The Opportunity

Reporting to the Associate Provost for Mental Health and Wellbeing, the Counseling and Psychology Core Faculty and Department Chair is a member of the University’s academic community and provides both faculty and academic leadership for the Counseling and Psychology Department. This is a full-time faculty role with department chair responsibilities.

The Counseling and Psychology Department prepares students for meaningful careers in mental health, human services, and related fields through rigorous academic study, reflective practice, and applied learning. The Department Chair and Core Faculty member will contribute to the department through teaching, curriculum development, faculty mentoring, student support, and academic leadership. Working collaboratively with the Associate Provost and department faculty, this role will provide leadership for the department’s academic vision and ongoing development, including curriculum, program review, accreditation and licensure alignment, faculty development, and student success. The Chair will also support a strong culture of collaboration, reflective practice, and foster connections with community agencies, clinical training sites, and professional organizations.

As a Core Faculty member, the successful candidate will maintain an active teaching role within the Counseling and Psychology curriculum and contribute to the academic and professional development of students. The position offers an opportunity to help shape the continued growth of the department while advancing inclusive, culturally responsive, and student-centered approaches to teaching and learning. The ideal candidate will be an experienced educator and collaborative academic leader with expertise in counseling, psychology, or a closely related field, and a demonstrated commitment to reflective practice, culturally responsive education, student success, and the preparation of future mental health professionals.

Working collaboratively with the Associate Provost and department faculty, this role will provide leadership for the department’s academic vision and ongoing development, including curriculum, program review, accreditation and licensure alignment, faculty development, and student success. The Chair will also support a strong culture of collaboration, reflective practice, and foster connections with community agencies, clinical training sites, and professional organizations.

 
Qualities & Capabilities

A successful candidate will have:

• PhD or equivalent terminal degree in Counseling, Psychology, Counselor Education, or a closely related field (required)
• Licensed or license eligible in Massachusetts as an LMHC, LICSW, LMFT, LPC, LPCC
• Demonstrated leadership experience in higher education or related field
• Experience supervising faculty or managing academic programs
• A minimum of 3-5 years successful teaching experience at the undergraduate or graduate level
• Capability to teach across a range of subject areas within the Counseling and Psychology field
• Record of scholarship, clinical practice, or professional contributions in Counseling or Psychology
• Commitment to culturally responsive, trauma‑informed, and inclusive pedagogy
• Experience with accreditation, licensure requirements, or program assessment
• Demonstrated success building partnerships with community agencies or clinical training sites
• Familiarity with liberal arts education and interdisciplinary collaboration

Why Lesley

Located in the heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Lesley University is highly regarded for its graduate and undergraduate programs in the human arts of education, the arts, and applied social sciences. Lesley fosters a highly creative environment in which innovative ideas thrive, theory is integrated with practice and its 6,400 students and 90,000 alumni are empowered to improve and enrich communities.

We offer a competitive benefits package that includes health, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance. In addition, we offer significant paid time off, a generous retirement plan, and tuition programs that enable employees and their dependents to expand their knowledge and skills.

Lesley is committed to the ongoing pursuit of strategic diversity initiatives that help to position diversity, equity, and inclusion as fundamental to institutional and academic excellence at Lesley. In doing so, Lesley strives for a campus culture and community that fosters a true sense of belonging for all, provides opportunity for everyone to participate equally and fully in the Lesley experience, and helps to develop each individual's capacity to confidently and competently engage within and across difference. Given an evolving national context and the rapid change in the demographic profile of our country, the University has made a significant commitment to addressing and enhancing its campus climate and diversity capabilities as an institution.

Expressing Interest

A letter of interest, CV/resume, and a statement addressing past and/or potential contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion through teaching, professional activity, and/or service must be included for full consideration.

At Lesley University we strive for a supportive and equitable environment where people -- regardless of race, ethnicity, color, sex, physical ability, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, veteran or military status, membership in uniformed services, and all other categories protected by applicable state and federal laws -- can participate equally and fully as their true selves in all aspects of university life. Accordingly, the University prohibits discrimination based on these protected categories in any education program or activity that it operates, including in admission and in employment. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the fabric of our institution. Individuals may submit concerns or questions related to discrimination to the University's Director of Equal Opportunity. Please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity's webpage for the University's entire notice of nondiscrimination and for additional information.

Lesley University Core Faculty positions are governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). To view our compensation targets for this position, please visit this link.