Job Details

Western Carolina University continues to rank high on Forbes Best Employers lists each year. Including:
2025 - Ranked 1st in the top 100 employers in North Carolina in Forbes Americas Best Employers by State list.
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 primary location of this position is the main Cullowhee, NC campus.

The Psychology Department at Western Carolina University (WCU) invites applications for a 9-month tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level, with a projected start date of August 2026.

The typical teaching load is 3-3 (Fall/Spring), consisting of both undergraduate and graduate courses and the opportunity to support the Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) and Clinical Psychology graduate programs.

Potential graduate courses to be taught depending on expertise and interest include: advanced developmental psychology, psychoeducational assessments, academic interventions, school-based mental and behavioral health, and pre-school assessment/intervention. In addition, depending on departmental needs, undergraduate teaching opportunities could include child and adolescent psychopathology, child development, and behavioral interventions.

Supervision of practicum students is also available through our departments state-of-the art, public-facing McKee Assessment and Psychological Services Clinic. The McKee Clinic is dedicated to providing advanced assessment training for our graduate students (MA Clinical, SSP, PsyD combined clinical/school) through affordable comprehensive services to individuals, families, and schools in our rural community. This supervision would be part of the teaching load. School and community involvement is seen as an essential part of this position. As a teacher scholar, the successful faculty member is also expected to maintain a program of meaningful disciplinary research that is engaging to both undergraduate and graduate students. Ample opportunity is available for interdisciplinary research collaborations, including the Birth-Kindergarten program, School of Teaching and Learning, and College of Health Sciences. SSP and Clinical Psychology masters students both have the opportunity to complete a masters thesis and doctoral students in the combined Health Service Psychology program complete a dissertation.

The eligible candidate needs to have earned a doctorate (PhD or PsyD) in school psychology, developmental psychology, clinical psychology, or closely related field from an accredited program. Eligibility for NCSP certification and being licensed or license eligible as a psychologist in North Carolina is particularly desirable, but not necessary.

At the undergraduate level, the psychology major is WCUs second largest major with approximately 500 students. The department, college, and university offer faculty internal funding opportunities to support scholarship, conference travel, and professional development. Moreover, WCU is a 12,000-student regional comprehensive university in the University of North Carolina system. The university offers 115 undergraduate programs and more than 40 graduate programs.

The campus is located in the picturesque Cullowhee valley between the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains, just minutes from the town of Sylva, public schools, recreation centers, trails, and rivers. Cullowhee is midway between Charlotte and Atlanta, 50 miles west of Asheville, NC, a city with vibrant art, entertainment, food, and culture scenes, and 20 miles west of Waynesville, NC, the largest town in Western North Carolina with many options for dining, shopping, entertainment, and craft breweries. The entire region is noted for its excellent quality of life and access to outdoor activities.

The department of psychology is located in the College of Education and Allied Professions (CEAP). CEAP holds inclusive excellence as a core value, and we work together to foster a welcoming community, where all are respected and know they belong.

Doctorate in School Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology or closely related field from an accredited institution. ABD candidates will be considered with degree conferral by 8/1/2026.

Experience with the practice of school psychology or clinical child psychology, including comprehensive psychological assessment.

To be considered, applicants must apply online. Hard copy materials will not be accepted. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a candidate has been selected.

Completed applications will include
A) a cover letter,
B) a CV,
C) a research statement,
D) a teaching statement,
E) unofficial transcripts from all graduate programs attended,
F) a list of three professional references (name, title, email address, and contact number) willing to be contacted as a reference, and
G) optional materials (e.g., evidence of teaching effectiveness, a representative publication).

Materials should be submitted online via the secure application site.

Questions about the submission should be directed to Dr. Kia Asberg, search committee chair, at kasberg@wcu.edu