Interim Department Chair Education and Human Development

Clemson University•Clemson, SC

About The Position

Clemson University’s College of Education seeks an accomplished academic leader to serve as Interim Chair of the Department of Education and Human Development. The role provides leadership and support for quality, growth, and innovation in the department’s teaching, scholarship, public service, and undergraduate and graduate programs. The appointment is for nine months, includes summer administration expectations, and is anticipated to begin November 16, 2026. The interim appointment is expected to continue through August 14, 2027, with the possibility of a one-year extension. The successful candidate’s record must merit tenure at the level of Full Professor in the College. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications. Department chairs are formally evaluated through the process described in Clemson’s Faculty Manual. The department offers programs in counseling, learning sciences, literacy, and special education. It prepares professionals to provide exemplary leadership and educational services, with an emphasis on rural and underserved schools and communities. The College of Education prepares teachers, educational specialists, school- and community-based mental health counselors, human resource professionals, and leaders in education and allied fields. Its work includes innovative educational programming, high-impact research, and outreach addressing societal and educational issues, in support of Clemson University’s land-grant mission.

Requirements

Earned doctorate in an academic discipline of the College.
Record of scholarship supporting tenure eligibility at the rank of Full Professor in Clemson University’s College of Education.
Academic administration experience, such as serving as an academic program leader or department chair.
Experience with funded grants and publication.
Experience with undergraduate and graduate programs.
Experience with curriculum development, innovative teaching methods, instructional design for varied settings such as online and hybrid, and assessment.
Experience with field and clinical placement.
Experience in program assessment and accreditation.
Effective oral and written communication skills.
Ability to collaborate with others in a team-oriented environment.
Ability to work in a dynamic environment involving multiple tasks and adjust to issues as needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience increasing extramural funding and scholarly output.
Experience designing innovative undergraduate and/or graduate programs, including online and hybrid teaching and learning models.
Record of scholarship, outreach, and leadership in areas of strategic importance, including Rural Education, Early Childhood Education, Reading/Literacy Education, Special Education, Learning Sciences, and/or STEM Education, including AI, VR, multimodal/digital literacies, computational thinking, or robotics.
Demonstrated commitment and experience working with underserved communities and diverse populations.

Responsibilities

Provide continuity of leadership during the interim appointment by nurturing and building consensus with faculty, staff, and external stakeholders.
Lead implementation of the department’s strategic plan in alignment with the college’s strategic plan and Clemson Elevate.
Supervise the department’s portfolio, including course and program curriculum, scheduling, faculty workload, research, and public service.
Develop budgets with the Dean and leadership team and allocate funds for infrastructure and strategic purposes.
Recruit, mentor, retain, and annually evaluate departmental faculty and staff.
Oversee faculty hiring, reappointments, tenure and promotion, and termination.
Provide leadership in student recruitment, advising, and placement.
Support professional growth and development of departmental faculty, staff, and doctoral students.
Ensure faculty participation in annual program reporting, internal and external program review, and unit-wide accreditation with CAEP.
Arrange departmental faculty meetings and meet with the departmental advisory committee and appropriate constituent and advisory groups.
Represent the department on the college’s leadership team and the university’s Organization of Academic Department Chairs (OADC).
Collaborate with the chairs of Educational and Organizational Leadership Development (EOLD) and Teaching & Learning (TL), and with associate deans in the college.
Serve as liaison between the department and the offices of Marketing and Communications, Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies, Assessment and Accreditation, and Field and Clinical Outreach and Partnerships.
Work with relevant organizations and agencies and cultivate partnerships to enhance programs, research, and public service.
Engage in teaching and advising graduate students.
Engage in research, publication, external funding, and other scholarly activities.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Dean.