Catherine Brewer Smith Endowed Professorship in Communication Disorders

Position Summary

The primary location of this position is the main Cullowhee, NC campus.

WCU, a regional comprehensive university in the University of North Carolina System, is in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina about 50 miles west of Asheville. The university is also in reasonable proximity to both Knoxville, TN and Atlanta, GA. WCU’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is comprised of fourteen faculty and staff. The department offers a CSD undergraduate degree and minor and a graduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology.

Western Carolina University (WCU) seeks candidates for the Catherine Brewer Smith Endowed Professorship in its CAA accredited Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). This is a nine-month tenure track position with an anticipated start date of August 2024.

The Catherine Brewer Smith Professorship was established in the late 1990s by the generous gift of the Brewer Smith family. The endowment provides funding for a faculty member at the rank of professor who is an established leader in the field of Speech-Language Pathology. Indicators of eligibility include an active agenda as an expressive scholar, the receipt of or potential for external funding, and innovative teaching/service to the profession of Speech-Language Pathology. The endowment provides a competitive salary and a professional development fund which is replenished annually. The Brewer Smith professor is expected to write and pursue external funding, teach one course per term (in their area of expertise), and provide leadership/mentorship to students and faculty in CSD. Western Carolina University recognizes and rewards all legitimate forms of scholarly activity described by Ernest Boyer: scholarship of discovery, scholarship of integration, scholarship of application, and scholarship of teaching and learning.
Areas of importance for the Brewer Smith Professor include:National reputation;Potential for success with expressive scholarship/federal grants; andAbility to further missions of the department, college, and university. Carnegie statement WCU embraces its role as a regionally engaged university and is designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a community engaged university. Preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate a commitment to public engagement through their teaching, service, and scholarship Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities Required for this Position Minimum Qualifications Earned doctorate in speech-language pathology or closely related field from an accredited institution; eligibility for the rank of professor within WCU CSD; evidence of excellence in teaching/research/service; and eligibility for CCC-SLP and NC license. Preferred Qualifications Interprofessional experiences; evidence of and interest in collaboration with students and faculty peers; evidence of strong interpersonal and communication skills, effective collaboration, and collegiality. Position Type Permanent Full-Time Number of Hours Per Week Number of Months Per Year 9

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