The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling
🇺🇸 Edinburg, TX
🕑 Full-Time
💰 TBD
💻 Other
🗓️ October 16th, 2025
Edtech.com's Summary
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is hiring a Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling. The Director will provide strategic academic and administrative leadership to advance the school’s mission in teaching, research, and service, drive enrollment growth with emphasis on the PhD program, foster research development, and cultivate an inclusive academic community while managing faculty, budget, and external partnerships.
Highlights
- Lead the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling as the academic and administrative head, equivalent to a department chair.
- Provide strategic leadership to advance teaching, research, service, and community engagement missions.
- Drive enrollment growth, particularly expanding the PhD program.
- Foster a culture of research scholarship supporting UTRGV’s goal of R1 Carnegie classification.
- Manage budget, policies, faculty recruitment, retention, evaluation, and development.
- Strengthen external and interdisciplinary partnerships to enhance school visibility and impact.
- Advance curricular innovation and student success initiatives.
- Maintain an active faculty role with reduced teaching load alongside research and service responsibilities.
- Required qualifications include a PhD in Rehabilitation Counseling or related field, tenured associate professor or higher rank, demonstrated success in grant acquisition, faculty governance experience, and commitment to student success.
- Preferred qualifications include full professorship, prior leadership roles, experience at R1 institutions, knowledge of distributed campus models, and fluency in Spanish.
- Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience; tenure track position with an appointment period of one year.
Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Full Description
Office Location
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
1201 W. University Drive
Human Resources
MASS Building 2nd Floor
Edinburg, TX 78539
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
1201 W. University Drive
Human Resources
MASS Building 2nd Floor
Edinburg, TX 78539
Edinburg: (956)665-2451
Brownsville: (956) 882-8205
Office hours:
Monday-Friday
8:00a.m. - 5:00p.m.
Staff Recruitment: careers@utrgv.edu
School of Medicine Recruitment: SOMCareers@utrgv.edu
Graduate Assistantships: assistantships@utrgv.edu
Faculty Recruitment:
College of Engineering & Computer Science: cecs@utrgv.edu
College of Engineering & Computer Science: cecs@utrgv.edu
Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship: cobe@utrgv.edu
College of Sciences Office of the Dean: cos@utrgv.edu
College of Education and P-16 Integration: cep@utrgv.edu
College of Fine Arts: cofa@utrgv.edu
College of Liberal Arts: liberalarts@utrgv.edu
Website: https://careers.utrgv.edu
Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling
Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions you should review before applying for the opening. To apply for the position, please click the Apply for this Job link/button.
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Please see Special Instructions for more details.
Dear Applicant,
Complete all sections on the application. If you are applying for the first time, please complete all biographical information including address, email and phone number. You may update this at any time by selecting to edit your profile in the application.
Complete all sections on the application. If you are applying for the first time, please complete all biographical information including address, email and phone number. You may update this at any time by selecting to edit your profile in the application.
Human Resources will not be held responsible for redacting any confidential information from the documents you attach with your application. The confidential information includes the following:
Date of Birth
Gender
*Ethnicity/Race
Please make sure that you omit this information prior to submission. We are advising that Human Resources will be forwarding your application to the department as per your submission. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley reserves the right to discontinue accepting applications prior to the stated close date of this position, after meeting the posting requirement of three (3) calendar days.
Date of Birth
Gender
*Ethnicity/Race
Please make sure that you omit this information prior to submission. We are advising that Human Resources will be forwarding your application to the department as per your submission. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley reserves the right to discontinue accepting applications prior to the stated close date of this position, after meeting the posting requirement of three (3) calendar days.
Security sensitive; All UTRGV employees are required to have a criminal background check (CBC). CBCs will be conducted for all candidates invited for an on-campus interview.
If you have any questions, please visit our Careers site at https://careers.utrgv.edu for detailed contact information.
Posting Details
Title Information
Faculty Title |
Job Class Code |
FLSA |
Job Class Code |
FLSA |
Position Information
Posting Number | FRGV1893
Working Title | Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling
Number of Vacancies | 1
Location | Rio Grande Valley, Texas
Division/Organization | Division of Health Affairs
Appointment Period for Non-Tenure Position | 1 year
Tenure Status | Tenure Track
FTE | 1.0
Scope of Job | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) invites nominations and applications for the position of Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling. Reporting directly to the Dean of the College of Health Professions, within the Division of Health Affairs, the director provides strategic leadership, fosters academic excellence, and ensures alignment with the goals of the College of Health Professions and the broader university. This position is equivalent to a department chair and plays a critical role in advancing the school’s mission in teaching, research, service, and community engagement. The college seeks a dynamic leader who will collaborate with faculty, staff, and students to foster a culture of excellence.
UTRGV was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas and is the second-largest Hispanic-serving institution in the United States. The majority of its students are bilingual and bicultural. UTRGV is located in a growing, vibrant region on the border with Mexico, which boasts many diverse cultural, ecological, and recreational activities.
UTRGV is establishing a Division of Health Affairs to help grow UT Health RGV and ensure the participation of all health-related programs and create a stronger framework for collaboration and impact among health-related programs. The goal is for the division to boost interdisciplinary learning, enhance patient care, and support UT Health RGV’s growing clinical services, including the upcoming Cancer & Surgery Center and Diabetes Center of Excellence. The Division of Health Affairs aligns the Schools of Medicine, Podiatric Medicine, Nursing, Optometry (launching in 2027, pending accreditation), and the College of Health Professions.
The School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling is a dynamic academic unit dedicated to preparing professionals to assist people with disabilities to live full and independent lives. The School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling currently has 18 full-time (tenured, tenure track, and non-tenured) faculty teaching in the program and over 350 students enrolled. Located in a modern facility (Edinburg Health Affairs Building West) featuring dedicated classrooms and a state-of-the-art Counseling & Wellness Center and Research Center, the school prides itself on preparing students to enter a rewarding field of helping others to achieve their own goals of independence and productivity.
Leadership Role of the Director
The Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling serves as the academic and administrative leader of the school, equivalent to a department chair, at UTRGV. This role requires visionary leadership, strategic planning, and a commitment to advancing the mission of the university and the College of Health Professions.
The Director is expected to: Provide strategic academic leadership to advance the school’s mission in teaching, research, and service, with a focus on innovation, excellence, and impact. Drive enrollment growth at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, with a particular emphasis on expanding and strengthening the PhD program. Champion research development, fostering a culture of inquiry and scholarship that supports UTRGV’s goal of achieving R1 status as designated by the Carnegie Commission. Cultivate a collaborative and inclusive academic community, promoting shared governance, transparency, and mutual respect among faculty, staff, and students. Lead the school’s administrative operations, including budget management, policy enforcement, and resource allocation to support strategic priorities. Recruit, retain, and mentor high-quality faculty and staff, supporting their professional development and fostering a culture of academic excellence. Oversee faculty evaluation, promotion, and development processes, ensuring alignment with university standards and best practices in higher education. Strengthen external partnerships and interdisciplinary collaborations, enhancing the school’s visibility and impact within the university and broader community. Advance curricular innovation and student success initiatives, ensuring academic programs are responsive to evolving professional and societal needs. Foster effective communication and conflict resolution, addressing concerns and promoting a positive and productive academic climate. Engage stakeholders in shaping the school’s direction, including faculty, students, alumni, community partners, and university leadership.
As a faculty member, the Director is also expected to maintain an active role in teaching (with a reduced load), research, and service, modeling the values of academic engagement and leadership.
Minimum Qualifications | The successful candidate will: Have a PhD in Rehabilitation Counseling or similar (e.g., PhD in Rehabilitation Counselor Education & Supervision, PhD in Rehabilitation Psychology, ScD in Rehabilitation Science, RhD in Rehabilitation, etc.). Be a tenured associate professor or higher. Have a demonstrated commitment to student success and satisfaction. Have strong organizational and management skills Have experience with faculty governance. Have a demonstrated ability to secure grants and external funding. Have a proven record of scholarship and current knowledge of the state of the field.
Discipline Specific Required Qualifications |
Preferred Qualifications | Tenured, full professor. Experience as chair, assistant chair, or program director. Experience at a Carnegie classified R 1 doctoral university – high research activity – or higher. Experience and/or knowledge of distributed campus models. Fluency in Spanish.
License or Certification Required? | Yes
Salary | Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience
Desired Start Date | 11/03/2025
Working Title | Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling
Number of Vacancies | 1
Location | Rio Grande Valley, Texas
Division/Organization | Division of Health Affairs
Appointment Period for Non-Tenure Position | 1 year
Tenure Status | Tenure Track
FTE | 1.0
Scope of Job | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) invites nominations and applications for the position of Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling. Reporting directly to the Dean of the College of Health Professions, within the Division of Health Affairs, the director provides strategic leadership, fosters academic excellence, and ensures alignment with the goals of the College of Health Professions and the broader university. This position is equivalent to a department chair and plays a critical role in advancing the school’s mission in teaching, research, service, and community engagement. The college seeks a dynamic leader who will collaborate with faculty, staff, and students to foster a culture of excellence.
UTRGV was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas and is the second-largest Hispanic-serving institution in the United States. The majority of its students are bilingual and bicultural. UTRGV is located in a growing, vibrant region on the border with Mexico, which boasts many diverse cultural, ecological, and recreational activities.
UTRGV is establishing a Division of Health Affairs to help grow UT Health RGV and ensure the participation of all health-related programs and create a stronger framework for collaboration and impact among health-related programs. The goal is for the division to boost interdisciplinary learning, enhance patient care, and support UT Health RGV’s growing clinical services, including the upcoming Cancer & Surgery Center and Diabetes Center of Excellence. The Division of Health Affairs aligns the Schools of Medicine, Podiatric Medicine, Nursing, Optometry (launching in 2027, pending accreditation), and the College of Health Professions.
The School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling is a dynamic academic unit dedicated to preparing professionals to assist people with disabilities to live full and independent lives. The School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling currently has 18 full-time (tenured, tenure track, and non-tenured) faculty teaching in the program and over 350 students enrolled. Located in a modern facility (Edinburg Health Affairs Building West) featuring dedicated classrooms and a state-of-the-art Counseling & Wellness Center and Research Center, the school prides itself on preparing students to enter a rewarding field of helping others to achieve their own goals of independence and productivity.
Leadership Role of the Director
The Director of the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling serves as the academic and administrative leader of the school, equivalent to a department chair, at UTRGV. This role requires visionary leadership, strategic planning, and a commitment to advancing the mission of the university and the College of Health Professions.
The Director is expected to: Provide strategic academic leadership to advance the school’s mission in teaching, research, and service, with a focus on innovation, excellence, and impact. Drive enrollment growth at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, with a particular emphasis on expanding and strengthening the PhD program. Champion research development, fostering a culture of inquiry and scholarship that supports UTRGV’s goal of achieving R1 status as designated by the Carnegie Commission. Cultivate a collaborative and inclusive academic community, promoting shared governance, transparency, and mutual respect among faculty, staff, and students. Lead the school’s administrative operations, including budget management, policy enforcement, and resource allocation to support strategic priorities. Recruit, retain, and mentor high-quality faculty and staff, supporting their professional development and fostering a culture of academic excellence. Oversee faculty evaluation, promotion, and development processes, ensuring alignment with university standards and best practices in higher education. Strengthen external partnerships and interdisciplinary collaborations, enhancing the school’s visibility and impact within the university and broader community. Advance curricular innovation and student success initiatives, ensuring academic programs are responsive to evolving professional and societal needs. Foster effective communication and conflict resolution, addressing concerns and promoting a positive and productive academic climate. Engage stakeholders in shaping the school’s direction, including faculty, students, alumni, community partners, and university leadership.
As a faculty member, the Director is also expected to maintain an active role in teaching (with a reduced load), research, and service, modeling the values of academic engagement and leadership.
Minimum Qualifications | The successful candidate will: Have a PhD in Rehabilitation Counseling or similar (e.g., PhD in Rehabilitation Counselor Education & Supervision, PhD in Rehabilitation Psychology, ScD in Rehabilitation Science, RhD in Rehabilitation, etc.). Be a tenured associate professor or higher. Have a demonstrated commitment to student success and satisfaction. Have strong organizational and management skills Have experience with faculty governance. Have a demonstrated ability to secure grants and external funding. Have a proven record of scholarship and current knowledge of the state of the field.
Discipline Specific Required Qualifications |
Preferred Qualifications | Tenured, full professor. Experience as chair, assistant chair, or program director. Experience at a Carnegie classified R 1 doctoral university – high research activity – or higher. Experience and/or knowledge of distributed campus models. Fluency in Spanish.
License or Certification Required? | Yes
Salary | Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience
Desired Start Date | 11/03/2025
Posting Detail Information
EEO Statement | It is the policy of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to promote and ensure equal employment opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or protected veteran status. In accordance with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, our University is committed to comply with all government requirements and ensures non-discrimination in its education programs and activities, including employment. We encourage women, minorities and differently abled persons to apply for employment positions of interest.
Open Date | 10/15/2025
Close Date |
Additional Information | UTRGV is a distributed institution. As such and as assigned, the position may
require presence at multiple locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Work is
performed primarily in a general office environment. This position is security sensitive
and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code
§51.215. The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of
Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least
135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement
Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week
and at least 135 days in length.
Special Instructions to Applicants | Dear Applicant,
Complete all sections on the application. If you are applying for the first time, please complete all biographical information including address, email and phone number. You may update this at any time by selecting to edit your profile in the application.Human Resources will not be held responsible for redacting any confidential information from the documents you attach with your application. The confidential information includes the following:
Date of Birth
Gender
*Ethnicity/Race
Please make sure that you omit this information prior to submission. We are advising that Human Resources will be forwarding your application to the department as per your submission. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley reserves the right to discontinue accepting applications prior to the stated close date of this position, after meeting the posting requirement of three (3) calendar days.Security sensitive; All UTRGV employees are required to have a criminal background check (CBC). CBCs will be conducted for all candidates invited for an on-campus interview.If you have any questions, please visit our Careers site at https://careers.utrgv.edu for detailed contact information.
Please Note | Texas law requires faculty members whose primary language is not English to
demonstrate proficiency in English as determined by a satisfactory paper-based
test score of 500 (computer-based of 173 or internet-based of 61) on the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a satisfactory test score of 6.0 on the
International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Incomplete applications will not be considered. All positions are subject to budget approval.
Quick Link | https://careers.utrgv.edu/postings/48751
Open Date | 10/15/2025
Close Date |
Additional Information | UTRGV is a distributed institution. As such and as assigned, the position may
require presence at multiple locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Work is
performed primarily in a general office environment. This position is security sensitive
and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code
§51.215. The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of
Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least
135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement
Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week
and at least 135 days in length.
Special Instructions to Applicants | Dear Applicant,
Complete all sections on the application. If you are applying for the first time, please complete all biographical information including address, email and phone number. You may update this at any time by selecting to edit your profile in the application.Human Resources will not be held responsible for redacting any confidential information from the documents you attach with your application. The confidential information includes the following:
Date of Birth
Gender
*Ethnicity/Race
Please make sure that you omit this information prior to submission. We are advising that Human Resources will be forwarding your application to the department as per your submission. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley reserves the right to discontinue accepting applications prior to the stated close date of this position, after meeting the posting requirement of three (3) calendar days.Security sensitive; All UTRGV employees are required to have a criminal background check (CBC). CBCs will be conducted for all candidates invited for an on-campus interview.If you have any questions, please visit our Careers site at https://careers.utrgv.edu for detailed contact information.
Please Note | Texas law requires faculty members whose primary language is not English to
demonstrate proficiency in English as determined by a satisfactory paper-based
test score of 500 (computer-based of 173 or internet-based of 61) on the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a satisfactory test score of 6.0 on the
International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Incomplete applications will not be considered. All positions are subject to budget approval.
Quick Link | https://careers.utrgv.edu/postings/48751
Posting Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
- Curriculum Vitae
- Letter of Interest
Optional Documents
- Resume
- Cover Letter/Letter of Application
- Teaching Philosophy
- Writing / Publication Sample
- Unofficial Transcripts
- Reference Letter 1
- Reference Letter 2
- Reference Letter 3
- Certifications and Licenses
- Other Document
- List of 3 References
- Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness
- Unofficial Transcripts 2
- Unofficial Transcripts 3
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