Director of Licensure, Accreditation, and Clinical Experience

Director of Licensure, Accreditation, and Clinical Experience

Benefits of working at VCU

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU's robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit,retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU's benefits here.

Job Code
10411

Recruitment Pool
All Applicants

Posting Number
req6188

Unit
School Of Education MBU

Department
SOE, Dean's Office

Department Website Link
https://soe.vcu.edu

Location
VCU

Address
1015 W. Main Street, Oliver Hall, Richmond, VA 23284 USA

Duties & Responsibilities

At VCU, we provide UNcommon learning, research, creativity, service and discovery - the hallmarks of the VCU experience. A premier, urban, public research university nationally recognized as one of the best employers for diversity, VCU is a great place to work. It is a place of opportunity, where your success is supported and your career can thrive. VCU offers employees a generous leave package, career paths for advancement, competitive pay, and an opportunity to do mission-driven work.

Summary:

The Director of Licensure and Accreditation will be part of a team committed to the success of all students enrolled in initial and advanced licensure programs in the VCU School of Education, including teacher education, school administration, and school counseling. The Director, reporting to the Dean of the School of Education, will provide administrative oversight to the School of Education's initial and advanced teacher and practitioner preparation programs' accreditation efforts, licensure, school partnerships, and clinical experiences. This work requires an understanding of the compliance procedures mandated by the main accreditation agencies involved, including, but not limited to, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Professions (CACREP) and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). This is a 12-month UAP position with potential for faculty affiliate status with the relevant department.

The Director will work with faculty, supervisors, clinical educators, and K-12 Local Education Agency (LEA) stakeholders to enhance orientation, training, and continuing education opportunities by relying on strong relational skills, dynamic engagement, up-to-date knowledge of best practices, and a coaching perspective. The Director will build, maintain, and assess meaningful clinical experiences, maintaining relationships with students from pre-enrollment through their first years of teaching. The Director will work with other leaders in the School of Education to address curriculum, recruitment and retention, and assessment. The Director will lead the unit's accreditation efforts, particularly in clinical practice.

Typical Duties:

•Provides point-of-contact leadership to the state department of Virginia Department of Education and CAEP national accreditors for the EPP's initial and advanced licensure programs in the School of Education, School of the Arts,and College of Humanities and Sciences.
•Oversees CAEP accreditation and state program approval processes, including collaboration with faculty and staff to ensure VCU EPP alignment to CAEP and VDOE standards as well as leadership for self-study and site visits.
•Analyzes, interprets, and responds to regulations and policies related to educator licensure, certification, and accreditation requirements for ongoing organizational compliance.
•Provides resources and support to department chair and program coordinators in complying with CAEP standards and state licensure requirements.
•Leads and monitors the development and implementation of all accreditation-related improvement efforts.
•Collaborates with the Strategic Recruitment Office on recruitment and with the Office of Student Success on retention efforts as related to accreditation goals of diversifying the student body.
•Collaborates with the Student Services Center and Office of Student Success to monitor candidate and cohort progression in the program with alignment to program gates and requirements.
•Collaborates with the Academic Affairs team and program faculty to ensure accessible and relevant licensure programs that align with local, regional, and state needs.
•Serves as a CAEP site reviewer at least once per year.
•Monitors and revises language for the SOE's student-facing documents to ensure compliance with state regulations.
•Review and approve both Virginia and out-of-state licensure applications as VCU signatory.
•Works closely with students seeking a Virginia state teaching license and provides support to resolve student issues related to credentialing in collaboration with SOE faculty and staff partners.
•Chair for the Continuous Improvement Committee.
•Chair for the Professional Education Coordinating Council.
•Other related duties as assigned.

Responsibilities: Clinical Experiences

•Supervises clinical experiences across all initial and advanced licensure programs in the SOE.
•Maintenance of handbooks, calendars, and forms related to clinical practice.
•Partners with academic programs to 1) ensure practical and clinical experiences are developmental in scope and breadth and 2) ensure appropriate assessment/evaluation in these early placements to guide continuous improvement of clinical preparation.
•Establishes and maintains meaningful reciprocal relationships with key school division partners related to recruitment, clinical experiences, and division hiring needs.
•Works with the Student Services Center, RTR Teacher residency, department chairs, and program coordinators to streamline and optimize clinical partnerships.
•Serves as liaison to division and community partners.
•Collaborates with Student Services Center and program faculty for initial and advanced licensure practicum and clinical placements.
•Conducts field and clinical training for school-based teacher educators/mentors and university-based teacher educators/residency coordinators (initial programs).
•Leads validation and reliability meetings with school partners who will implement assessments for accreditation and program evaluation.
•Ensures all initial licensure candidates experience a diverse clinical placement through collaboration with the Student Services Center to ensure schools identified for clinical placements meet EPP guidelines and CAEP requirements.
•Works with faculty and staff on the clinical experiences advisory board to review the annual report, as well as clinical experiences feedback data, and implement continuous improvement.
•Communicates licensure and licensure-preparation program successes and continuous improvement efforts internally and externally to alums, division partners, and community members.
•Chair for the Clinical Experiences Advisory Board.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

•Masters (required) or doctorate (preferred) in an appropriate discipline (e.g., curriculum and instruction, education research, educational psychology, higher education administration).
•Experience working with accreditation agencies and state departments of education and knowledge of national and disciplinary accreditation standards and reporting.
•Comfort with handling complex tasks and the ability to develop, implement, and use information systems.
•Demonstrated ability to use data to inform improvement of student or program outcomes.
•Experience managing complex projects that engage multiple stakeholders to meet short- and long-term goals.
•Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
•Ability to manage time efficiently and respond promptly.
•Ability to represent the SOE effectively with students, faculty, staff, and community partners.
•Demonstrated commitment to building and sustaining inclusive and equitable educational environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

•Doctorate in an appropriate discipline (e.g., curriculum and instruction, education research, educational psychology, higher education administration).

•Experience working with the Virginia Department of Education on issues of licensure and accreditation

FLSA
University Employee

Job FTE
1

Exemption Status
Exempt

Restricted Position
No

E-Class
UF - University Employee FT

Job Category
University Employee

ORP Eligible
Yes

Salary Range
$80,000-$95,000

Compensation Type
Salaried

Target Hire Date
1/10/2025

Contact Information for Candidates

Kathleen Rudasill
kmrudasill@vcu.edu

Documents Needed to Apply
•Cover Letter•CV/Resume•Diversity Statement