Department of Integrative Social Work: Adjunct Teaching and Dissertation Committee Faculty Member

Job Description:

Saybrook University seeks part-time adjunct faculty members to teach courses and to serve on doctoral dissertation research committees in the College of Social Sciences (CSS) and the College of Health and Integrative Medicine (CIMHS). The colleges offer graduate degrees in discipline-specific programs, including humanistic clinical psychology, humanistic psychology, transformative social change, mind-body medicine, integrative functional nutrition, applied psychophysiology, and integrative social work. The university is committed to academic excellence and diversity within its faculty, staff, and student body and is recruiting passionate educators to support its mission.

Under the direction of a program-specific department chair or the chair of the research department, the Adjunct Dissertation Faculty Members are responsible for supporting students under their committee roles as determined by the academic department.

Integrative Social Work Mission:

Our mission is to advance the core values and principals of social work education through interdisciplinary research and practice which focuses on the integration of the whole person, mind, body, and spirit. Through fostering the interconnectedness of the human experience, our program equips students with the knowledge, tools and skills needed to integrate spiritual wellness, mindfulness, and self-care practices into their personal and professional lives. We prepare graduates to address complex social challenges while maintaining their well-being. Rooted in the values of social, emotional and spiritual equity as well as cultural humility, we empower students to promote healing and balance in the lives of individuals, families, and communities.

Position Responsibilities:

• Complete requisite teaching and doctoral dissertation training.

• Serve as course instructor and/or doctoral dissertation chairperson, methodologist, or subject matter expert/reader on doctoral dissertation committees as determined by the Department Chair and dissertation policies.

• Collaborate with students’ full doctoral committee members to establish a workable doctoral completion plan assess, evaluate and monitor student progress. Will participate in ad hoc doctoral dissertation committee meetings.

• Saybrook University will provide a dissertation rubric to aid in reviewing the academic work and to assess the readiness of our graduate students. All assessments are subject to specific program requirements.

• Provide substantive critical and analytical written feedback to using track changes to support doctoral student scholarship and academic achievement.

• Attend and engage in doctoral proposal orals and final dissertation orals defense.

• Maintain technical skills related to Saybrook systems and procedures, including Canvas LMS, research administration (Mentor IRB), and petitions to form dissertation committee (Mentor Petitions).

• Facilitate ongoing communication with units within the Office of Research, Innovation, and Sponsored Projects (ORISP), including but not limited to the academic Department of Research and Dissertation Services.

Dissertation Chair Responsibilities:

Dissertation chairs serve as advisors and mentors to students as they research and write proposals and dissertations. Chairs help guide doctoral students to ensure they follow all program, department, college, and university procedures.

• Use Canvas LMS to communicate with students and evaluate their progress, materials, and drafts.

• Oversee and guide the student in the proposal writing process, IRB application, proposal orals, and defense schedule. 

• Use the provided rubrics to aid in the review process.

• Inform students as to milestone requirements in Mentor IRB and Mentor Petitions.

• Ensure that the student conducts their research and written dissertation in compliance with Saybrook’s ethical guidelines and academic best practices, including those stated in the university’s policies and procedures.
   

Dissertation Methodologist Responsibilities:

• Contribute to assessing the student’s readiness to utilize the chosen methodology.

• Collaborate with the dissertation chair to support the student through establishing full alignment of methodological tools of inquiry used and its appropriateness to a scholarly research proposal and dissertation.

• Provide substantive critical and analytical written feedback to using track changes to support doctoral student scholarship and academic achievement.

• Use the provided rubric to aid in the review process.
   

Dissertation Subject Matter Knowledge/Reader Responsibilities:

• Contribute to assessing the student’s subject matter knowledge.

• Collaborate with the dissertation chair to support the student through the construction of the proposal and dissertation and the execution of the applied research.

• Provide substantive critical and analytical written feedback to using track changes. Support doctoral student scholarship and academic achievement in all parts of the proposal and dissertation.

• Use the provided rubrics to help aid in the review process.
   

Position Requirements:

• Each member must have primary U.S. residency.

• Each member must have a doctoral degree, including completion of a doctoral dissertation.

• Must hold an MSW degree from a CSWE accredited institution with 2 years post MSW work in the field.

• Minimum of two years of teaching in a BSW, MSW or Ph.D. program in the field of social work on in the field of humanities and social sciences.

• Commitment to inclusion and supporting diverse learners.

• Mastery of Office 365 suite.

• Mastery of APA 7 publication style and subsequent updated versions of APA style writing.

• Ability to use software for data analysis as needed (e.g., SPSS, NVivo) and educational software (e.g., Grammarly, ReciteWorks, TurnitIn).

• Experience teaching using the Canvas learning management system.
   

Position Preferences:

• Minimum of two years record of successful dissertation mentorship.

• Experience in building and/or revising course syllabi.
   

Requirements to Serve as a Dissertation Chair:

• Grounded in academic research methodologies, preferably qualitative research.

• Established record of completed (published) dissertations serving as dissertation chair or research methodologist.

• Publication/paper or presentation in academic research/practice.
   

Requirements to Serve as a Dissertation Methodologist:

Expertise in qualitative research methodologies (as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications or prior specific course instruction) in one or more of the following research methods:

• Action Research

• Autoethnographic Research

• Case Study (qualitative)

• Correlational Research

• Descriptive Phenomenology

• Experimental and Comparative Research

• Grounded Theory (Classic, Straussian, or Constructivist)

• Hermeneutic Phenomenology

• Heuristic Research

• Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)

• Narrative Research
   

Requirements to Serve as Dissertation Subject Matter Knowledge/Reader:

• Subject-matter knowledge is demonstrated in understand our programs mission and through following areas identified by the student’s degree program
   

Compensation:

Compensation is based on the adjunct faculty pay scale for online instruction, dissertation service, and participation in university learning experiences.
 

Required Application Documents:

To be considered for the position, applications must include the following documents:

• Cover Letter (include documented experience specific to the required and preferred qualifications; note the number of dissertation committees for which you have served and in what capacity, including your area of subject matter knowledge)

• Curriculum Vitae (include three references relative to dissertation mentoring)

• Teaching Philosophy and Dissertation Mentoring Statement (provide statements describing your approach to teaching, and mentoring doctoral students in completing dissertation research)

• Academic Transcripts (include an official transcript from a regionally accredited doctoral program).
   

About Saybrook University:

Saybrook University was founded over 50 years ago by some of the greatest minds of the 20th century and continues to inspire a new generation of innovators. A non-profit, regionally accredited university known for its commitment to humanistic studies and rigorous research, Saybrook University’s academic model puts the student at the center of everything we do to provide a unique, transformational learning experience. Saybrook offers advanced degrees in organizational systems, psychology, mind-body medicine, and counseling in flexible learning formats to help students continue to be active contributors to their fields while they advance their education. Saybrook University is proud to be a diverse, inclusive community of creative, compassionate innovators dedicated to pursuing new ways of thinking and doing for our professions, organizations, and communities.

Saybrook University is an Equal Opportunity Employer that celebrates diversity and inclusion.

For more information, visit www.saybrook.edu.

Compensation & Benefits

Three credit courses are budgeted at $2,000-4,000 per course, dependent upon student enrollment. Two credit courses are budgeted at $1,334-2,668 per course, dependent upon student enrollment. Under-enrolled courses may fall below these ranges. Additional compensation factors may impact total compensation. To learn more about our competitive benefits and additional rewards, including generous paid time-off, medical and dental insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, multiple flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement, click the link below.

https://www.saybrook.edu/about/careers/

Saybrook University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.