Career Center

The College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville seeks a visionary, strategically-oriented individual to serve as professor and head of the Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS). CFS hosts two distinct fields of study:  family sciences and early childhood education.  The department head is responsible for leadership of all departmental programs and has administrative responsibility for planning, fiscal management, human resources, and facilities. The department head reports directly to the dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. The head serves as a member of the college’s Administrative Council.  The successful candidate will provide leadership during a time of significant growth within the department to accomplish the department’s strategic goals and objectives. Additionally, a successful candidate is expected to effectively advocate for the department to external constituencies and the administration within the university; recruit, motivate and strengthen faculty, staff and students; foster an environment of collegiality, teamwork, diversity and respect; interact with faculty, students, and stakeholders to determine and promote the departmental vision and priorities; cultivate departmental research activity to include external funding; guide the department in its mission related to teaching, research, and service; and have a passion for children, youth, and families along with a commitment to improving the welfare and well-being of communities. The University of Tennessee Knoxville is seeking candidates who have the ability to contribute in meaningful ways to the diversity and intercultural goals of the University.

Located near the beautiful Smoky Mountains, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) was founded in 1794 and is one of the oldest public universities in the country. UTK is a vibrant and diverse urban campus, located in the heart of Knoxville. It is the flagship campus for the UT system and is officially designated as a Research (Very High Research Activity) and Community Engagement University by the Carnegie Foundation. For more information about UTK and Knoxville, please visit: http://www.utk.edu/aboutut/ 

Programs: The department’s current instructional programs include undergraduate programs in Integrated Early Childhood Education Teacher Licensure in PreK–3, and Integrated Early Development and Learning Teacher Licensure B-K level, and Community Outreach, graduate programs in Child and Family Studies and Integrated Early Childhood Education Teacher Licensure, as well as a Certificate in International Children, Youth, and Families. The department also includes the Early Learning Center for Research and Practice and multiple research labs. 

About The Department of Child and Family Studies

Our vision is to be nationally and internationally recognized for utilizing interdisciplinary approaches to understand and enhance the well-being of children, youth and families in diverse contexts. We collectively aspire to teaching, research and practice that are socially and scientifically significant. We strive to implement initiatives that foster community engagement, build strengths, and reflect our commitment to be inclusive. The mission of the Department of Child and Family Studies is threefold: Conduct research in (or relevant to) contexts such as the home, school, and communities for the purpose of generating new knowledge and informed practices related to the well-being of children, youth, and families, particularly those who are the most vulnerable and at risk for falling short of optimal outcomes; Educate and train well-informed undergraduate-, master’s-, and doctoral-level students who are well prepared to study and/or serve predominantly at-risk children, youth, and families in the state, region, nation, and international communities; and Provide outreach and/or consulting services to families, government and private agencies, NGOs, professional organizations, and industries in areas that relate to child and family studies.

Connections working at The Department of Child and Family Studies