Chair, Department of Leadership, Counseling, and Human Development

The College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) seeks to hire a collaborative, innovative, service-oriented person to lead the Department of Leadership, Counseling, and Human Development. Reporting to the Dean of the College, the Department Chair will lead a faculty engaged in multi-faceted and varying instructional programs at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels in educational leadership, school counseling, and child and youth studies.

FGCU is a comprehensive university dedicated to quality education, research, and service. All faculty are expected to be excellent teachers; responsive to changing professional needs; be committed to innovative delivery of instruction resulting in improved student learning; be committed to effective use of technology including distance learning; produce peer reviewed scholarship; and provide service to the college, university, and community. Teaching assignments may be on the main campus or at off-campus sites within our region.

FGCU is building a culture of curiosity, commitment and collaboration. We value employees who successfully work with others and drive positive change through critical thinking and decisive action. If you thrive in an environment of innovation, accountability and mutual respect, you will find a good home here.

Job Description

Typical duties may include but are not limited to:

• Providing vision, leadership, motivation, and supervision to the department and its programs
• Serving on the College Leadership Team to lead the College collectively and collaboratively.
• Conducting personnel needs assessments and work with faculty to identify staffing needs, specialties, and expertise to ensure relevant and excellent curricula and instruction.
• Ensuring accreditation compliance with all state and federal agencies relevant to each program area within the department.
• Fostering a culture of research and scholarship, encouraging faculty to engage in creative, scholarly, and research activities.
• Leading faculty and staff recruitment efforts, conducting searches, and ensuring compliance in the hiring process.
• Evaluating and mentoring faculty in areas of teaching, research, and service, providing guidance for professional growth, and following processes and procedures established by the CBA and University policies. 
• Resolving student and faculty disputes according to established University policies and procedures.
• Works collaboratively with departmental faculty to ensure curriculum outcomes and accreditation standards are met.
• Building and maintaining external partnerships with local school districts, professional organizations, and community stakeholders to support program goals and student success.
• Encouraging professional development by supporting opportunities for faculty to attend conferences, workshops, and training programs.
• Overseeing student recruitment and retention initiatives, by collaborating with faculty to design programs that support student academic success.
• Preparing and submitting required internal and external reports, including accreditation documentation, faculty performance evaluations, and departmental reviews.
• Representing the department at college and university-wide committees and contributing to the development of university policies, and initiatives.
• Teaching assigned courses and adequately perform other duties/responsibilities as articulated on the annual assignment.
• Adopting the university learning management system and other campus-wide technology platforms as appropriate to other specified job duties.
• Completing mandatory/required training in a timely manner.
• Becoming knowledgeable about and abiding by University policies and regulations and college guidelines.
• Communicating with students, colleagues, staff, and administrators in a timely and professional manner.
• Engaging in essential duties with the highest standards of integrity, responsibility, excellence, and within the accepted practices and norms of your respective field/profession.

Additional Job Description

Required Qualifications

• Earned Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership, School Counseling, Research, Human Development, or closely related field from an accredited institution.
• Current rank of Associate Professor or Professor, or a record of academic and professional achievement that meets the qualifications for appointment at the rank of an Associate Professor or Professor.
• A record of teaching, scholarship, and service that is reflective of their rank in an appropriate academic discipline within the college.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as a program coordinator or department chair.
• Documented work as a collaborative leader.
• Experience with curriculum development, accreditation, and program evaluation.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets and allocate resources effectively.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Skills in working in a rapidly developing regional comprehensive university with a focus on creating a student-learning environment among various academic disciplines.
• Ability to successfully develop relationships and interact with external university constituents in construction, business, and technology and to establish relationships internally.
• Ability to teach undergraduate and graduate courses, mentor and coach faculty and students, and participate in regional/national seminars, workshops and committees.
• Ability to lead continuing education programs.
• Ability to deal effectively with a various range of learners and to use information technology as a pedagogical and professional tool.
• Ability to collaborate both within and outside of the university in the development and delivery of instruction.
• Ability to collaborate with other faculty to develop a shared vision of the future.
• Proven ability to think strategically and approach challenges with creativity.
• Demonstrated track record of reliability, meeting goals, and holding oneself accountable.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working effectively across teams.

Institutional Values & Behavioral Expectations:
In this role, the successful candidate will be expected to:

• Seek out new approaches to improve outcomes; remain open to feedback and new ideas.
• Lead with integrity; consistently produce high-quality work; persevere to overcome obstacles to meet deadlines and achieve deliverables.
• Share information and insights thoughtfully; build partnerships across departments; communicate respectfully; support colleagues to achieve common goals.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Appointment will be made at an out-of-unit faculty rank commensurate with the candidate’s experience on a 12-month out-of-unit multi-year appointment basis with an anticipated start date of July 2027.

Because applications and materials are subject to public review and retention under Florida’s Public Records Law, please DO NOT send examples of your project/scholarship unless requested to do so. Therefore, all submitted materials including articles, disks, slides, books, etc., become the property of FGCU and CANNOT BE RETURNED. As applicable, finalists will be notified of the need to submit specific additional materials. Such materials will become the property of FGCU. Under Florida’s Public Records law, applications will be available for public review upon request.

Required Application Materials

• Unofficial transcripts
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy
• Research Statement
• Curriculum vitae
• Cover letter
• Five (5) Professional References

The position is listed as “open until filled”, however applications received by October 30, 2026 will receive priority consideration.

FGCU is a State University System of Florida member and an Equal Opportunity and Equal Access employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.