2025 Psychology Department Director Position

About the Position

The Department Director is both a tenure-track faculty member with an academic rank and an academic administrator who assumes a pivotal role in providing academic leadership, articulating the department's goals and needs, and shaping the department's vision to elevate its educational quality and academic reputation. The core administrative responsibilities of the Department Director encompass, but are not confined to, the following:

• grow and develop the program(s) to enhance its academic reputation and national presence;
• assist in recruitment events such as high school visits and open houses;
• course scheduling and assignment of other responsibilities to faculty;
• manage department budget and allocate resources efficiently;
• annually evaluate faculty performance in teaching, scholarship, student advising, and service. Following the assessment, engage in one-on-one discussions with each faculty member to review the evaluation results and collaboratively formulate improvement plans. The assessment of the Department Director, in conjunction with evaluations conducted by the ARTP committee and the deans, plays a crucial role in fostering the ongoing enhancement of faculty members' performance in teaching, research, and service.
• conduct classroom observation, complete observation reports, review portfolios for reappointment applications, provide written evaluations to Lecturers, and make recommendations on reappointment or non-reappointment of Lecturers to the Dean;
• in collaboration with administrative departments, develop and implement plans to recruit, advise, mentor, retain, and graduate students in a timely manner;
• adjudicate students' concerns and grievances in a fair and consistent manner while upholding University policies and processes;
• maintain professional decorum and create a climate of collegiality among faculty, staff, and students;
• conduct the curricular review and communicate the needs to the WKU Campus Dean, who will work with Kean USA for curriculum revisions;
• oversee graduation audit, accreditation process, and assessment activities, including gathering data and preparing reports;
• appoint a faculty search committee and monitor the search progress;
• provide mentorship to new faculty and support professional development;
• conduct department faculty meetings at least once a month;
• supervise administrative staff;
• coordinate with WKU administration on program-related matters;
• establish connections with industry, government agencies, and the local community to develop research collaboration, facilitate technology transfer, and create internship and community engagement opportunities for students;
• contribute to the technological, economic, and cultural development of the local community through these initiatives;
• foster collaboration with external professional organizations and communities.

The Department Director will be a full-time, 10-month tenure-track Assistant/Associate/Full Professor. Each term is set for three years, allowing the incumbent Department Director to reapply, alongside other candidates, for the subsequent term. Department Directors are required to be on campus at least four days a week (Monday through Friday) throughout the contract period, exclusive of university holidays and winter break, with a requirement of at least seven hours per day, to assist faculty and students and perform administrative duties. Upon receiving approval from the dean, Department Directors have the option to work remotely during the winter semester. However, it is important that they remain available to respond promptly to students and faculty throughout the winter semester. A Department Director can hold the position for a maximum of two consecutive terms. Tenure track faculty members typically teach 24 credits per academic year. However, the Department Director is granted 12 credits of reassigned time for administrative duties per academic year. In the summer, if deemed necessary by the Department and upon request from the dean, Department Directors are anticipated to commit to a minimum of three days per week for four weeks following the conclusion of their 10-month contract. This commitment aims to fulfill the administrative responsibilities of the Department during the summer period. The summer duty will be remunerated with a 3-credit overload, or alternatively, through approval of the dean, can be exchanged for 3-credit reassigned time in the fall or spring semester.

As a tenure track faculty member, the Department Director should possess a strong track record for publication and be ready to lead their own research groups independently. These positions are full-time assignments appointed on a 3-year contract at the first instance. The university will provide start-up grants (up to 300,000 RMB) in support of their research programs. After joining WKU, faculty will apply to a variety of internal research funds, including international research collaboration grants (up to 300,000 RMB per project) and external grants at the municipal, provincial, and national levels. Tenure-track faculty are also expected to provide service to the university and/or professional community.

Teaching assignments and related responsibilities may include day, evening, and online courses. Interest or experience in using advanced instructional technologies to improve the teaching/learning process is highly desirable. All faculty may be required to teach General Education courses as needed. Opportunities are also available to teach disciplinary support courses.

About Wenzhou-Kean University

Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU), located in Wenzhou, China, is one of three Sino-American universities, along with NYU Shanghai and Duke Kunshan University, and it has been approved by the Ministry of Education of China. Launched in 2012, WKU offers a unique model of higher education in partnership with Kean University, a comprehensive, public university in the state of New Jersey that is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Wenzhou is one of the most vibrant and economically advanced developed cities on China’s East Coast, located one hour by plane and three hours by high-speed train from Shanghai.

WKU sits on approximately 500 beautiful acres and currently enrolls about 5,100 students. It is now in the midst of rapid growth that will bring enrollment to 7,000 students within the next three years. All instruction is in English and all curriculum is provided by Kean University.

In addition to its current 18 undergraduate programs, WKU has been approved by the Ministry of Education for offering 8 Master’s and 3 doctorate programs. WKU highly values research-powered teaching and learning, and the average number of faculty publications and the Field-weighted Citation Impact are among the best of leading Chinese academic institutions.

Faculty positions at WKU offer:

Salary that is internationally competitive and commensurate with experience. A well-rounded healthcare coverage, academic travel up to $2,000, housing options and subsidy up to $3,000, home traveling up to $6,000 (2 international round-trip airfares), a reimbursement to cover relocation expenses up to $1,000, shuttle bus to campus for work, and up to 8% front-load retirement benefits within accordance with completion of years of service with the University. Three-year initial contract. Six-credit course release for research per academic year for the first three years. Startup grant up to 80,000 RMB. WKU tuition waiver up to 50% for spouse/dependent children of faculty for undergraduate programs. Tuition discount of private/international kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools for children of faculty. A collegial environment. The opportunity to teach high-quality students. About 50% of graduates have been admitted to graduate schools at the World’s Top 50 Universities, and about 60% of graduates at the World’s Top 100 Universities.

Qualifications

A Ph.D. in Psychology, Neuroscience, or a closely related field is required. Candidates who obtained their degrees from reputable universities (Carnegie R1 institutions or comparable research institutions with strong academic reputation in the fields), are encouraged to apply. English fluency is required. Candidates should be able to teach upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses within their area of expertise. Candidates should possess a strong track record for publication and be ready to lead their own research groups independently. They are expected to plan and conduct research and develop extramurally funded research programs involving students, which is essential for tenure and promotion. Candidates are also expected to publish peer-reviewed journal articles in high impact journals in their fields. In addition to teaching and student-engaging research duties, candidates are also expected to contribute to the growth of the programs, including but not limited to curriculum development, program assessment, student recruitment/advisement, senior project supervision, internship opportunities, research experiences for undergraduates (REU), etc. to fill the faculty roles.

Application Instructions

Applicants are REQUIRED to apply online. To receive full consideration by the search committee, candidates need to submit the following documents via Interfolio (https://apply.interfolio.com/156793).

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until positions are filled. Candidates should send a cover letter, resume, statement of teaching philosophy, statement of research goals, unofficial transcripts, two most recent peer-reviewed academic publications, and contact information of three professional references. Three current letters of recommendation (within the last nine months) will be required before advancement. Official transcripts for all degrees are required before appointment.

Background Screening:

Wenzhou-Kean University conducts background screenings on all candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third-party administrator to conduct background screenings.