and graduate research,
(d) engage in discipline-based scholarship, and
(e) provide service to the university, community, and profession.

Summer teaching and/or clinical supervision opportunities are available. Faculty appointed as Graduate Program Coordinator are eligible for additional summer compensation.

Examples of Duties
Teaching - The primary responsibility of the faculty is quality teaching in their respective content areas, regardless of delivery format. This entails adequate preparation for courses, effective course design and instruction, and fair and timely evaluation/feedback of student progress. To ensure quality teaching, faculty must be committed to the success of students as well as ongoing assessment of curriculum and of student learning.

Keep current in your discipline.

Organize courses to facilitate quality student engagement and high impact practices.

Assist department/school chairs with scheduling of classes that meet the needs of students.

Comply with departmental, college, and university standards concerning the academic quality and integrity of their classes.

Keep current in their use of technology by attending university training sessions and other professional development opportunities.

Be available to meet students outside the classroom by being available before or after classes by scheduling office hours both in a physical and electronic format to include in person and virtual office hours.

Assist with department and college assessment and be proactive with modifications to curriculum based on assessment feedback.

Scholarship/Professional Development - The strength of a university rests on the knowledge and skills of its faculty. Faculty must stay current in their field of expertise/teaching area.

Authoring academic writings.

Presentation of work at local/state/regional/national conferences.

Active membership and/or office holding in professional organizations at the local/state/regional/national level.

Service - An expectation of a professional faculty member is to serve the department, college, and university community.

Attending department/college/university meetings

Engaging in committee work that will advance the department/college/institution.

Assisting with student recruitment.

Participating in graduation and convocation ceremonies.

Advising - A primary responsibility of faculty is the proper, timely, competent and professional advising of students.

Be knowledgeable of the requirements of their degree programs as stated in the appropriate catalog(s).

Meet/advise students on academic and non-academic matters (e.g. curriculum mapping, internships, graduate/professional school options and career preparation).

Provide leadership and promote excellence in student organizations.

Communication - Faculty should communicate effectively and in a timely manner with students and colleagues at all levels of the institution. This implies an understanding of the communication hierarchy within departments, colleges, and administrative levels. Timely communication with students supports other faculty responsibilities (teaching, advising).

Cultivate a collegial atmosphere when interacting with other faculty/staff within their own department, the college and the university.

Be responsive and timely. Respond to student phone calls and email messages within university guidelines.