Job Details

Western Carolina University continues to rank high on Forbes Best Employers lists each year. Including:
2024 - Ranking in the top 8.5% on Forbes Americas Best Midsize Employers list, WCU was ranked 34 out of the top 400 employers across all industries.
2023 - Ranked in the top 20% on Forbes Americas Best Midsize Employers list, WCU was ranked 97 out of the top 500 employers across all industries.
2022 - Ranked 14th in the top 100 employers in North Carolina in Forbes Americas Best Employers by State list.
Western Carolina University is the UNC systems westernmost campus and has been consistently ranked as one of the top 15 public regional institutions in the South.
Employees of WCU are provided a comprehensive benefits package as well as other resources, policies and programs to ensure a happy and healthy work/life balance. Benefit eligible employees have access to dental, vision and health insurance plans - eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Optional disability plans are also available.
Eligible employees have access to tuition waivers for up to three courses per academic year; employee may enroll at any of the constituent UNC System campuses. Also offered are free group exercise classes multiple times per week, a discounted membership to the campus recreation center, free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays and 24 hours of paid community service leave each year. Leave earning employees (staff and 12-month faculty) who work at least half of the working days of their first month of employment will begin accruing vacation and sick leave immediately. Paid parental leave after 12 months of continuous service.
WCU offers an abundance of training and development programs, certifications, workshops and conferences - many of which are offered free of charge.

The Department of Physical Therapy at Western Carolina University (WCU) invites applications for a 0.75 FTE, 12-month, fixed-term (non-tenure track) position at the assistant professor level. The starting date is August 1, 2025.

Primary teaching responsibilities include instruction of entry-level DPT students in the following areas: musculoskeletal courses, professional development courses, and supervising physical therapy students in the programs interprofessional pro bono clinic. The position will also have a requirement to participate scholarly activities by working with students on doctoral projects. Candidates must have a clinical doctorate and evidence of contemporary expertise in assigned teaching areas.

The WCU physical therapy program fosters a student-centered environment where faculty place student success first and highly value interprofessional teamwork. The program enjoys a highly dynamic, positive work/learning environment with extensive support for faculty development and excellent opportunities for collaborative teaching, service, and research. Salary is commensurate with academic qualifications and experience.

The program has students and faculty in both Asheville and Cullowhee with custom designed laboratories and excellent instructional technology resources that support synchronous audio-video delivery between locations. The primary location associated with this position is in Cullowhee within the College of Health and Human Sciences. The Biltmore Park instructional site is in Asheville, 50 miles away from Cullowhee, and houses several graduate programs including physical therapy, nursing, and social work. All faculty have primary assignments but teach in both locations at times to help foster strong relationships with students. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Western Carolina University and The Department of Physical Therapy holds inclusive excellence as a core value, and we work together to foster a welcoming community, where all are respected and know they belong.

WCU is a regional comprehensive university within the University of North Carolina System that embraces its role as a community-engaged university designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and has adopted the Boyer Model of Scholarship to support its commitment to integrated learning and the scholarship of engagement. The main campus is located in Cullowhee, a scenic rural valley between the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains offering a mountain lifestyle with abundant opportunities for artisans and outdoor enthusiasts, and Asheville is well-known for its rich cultural vibrancy. Larger metropolitan cities including Atlanta and Charlotte are within easy driving distances.

Application materials must be submitted online. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a candidate has been selected for hire.

Please include cover letter, curriculum vitae, unofficial transcripts from highest degree earned* and a list references.

*All applicants are required to submit an unofficial transcript of their highest attained degree, showing all completed coursework and the date the degree was conferred. The transcript must state "Degree Awarded," "Degree Conferred," or a similar phrase. For candidates who are ABD, please submit your most recent doctoral program transcript along with your masters degree transcript, if you hold such a degree. The masters degree transcript must have a notation such as "Degree Awarded," "Degree Conferred," or similar phrase, to verify it as your highest completed degree.

For questions or additional information please contact John Carzoli at jacarzoli@wcu.edu