Assistant Professor of Special Education: Extensive Support Needs

The Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, Literacy, and Special Education within the Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington ( UNCW) seeks an outstanding faculty member for a nine-month tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the Special Education program beginning August 2025. Teaching responsibilities include special education courses at both the undergraduate (i.e., traditional face-to-face) and graduate (i.e., online synchronous, asynchronous, evening) level, including Special Education Coursework and School-based Supervision with a focus on Adapted Curriculum courses.

Applicants should have a strong background and scholarly record/trajectory with K-21 learners with extensive support needs including significant intellectual disabilities, multiple disabilities, and complex communication needs.

Candidates with a record of scholarship and teaching in applied behavior analysis or promotes positive outcomes among diverse learners with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Faculty in the Special Education program aim to prepare excellent special educators who teach, advocate, and advance equity in schools for learners with disabilities. We seek candidates who will promote an equitable and inclusive culture through their teaching, research, and service.

The Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, Literacy and Special Education is a community of professional educators dedicated to preparing teachers and other professionals with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to educate and serve youth from early childhood through middle grades, including students with disabilities. It values the integration of current theory, research, and professional expertise from multiple disciplines and perspectives to inform practices that enable all learners to reach their full potential.

The department provides opportunities for students to develop as educational leaders and advocates for the children and families they serve. It develops, implements, and coordinates programs leading to undergraduate degrees and/or licensure in Birth through Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle Grades, and Special Education (General Curriculum Licensure and Adapted Curriculum licensure) as well as graduate degrees and/or licensure in Elementary, Middle grades, Art Education, Language and Literacy, and Special Education.

The Watson College of Education ( WCE) (www.uncw.edu/ed) is a rapidly growing college with over 65 tenure-track faculty members working in undergraduate and master's programs in the Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, Literacy and Special Education and the Department of Instructional Technology, Foundations and Secondary Education, and master's and doctoral programs in the Department of Educational Leadership. It offers several international study programs, a newly developed laboratory school, and maintains partnerships with numerous school districts, community colleges, and colleges/universities in the region.

We prepare educators to work in all communities and to serve children and families in all contexts.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state's coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking and a community rich in diversity, inclusion and global perspectives.

A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to- BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation's only bachelor's degree program focused on coastal engineering.

The university's efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of "Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity" institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.

At the University of North Carolina at Wilmington ( UNCW), our culture reflects our values of inclusion, diversity, globalization, ethics and integrity and innovation and we are committed to providing equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents - except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs. UNCW believes that embracing the unique contributions of our faculty, staff and students is critical to our success and paramount in being recognized for our global mindset.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. UNC Wilmington participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Candidates will provide a cover letter to the search committee with specific references to Minimum Education and Experience Requirements in the position announcement. Candidates should describe (a) interest in position, (b) relevant degrees, relevant professional experiences, (d) record or potential in scholarship, and (e) record or potential in college teaching and/or supervision. Prior to the official appointment to the university, the candidate selected for hire must provide evidence of degree, transcripts, or other documentation as evidence of eligibility to teach assigned courses. Please note three professional references are required prior to offer of employment.