Department/Organization
208311 - CCHS-Physical Therapy
Rank
Assistant/Associate Professor
Position Summary
The University of Alabama invites applications and nominations for the Director of Clinical Education (DCE) for its developing Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. Pending approval by The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama and successful progression through the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) candidacy and accreditation processes, the DPT program will help address documented workforce needs and expand access to physical therapist services, particularly in rural and underserved communities across Alabama and the Southeast. We seek a student-centered physical therapist educator, clinician, and scholar to lead the development, administration, assessment, and continuous improvement of the clinical education component of the DPT curriculum. The DCE will collaborate with the Program Director, faculty, staff, students, clinical education sites, and community partners to establish high-quality clinical education experiences that support entry-level physical therapist practice and advance the mission of the College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS). CCHS is vibrant and growing, with academic programs in Rural Community Health, Population Health Sciences, Translational Science and Medicine, and additional programs under development. CCHS is home to a nationally renowned Sports Medicine Clinic and Sports Medicine Fellowship. CCHS also houses Family Medicine and Psychiatry residency programs and fellowships in Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Psychiatry, and Emergency Medicine. University Medical Center within CCHS is a network of multidisciplinary clinics and hospitalists serving communities across West Alabama. Appointments to the faculty of The University of Alabama are based on the personnel requirements of the University’s academic programs and on the goal of achieving and maintaining excellence in its teaching, research, and service/academic citizenship activities.
Detailed Position Information
Director of Clinical Education, Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program — Assistant or Associate Professor (tenure-track, tenured, or clinical track), commensurate with qualifications.
The DCE will provide leadership for the clinical education component of the developing DPT program in collaboration with the Program Director, Associate Program Director, faculty, staff, and clinical partners. Responsibilities include designing, implementing, administering, and evaluating clinical education experiences across the curriculum; developing and maintaining a sufficient and diverse network of clinical education sites and qualified clinical instructors; coordinating student placement, readiness, orientation, communication, supervision, assessment, and remediation; maintaining affiliation agreements and documentation related to health, safety, licensure, privacy, and site requirements; providing development and support for clinical instructors; monitoring the quality, capacity, and effectiveness of clinical education through stakeholder feedback and outcomes data; using assessment findings for continuous program improvement; and maintaining accurate records and evidence needed for CAPTE candidacy, accreditation, reporting, and ongoing compliance. The DCE will also teach in areas of expertise, advise and mentor students, participate as a core faculty member in curriculum and program governance, contribute to scholarship and service consistent with appointment and rank, and help expand clinical partnerships that support rural and underserved communities.
Minimum Qualifications
• Physical therapist who is licensed and in good standing in a U.S. jurisdiction and is eligible for physical therapist licensure in Alabama.
• Earned academic doctoral degree from an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; a DPT degree alone may be considered when accompanied by additional academic credentials, specialization, or a record of scholarly achievement appropriate to the appointment and institutional requirements.
• Minimum of five (5) years of full-time or equivalent experience as a physical therapist, including substantive clinical practice and experience in physical therapist clinical education as a clinical instructor, site coordinator of clinical education, DCE, assistant DCE, or comparable role.
• Demonstrated knowledge of contemporary physical therapist practice, clinical education, evidence-based practice, student assessment, and professional standards.
• Experience teaching, mentoring, or supervising learners in professional or postbaccalaureate education.
• Evidence of effective communication, collaboration, organization, and the ability to develop and sustain clinical partnerships.
• Record of scholarship, service, and professional engagement appropriate to the faculty rank and appointment sought.
• Qualifications commensurate with appointment at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank on a tenure-track, tenured, or clinical track, as applicable.
Preferred Qualifications
• Earned PhD, EdD, DSc, or other academic doctoral degree relevant to physical therapist education, rehabilitation science, health professions education, or a related field. • Prior service as a DCE, assistant DCE, site coordinator of clinical education, or in a comparable leadership role within physical therapist education. • Experience with CAPTE candidacy, accreditation, self-study, reporting, program assessment, or compliance activities. • Demonstrated experience developing, administering, and assessing clinical education experiences and partnerships. • Documented professional development in educational theory and methodology, instructional design, student evaluation, clinical instructor development, and program or outcome assessment. • Experience with curriculum development, program evaluation, simulation, educational technology, or innovative models of clinical education. • Evidence of interprofessional education or practice and collaborative partnerships with health systems, community organizations, and rural or underserved clinical sites. • Active engagement in the American Physical Therapy Association or other relevant professional organizations. • Strong record of scholarship and teaching appropriate to the rank and faculty track sought. • Strategic, collaborative, and outcomes-oriented leadership; excellent written and oral communication; and demonstrated ability to expand and sustain clinical partnerships responsive to Alabama’s workforce needs.
Instructions and Required Materials for Application
1. Cover letter addressing qualifications for the position and vision for clinical education in a developing DPT program. 2. Curriculum vitae. 3. Statement of teaching philosophy and approach to clinical education. 4. Statement of scholarly or clinical agenda, as appropriate to the faculty rank and track sought. 5. Names and contact information for three professional references; references will be contacted only with the candidate’s consent.
About the Division/College/School
The College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS) was founded in 1972 by William Willard, MD, author of the “Willard Report” and considered the “Father of Family Medicine,” with a mandate to train family physicians for Alabama, particularly its rural areas. The College also provides medical student education as the Tuscaloosa Regional Campus of the four-campus University of Alabama School of Medicine, based at UAB in Birmingham. The College’s mission focuses on improving the health of individuals and communities in Alabama and the region through leadership in medical education and primary care; the provision of high-quality, accessible health care services; and scholarship.
CCHS is sponsor of the UA Family Medicine Residency and seven fellowships for family physicians. The Residency, a 16-16-16 program now in its 45th year, is the second largest family medicine residency in the country. Of the more than 470 Residency graduates, 85% practice in the five-state area of the Southeast, with half in rural areas, and comprise 1 of 7 family physicians practicing in Alabama. Nearly 900 medical students have completed their clinical training at the College since 1974, entering Family Medicine and primary care careers at more than twice the national average.
The College’s nationally recognized Rural Pipeline Programs and the Institute for Rural Health Research, along with basic sciences, social sciences, and health professional faculty and resources on the UA campus and innumerable specialty and medical research faculty among the School of Medicine faculty, create a uniquely resource-rich environment for a medical educator. The College’s clinical enterprise also conducts 150,000 ambulatory visits and more than 10,000 admissions a year to a broad patient population, including UA faculty and staff and the general population of West Alabama.
For more information about the College, visit http://cchs.ua.edu
About the University
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.
In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.
UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.
For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.
UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.
Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.
The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf) discrimination is illegal poster.
The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.
