Professor (Open Rank) and Director, Teacher Preparation Programs

THE OPPORTUNITY

The National College of Education (NCE) at National Louis University (NLU) seeks a dynamic educator with demonstrated expertise in leadership to join its faculty as Director of Teacher Preparation Programs. This is a full-time 12-month administrative faculty position, Professional Practice track, rank commensurate with qualifications and experience.

NLU’s School of Teacher Preparation Programs serves PK-12 educators by offering a variety of degree programs including MAT Degrees in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Middle Grades Education and Secondary Education.  The Teacher Preparation Programs are offered using a combination of modality and methods, suited for working educators who seek to advance their careers.

We currently seek a leader to oversee all Teacher Preparation Programs within the National College of Education, and to coordinate closely with other doctoral and advanced programs. The Director is the lead administrative and academic advocate for the Teacher Preparation Programs and works closely with the chair of each individual program to ensure the highest levels of academic excellence, fiscal integrity, student success, and faculty support. Racial justice and equity in education are a primary focus of all NCE programs. The ability to drive the University’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals through its Teacher Preparation Programs will be a priority focus of the successful applicant.

We are seeking a proven scholar and practitioner with extensive understanding of the contemporary field of education.  The ideal candidate will combine demonstrated experience/knowledge of PK-12 education and higher education institutions, structures and systems.

WHO WE ARE

NLU’s National College of Education (NCE) understands that serving PreK-12 students as teachers and school leaders is a calling, a commitment, and a career. Our unique style of partnership with students at all levels—from new teacher preparation to advanced professional programs to doctoral degrees—guides all we do as we create today’s teachers and tomorrow’s leaders.

Our programs are designed with the needs of our students in mind. Graduates frequently cite the National College of Education’s top quality professors, convenient locations, flexible course offerings and affordability. Most of all, the commitment to “real world” progressive education is unparalleled. NCE graduates make a difference. Our educators are found in 40% of Illinois public schools and 75% of Chicago Public Schools, collectively impacting the lives of 60,000 students each year.

At NCE, our commitment to learning includes ourselves. We have recently created four new programs and evolved an additional 21 programs to more appropriately address the needs of today’s educators.

WHO YOU ARE

You are: A Change Leader.
You are an accomplished PreK-12 educator with a passion for developing students and teachers to their fullest potential. You are an experienced leader who has successfully guided schools and/or district through change. You are a constructive partner who leads the work that needs to be done and advocates for high quality education. You are a veteran educator attracted to university teaching as a new career step and a new level of positive influence on American education. You are deeply motivated by a desire to work in a learning community that is preparing the next generation of life-changing leaders.

You will: Model and Support Research.
You believe in the power of practitioner researchers. You will draw upon current research to inform your instruction. You will use your research agenda to model research methodologies for our candidates. You will support our candidates as they become research practitioners.  

You are ready to: Make an Impact.
Each and every day, this program changes lives. You want to be a part of NCE’s societally impactful leadership as an educator preparation institution.  You are someone who will always look for creative ways for students to earn success. We know this work is challenging, but we are in it together and you are inspired by the opportunity to work collaboratively with other educational leaders to optimize our impact together.

• Provide program leadership, management and administrative oversight to NCE Teacher Preparation Programs, including faculty and adjunct faculty workload management, curriculum, assessment, scheduling, and technology development.
• Lead the Teacher Preparation Program development, management and partnership coordination, including working collaboratively with external stakeholders to ensure program design meets employer needs.
• Contribute to curriculum development and program improvement by collaborating with faculty in program and unit level evaluation, to develop program reports, assessment protocols, and cross-disciplinary curriculum work.
• Serve as a coach, mentor and instructional leader for a high-performing unit of experienced college faculty, leading the continuous improvement of evidence-based instructional effectiveness, curriculum development by faculty teams, the conduct of formative, growth-oriented faculty performance review processes and the supportive professional growth of our faculty as teachers and researchers.
• Support faculty scholarship and development, and engages in an active program of scholarship related to areas of expertise. Provide oversight as appropriate to faculty teaching success, advising and student supports.
• Teach courses in the Teacher Preparation Programs.
• Oversee faculty supervision of graduate field-based experiences.
• Advocate for effective use of digital learning technologies including D2L and other University supported technology platforms.
• Support University marketing and enrollment management processes.
• Engage in the learning-community life of National Louis University through engagement in meetings, committees, professional development, and collaborative projects with faculty and staff.
• Fulfill other faculty duties in research and scholarship, service, professional development and engagement domains.

This position will be based out of the NLU Wheeling (IL) or Chicago Campus, and will require some flexibility to teach/visit all of our Chicagoland campuses depending on need.

• Possess an earned doctorate in Education, or a related field with preference given to expertise in teacher preparation.
• Have experience in conducting applied research in classrooms/school/district settings, and higher education teaching experience commensurate with rank.
• Have at least three-five years of leadership experience in education settings.
• Document a professional history of progressive leadership responsibilities and attainment of institutional goals.
• Model excellence in teaching with a strong foundation in implementing innovations including service delivery models for specialists, multidisciplinary teaming, consultation, program leadership and evaluation.
• Demonstrate experience and skill in both face-to-face and online teaching with adult learners.

NLU Inclusion Statement:

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued.  We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.

At National Louis University, we offer our employees an innovative environment to work together and inspire the ideas that will make an impact. As our external environment changes, our employees are provided the opportunities and tools needed to grow both personally and professionally to remain successful. NLU employees and dependents are offered a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, Health Insurance benefits, Retirement benefits, Paid Time Off and Educational Opportunities. Additional information regarding full-time faculty benefits can be found here.

NLU Faculty salaries are based on rank within each college.  The ranges for each rank for the National College of Education are listed below:

2025 NCE 10-Month Faculty Salary Ranges

Compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.  Offers are based on multiple factors permitted by law, including but not limited to: budgetary considerations, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, current/previous faculty rank, market considerations, tenure and standing with the university (applicable to current employees), and internal equity.