Position description

The College of Health Sciences at the University of Missouri—Columbia (MU) is launching a bachelor’s degree in Criminal and Justice Studies in Fall 2025. The new degree program is designed to provide education, training, and experiential opportunities for students interested in working in juvenile or adult court services, parole or probation, law enforcement, child welfare investigations, forensic social work, first responder, and other associated professions, as well as applicants interested in pursuing an advanced degree program in law or related area of study.

The CJS program faculty are seeking applicants to fill the role of inaugural director for this new and exciting degree program at Missouri’s flagship institution. The position is open to all ranks (Assistant, Associate, Full) as nontenure track (NTT) or tenure track (TT) faculty. Faculty position offered will be commensurate with candidate’s credentials and experience.

Minimum qualifications

The minimum qualifications for this position are a graduate degree (master’s or doctoral) in Social Work, Criminology, Sociology, Psychology, or related field and related experience within one of the many branches of the juvenile or criminal justice systems (e.g., law enforcement, juvenile or adult courts, child welfare, corrections, etc.).

Job duties

Candidate’s will be evaluated on experience and future capacity for the following general job duties:

1. Research and scholarly productivity (for TT position)
   • Evidence of successful scholarship (publications in high impact journals, presentations at national/international conferences, social media and other emerging sources of information)
   • Past success and future potential to engage in externally funded research
   • Capacity to work with undergrads and graduate students in research and writing
2. Administration and service duties for the program, CHS, and MU
   • Prior experience working within the criminal justice system
   • Years of service in a supervisory role within the criminal justice system
   • Capacity to administer a program with consent and approval of involved faculty
   • Working with diverse persons
   • Curricular design and refinement
   • Working with CHS college recruitment, overseeing student advising, and shaping this exciting new course of study
3. Teaching
   • Advising and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students
   • Designing and teaching college level courses
   • Ability to use diverse sources of technology
   • Capacity for clear verbal and written communication
4. Other related duties as appropriate to the position

Compensation

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

This position is eligible for university benefits. The University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, and educational fee discounts. For additional information on university benefits, please visit the UM System Faculty and Staff Benefits website.

Application

The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications after February 15, 2025. Application review and interviewing will continue until the position is filled.

Applications must be submitted online at hrs.missouri.edu/find-a-job/academic (search for Job Opening 54724). Along with the online application please include a current curriculum vitae (CV), a cover letter that specifically addresses prior experience in social work practice, teaching, and research, a sample of scholarly work, and three letters of reference.

If you have questions, please email the Search Committee Co-Chairs, Dr. Clark Peters, peterscm@health.missouri.edu, and Dan Hanneken, hannekend@health.missouri.edu.

About the School of Social Work

The new CJS degree program is housed within the College of Health Sciences, MU School of Social Work (SSW), which has the mission to promote leadership for social and economic justice by preparing students for professional excellence and leadership in practice, research, and policy. The CJS major builds on a highly successful Criminal Justice minor and the SSW’s tradition of community engagement, research, and teaching on topics including corrections, juvenile justice, and court programs.

The MU-SSW has 23 faculty (52% tenure/tenure track and 48% non-tenure track) and staff support for academic and research functions— including grant writing, pre-award, and post-award support. Presently, the MU-SSW has about 450 students (Pre-majors, BSWs, MSWs, and PhDs) and offers an MSW/MPH dual degree program, a joint MSW/PhD program, and a minor in Criminal Justice.

The MU-SSW is home to the Integrated Behavioral Health Clinic which is a faculty-supervised and student-facilitated clinic offering free social, emotional and behavioral health supports to under-insured persons. The School is a partner in the Missouri Prevention Science Institute, with a host of projects in local education and community agencies, and home to the Collaborative for Criminal and Juvenile Justice Priorities.

The MU-SSW is nationally ranked among the top ten comparable research-intensive public schools of social work in Academic Analytics, a database comparing scholarly work, citations, federal grant funding, and national awards. Visit the School of Social Work’s website for more information and to learn about our faculty’s research and teaching.

About the College of Health Sciences

CHS’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of others. Every day, CHS faculty, staff, and students work towards changing lives through the integration of teaching, service, and discovery. The CHS is the University of Missouri system’s only college of health sciences with aligned professions in public health, speech and language sciences, diagnostic sciences, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and health psychology. The CHS is home to the Center for Health Policy which hosts staff and access to many national and international data sets including one of the few Federal Statistical Research Data Centers. Learn more about the College of Health Sciences.

About the University of Missouri

MU is a member of the Association of American Universities, a state land grant institution, and a Carnegie Foundation designated Doctoral/Research University. The University’s 33,000 on-campus students represent every U.S. state and 120 countries. Learn more about Mizzou.

Values Commitment

We value the uniqueness of every individual and strive to ensure each person’s success. Contributions from individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives promote intellectual pluralism and enable us to achieve the excellence that we seek in learning, research and engagement. This commitment makes our university a better place to work, learn and innovate.

In your application materials, please discuss your experiences and expertise that support these values and enrich our missions of teaching, research and engagement.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Equal Opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without unlawful discrimination on the basis of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable state or federal law. This policy shall not be interpreted in such a manner as to violate the legal rights of religious organizations or the recruiting rights of military organizations associated with the Armed Forces or the Department of Homeland Security of the United States of America. For more information, call the Vice Chancellor of Human Resource Services/Affirmative Action officer at 573-882-4256.

To request ADA accommodations please call the Disability Inclusion and ADA Compliance Manager at 573-884-7278.