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Job Title: Assistant Professor Of Social Work
Education: BA in Psych/Sociology, Samford University; •• Masters in Social Work, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminar; •• Ph.D. in Social Work, Barry University
Previous Experience: I worked at a college as the Assistant Director. & then Director of the Volunteer program that placed all 2000 undergraduate students in volunteer (individual & group) experiences locally & on trips for a few years, helped start a non-profit to support women escapting prostitution; consulted w/folks starting an AIDS hospice in Spain & did end of life hospice/chaplain social work. I taught psychology courses & helped start a Christian Social Ministries minor and created/taught those courses. I then finished my Ph.D. and moved to the Boston area, and took adjunct teaching opportunities in psychology and a new MSW program, which led to a full-time administrative and teaching position and finally to a tenure-track teaching/research/publishing/practice position at a Boston college.
Job Tasks: I teach five graduate and one undergraduate social work courses a year, with 10-45 students in each. I create the curriculum for some courses and simply update/enhance that of other courses, all based in human rights and social justice. I serve on college-wide committees (including Faculty Senate) and task forces, advise 15-20 students, and serve on the MSW (Masters in Social Work) application review team.
I am the lead on two partnerships, one which is based on a statewide mandate impacting children and families, and one which is based in a neighborhood of Boston and enhances the service delivery of behavioral and medical supports for kids and families.
I am engaged in research on transracial adoption, serve as a Volunteer Foster Care Case Reviewer, and lead workshops and seminars on spirituality in the lives of children and families, and also foster care/adoption. I have published articles in journals, chapters in books, and am finishing up a second edition of a book which will be published later this year.
Finally, I am the President of AASWG, MA chapter (Assoc. for the Advancement of Social Work w/Groups), leading a board of 10-14 social workers, supporting to offer a vibrant spring conference, co-sponsored by the College; and I am the Associate Editor of "Social Work and Christianity," a publication of the Norh American Association of Christians in Social Work. My main responsibility there is to recruit, guide and support guest editors for special issues of the journal (two per year).
On a typical day, I'll respond to numerous emails from students supporting their field placements and learning, collaborate by email with faculty and community partners, meet with people on Faculty Senate or in my School or Program for a couple of hours working on projects, have a conference call with NACSW or AASWG folks, prepare for a class, or grade some papers, teach class (2 1/2 hours each), complete a reference for a former student, and spend more time on email.
Best and Worst Parts of the Job: The best parts about my job are the intellectual stimulation, the variety of responsibilities, the privilege of being a part of the learning journey with a very diverse student body (through advising, classes, and other college-based activities). Additionally, the mission of the College and our programs is human-rights and social justice-based, and focused on children and families, which is a beautiful match with my personal interests and areas of expertise - spirituality in the lives of children and families and also foster care and adoption.
The worst parts of my job are due to the very heavy schedule and load of a tenure-track position - many expectations that often conflict with one another time-wise and energy-wise. Also - politics in the institution can cause one to lose focus, if one is not careful! Overall, it is a fantastic, perfect job for me.
Job Tips:
1. Take as many opportunities as possible to co-teach, observe others teaching, and try it out yourself -- and be sure you have ample planning and debriefing time, and a team of people to process and brainstorm with.
2. COLLABORATE - work hard to help others out in their work, and seek assistance in yours.
3. Read - you can never know or read too much!
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