POSITION SUMMARY:

The part-time faculty member (rank commensurate with experience) within the Physical Therapist Assistant Program is primarily responsible for course instruction and/or course coordination in the didactic and/or clinical phase of the program. It is expected that a faculty member will be effective in the areas of course design, course delivery, and evaluation. The faculty member is instrumental in assisting the program to ensure that students consistently meet the program’s Student Learning Outcomes to achieve competencies required for occupational therapy practice. The part-time faculty member is guided by the Program Director in assisting the program with curriculum assessment and meeting the accreditation standards.

The incumbent must assure that the South University philosophy is considered in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of this position, which includes quality services to clients; development, growth, involvement, and recognition of employees; sound economic principles; and maintenance of an environment which is conducive to innovation, positive thinking, and expansion.

KEY JOB ELEMENTS:

• Provides teaching/instruction in cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains as dictated by the needs of the program and assigned by the supervisor or designee.

• Assists with curriculum development, which includes the design and implementation of the curriculum, and ongoing curriculum evaluation and improvement.

• Designs and prepares course lesson plans, syllabi and learning management system platform for all assigned courses.

• Delivers lecture and/or laboratory instruction to meet course outcomes and participates in program activities that support lesson objectives.

• Evaluates student performance in cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains via classroom/laboratory observation, objective, structured assignments and lab practical examinations.
• Records attendance and student grades. Returns graded assignments and exams to students in a timely manner while providing students with adequate feedback.
• Provides effective classroom management in the classroom/lab to promote a positive learning environment.

• Provides academic advising, facilitating remediation as needed and completing appropriate documentation.

• Creates assessment tools for courses and maps exam questions to accreditation standards, as requested.

• Provides input to assist with accreditation activities, as well as ongoing program assessment.

• Engages in service, community and campus relations, student recruitment and scholarly activities appropriate to the role of a Faculty (Part-time) member.

• Participates in faculty development opportunities each year as outlined in the Faculty Supplement to the South University Employee Handbook.

• Assists with clinical site monitoring as needed.

• Contributes to a learning culture by participating on committees (e.g., Program Advisory Committee), supporting local campus events such as orientation and graduation, and attending other workshops and meetings.

• Assists with other responsibilities as determined by the Program Director, Campus Director and/or the Campus Dean of Academic Affairs and Operations.

• Performs duties as assigned and outlined in the faculty job description and in accordance with the provisions of Faculty Supplement to the South University Employee Handbook.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Knowledge:

• Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from a regionally-accredited university (preferred); Bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited university (required).
• Current PT or PTA license in the state where the campus is located.
• Minimum of three (3) years of full-time (or equivalent) post-licensure clinical experience in physical therapy, including experience in the PT/PTA relationship (required).

• Experience in a variety of areas of teaching (e.g., academic, clinical, continuing education, in-service), in post-secondary or college institutions (preferred).
• Understanding of contemporary physical practice and its relation to PTA education.
• Service on behalf of physical therapy education, the community, and/or the profession.

Skills:

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Strong interpersonal skills with student and staff populations.
• Superior organization, prioritization, and self-motivation skills.
• Strong computer skills, including MS Office Suite.

Abilities:

• Ability to interact effectively as a member of a team and work collaboratively with other departments.
• Ability to read, understand, interpret, and implement accreditation criteria and state agency regulations.
• Ability to resolve inquiries and complaints from employees, students, regulatory agencies, or members of the academic or business community.
• Ability to listen to customers (e.g. staff, students, etc.) and to understand and respond positively to their requests.
• Ability to adapt to changing assignments and multiple priorities.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and successfully meet deadlines.

ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The term "qualified individual with a disability" means an individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the position. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate professionally in person, over the telephone, through email and other electronic means, move about the office or school, handle various types of media and equipment, and visually or otherwise identify, observe and assess. The employee is occasionally required to lift up to 10 pounds unless otherwise specified in the job description. The individual must be able to travel out of the local area with an occasional overnight stay to participate in a variety of conferences and meetings.

South University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and embraces diversity as a critical step in ensuring employee, student and graduate success. We are committed to building and developing a diverse environment where a variety of ideas, cultures and perspectives can thrive.