Teacher Education Program Director

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee is seeking a Teacher Education Program Director within the School of Education. This 12-month limited appointment with 75–100% administrative workload will be based primarily on campus.

Rank may be Associate or Full Professor, with potential for tenure‑backed appointment. The role drives program quality, licensure pathways, and educator pipelines through collaboration with faculty, staff, and PK–12 partners.

Qualifications

• PhD in Education or closely related field required.
• Ability to meet rank of tenured associate or full professor at UWM.
• Minimum six years of higher education experience with expertise in teacher education.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for teacher education programs and licensure pathways.
• Lead curriculum innovation and alignment with workforce and student needs.
• Strengthen recruitment, retention, and completion efforts; expand PK–12 partnerships.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Curriculum development

Team collaboration

Stakeholder engagement

Education

PhD in Education or related field

Job description

Teacher Education Program Director

Job Category: Limited

Employment Type: Regular

Job Profile: Academic Program Director

Job Duties: The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM) invites applications for the Teacher Education Program Director in the School of Education (SOE) within the College of Community Engagement & Professions (CCEP). This is a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor. UWM is a doctoral R1 university committed to student success, research excellence, and community engagement. The SOE vision is to be a premier urban school of education recognized for its diversity, and known for excellence in teaching, learning, and research. The Program Director will provide strategic leadership for UWM’s teacher education portfolio, including undergraduate and graduate licensure programs. This role advances a cohesive vision that strengthens program quality, aligns curriculum with workforce and student needs, and ensures a student‑centered experience across all pathways. The Director will lead curriculum innovation, implement high‑impact practices across programs, and align systems and processes to improve efficiency and outcomes. Further, this position will ensure compliance with licensure requirements while supporting program growth and visibility of UWM’s teacher education programs. Working collaboratively with faculty, staff, and PK–12 partners, the Program Director will strengthen recruitment, retention, and completion efforts and expand partnerships that support clinical experiences and educator pipelines. This position will report to the Associate Dean & Head of the School of Education.

Key Responsibilities:

• Guide and support strategic planning and continuous improvement for teacher education programs
• Guide and support curriculum innovation, including development of new and alternative licensure pathways
• Guide and support student‑centered programs, curricula and systems aligned with workforce needs
• Guide and support the implementation of high‑impact practices across courses and programs
• Streamline systems to improve efficiency and student experience in collaboration with programs and student services
• Work with faculty and staff to ensure compliance with DPI and institutional requirements
• Encourage and support PK–12 and community partnerships
• Support student recruitment, retention, and completion initiatives
• Supervise key support staff – Represent the work of teacher education programs in the university and at the state level to ensure innovation and initiatives move forward

Appointment: This is a 12‑month limited appointment with a tenured faculty backup appointment and an administrative workload of 75–100%, depending on program needs. Teaching may be included as part of the remaining workload. The work of this position will be performed primarily on‑site, at UWM’s main campus.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Evaluates operations and outcomes to ensure alignment with organizational goals
• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full‑time equivalent (FTE) employees
• Manages student academic program(s)
• Collaborates with faculty members to develop student academic programs and agendas, directs implementation, and creates curricular structure including operational and logistical arrangements
• Formulates program strategies and goals, directs long‑term planning, develops policies and procedures, and establishes and maintains new and emerging program materials
• Develops the unit budget and approves unit expenditures
• May provide guidance to faculty regarding funding, staffing, and space implications
• Serves as the principal liaison between the program, University leadership, and outside entities

Target Salary: Minimum salary will be $100,000 per year; actual hiring salary will be determined based on rank and qualifications related to the position.

Required Qualifications:

• PhD in Education or closely related field
• Ability to meet rank of a tenured associate or full professor at UWM due to demonstrated distinguished record of research, scholarship, teaching, and service accomplishments
• Minimum six years of higher education experience with expertise in teacher education

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience developing alternate licensure pathways
• Experience building PK-12 partnerships
• Experience developing and leading systems‑level or process improvement efforts – Experience with student‑centered practices and with programs that improve educational equity
• Experience with data analysis and interpretation
• Demonstrated leadership in program development, curriculum innovation, or academic administration
• Experience overseeing multiple programs or complex academic portfolios
• Experience with accreditation, licensure, or program assessment
• Supervisory experience

Equal Opportunity Employment: Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other bases protected by applicable federal or State law and UW System policies. We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.