Director of Clinical Practice and Field Experience

Dominican University•River Forest, IL

4d•$64,000 - $67,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Clinical Practice and Field Experience provides leadership and administrative oversight of clinical practice and field experiences for educator preparation programs within the School of Education. Reporting to the Associate Dean, the Director serves as the primary liaison among educator preparation candidates, school partners, university supervisors, faculty, and other university stakeholders to support high-quality clinical experiences and candidate success. The position initially focuses on the coordination and oversight of clinical practice and field experiences. As the Director develops expertise in Dominican University's educator preparation programs, institutional processes, and educator licensure requirements, additional licensure responsibilities will be assumed progressively through training and collaboration with School of Education leadership. This phased approach supports continuity of services, regulatory compliance, and a successful transition into the full scope of the role.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in education, educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, or a related field.
Experience working with educator preparation programs, clinical practice, field experiences, or P–12 school partnerships.
Working knowledge of educator preparation programs and candidate support processes, with familiarity with educator licensure processes or the demonstrated ability to develop expertise in educator licensure regulations through training.
Experience collaborating with P–12 school partners, faculty, candidates, and other educational stakeholders.
Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, compliance-related processes, and deadlines.
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and diplomatically with diverse stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in education, educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, or a related field.
Experience coordinating clinical practice, field experiences, or educator preparation partnerships with P–12 schools.
Experience working within educator preparation programs or teacher preparation programs.
Experience supporting accreditation, assessment, continuous improvement, or program review activities.
Experience with clinical practice management systems, student information systems, or educator preparation data systems.
Ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with school districts, community partners, university faculty, and state agencies.
Familiarity with Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) educator licensure requirements, reporting systems, or compliance processes.
Experience serving as a licensure officer or in a comparable educator preparation compliance role.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and oversee field experiences and clinical practice placements for candidates enrolled in traditional educator preparation programs.
Collaborate with candidates, cooperating teachers, mentor teachers, school administrators, university supervisors, and faculty to support successful completion of field and clinical requirements.
Manage clinical placement processes, including placement agreements, candidate assignments, evaluations, and resolution of placement concerns.
Maintain ongoing communication and partnerships with school districts and community organizations that support educator preparation.
Provide leadership and coordination for university supervisors and clinical experience stakeholders supporting educator preparation programs.
Collaborate with faculty and leadership on assessment of field and clinical experiences and analysis of candidate data.
Coordinate candidate orientations related to field experiences, clinical practice expectations, background checks, required training, and professional dispositions.
Maintain and update clinical and field experience handbooks and related documentation.
Support candidate remediation plans and problem-solving related to clinical experiences.
Represent Dominican University in professional organizations related to teacher preparation and clinical practice.
Support accreditation, program review, and continuous improvement activities related to educator preparation programs.
Assume increasing responsibility for serving as the primary liaison between Dominican University and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
Evaluate candidate completion of program requirements, testing requirements, and other requirements necessary for educator licensure.
Process educator licensure entitlements and endorsements for current candidates and alumni.
Maintain current knowledge of Illinois educator licensure rules, regulations, and policy changes and communicate updates to faculty and program leaders.
Manage licensure processes for Alternative Licensure Program candidates, including transcript analysis and documentation required for state approval.
Coordinate and support ISBE audits, reporting requirements, and compliance activities.
Manage annual federal and state reporting requirements.
Process out-of-state licensure requests for Dominican University graduates.
Maintain licensure records and databases required for state and institutional reporting.
Collaborate with university partners and programs to support professional development approval and educator credentialing processes.
Participate in structured training and knowledge transfer related to licensure, state reporting, compliance processes, and institutional procedures to support a successful transition into the full licensure role.