Assistant Professor/Associate Professor & Director - Counseling

East Texas A&M University•Commerce, TX

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Counseling at East Texas A&M University invites applications for a 9-month tenure-track Assistant Professor or tenured Associate Professor position. The successful candidate will hold the E. Lee Doyle Endowed Professorship title and serve as the Director of East Texas A&M University's Play Therapy & Expressive Arts Center, an Approved Center of Play Therapy Education by the Association for Play Therapy, beginning Fall 2027. The chosen candidate will contribute to the department's teaching, research, and service missions. Specifically, we seek a scholar with a focused research agenda; a demonstrated record of effective teaching at the graduate and/or undergraduate level; a commitment to meaningful service to the department, college, university, and profession; and an expertise in play therapy as evidenced by the candidate’s teaching, research, and service contributions. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate professional identity in counseling/counselor education through sustained memberships in professional counseling organizations, relevant professional counseling credentials, and sustained professional engagement in professional development and renewal activities, professional service and advocacy in counseling, ongoing counseling practice, and research and scholarly activity in counseling. Candidates being considered for a tenured appointment at the rank of Associate Professor must be evaluated against, and meet, the department's tenure and promotion criteria as part of the hiring process.

Requirements

An earned doctorate in counseling/counselor education from a CACREP-accredited program; have a related doctoral degree and have been employed as a full-time faculty member in a counselor education program for a minimum of one full academic year before July 1, 2013; have been employed as a full-time doctoral-level faculty member in a CORE-accredited master's program before July 1, 2017; or have graduated from a rehabilitation doctoral program before January 1, 2018
Member of the Association for Play Therapy and licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor (LPC-S) and credentialed as a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (RPT-S™)
Academic background (i.e., teaching, research, and service) commensurate with the applicant's sought rank, including evidence of, or potential for, scholarly productivity in play therapy research/creative activity, and evidence of, or potential for, effective teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels (online and in-person)
Sustained professional engagement, including active memberships in professional counseling organizations, ongoing counseling practice, and professional development/renewal activities
Strong interpersonal and communication skills
Ability to travel to any university instruction site (e.g., Commerce, Dallas, Plano)
Relevant professional counseling credentials (i.e., licensed professional counselor-supervisor and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™) or licensure/certification eligibility with a commitment to obtain within the first year of the academic appointment

Nice To Haves

Relevant teaching experience at the graduate level in a CACREP-accredited program commensurate with rank
Evidence of training and/or experience teaching counseling coursework online, synchronously and asynchronously
Previous Clinical Director experience at a counseling center
Knowledge of and familiarity with CACREP standards and the accreditation process
Dissertation committee experience as chair and/or co-chair

Responsibilities

Develop and sustain a productive program of research/creative activity specifically in Play Therapy, leading to peer-reviewed publications, presentations, and other scholarly contributions
Engage in efforts to secure external funding for research appropriate to counseling and play therapy
Direct and serve on doctoral dissertation committees
Mentor and engage both graduate and undergraduate students in research
Teach two courses each fall and spring semester across undergraduate and graduate levels
Contribute to the department’s core curriculum and develop graduate and undergraduate courses in areas of expertise
Deliver instruction both online, asynchronously and synchronously, and face-to-face at any of the university campuses (i.e., Commerce, Dallas, Plano)
Demonstrate commitment to effective and innovative pedagogy through certifications, trainings, and workshops
Maintain knowledge and stay abreast of current trends and best practices in counseling and play therapy
Active advisement of students at the undergraduate and graduate levels
Serve as the Director of East Texas A&M University's Play Therapy & Expressive Arts Center
Participate collegially in departmental, college, and university committees
Collaborate with faculty and staff to implement departmental initiatives and programs
Contribute to the professional counseling community through activities such as reviewing, presenting at conferences, and serving in professional organizations
Engage in outreach or community service consistent with the mission of the university
Oversee East Texas A&M University's Play Therapy & Expressive Arts Center, including daily operational management, supervision of graduate assistants and staff, compliance with ethical and licensure/certification standards, and coordination of services, budgeting, and community partnerships
Designing and delivering play therapy coursework and continuing education that meet APT's approved curriculum standards
Supervise play therapy training, practicum, and clinical experiences for students
Maintaining compliance with APT accreditation requirements and renewal processes as an Approved Center and Approved Provider
Organize and advertise approved Play Therapy trainings
Mentoring students and supervisees toward Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT™) credentialing
Pursue scholarship and grant funding to support the Center's research and training mission
Cultivate community partnerships to expand clinical training opportunities for students
Represent the East Texas A&M University's Play Therapy & Expressive Arts Center within the department, university, and broader play therapy community