Program Director, Paralegal Studies/Assistant Professor of Practice

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Named after Texas' legendary hero, General Sam Houston, the university boasts a rich historical legacy that resonates with the spirit of Texas, which provides a balance between a peaceful, natural setting and proximity to urban amenities. With a student population of over 21,000, SHSU offers a vibrant and dynamic community. SHSU has a small town feel with large scale opportunities. Located in the Piney Woods region of East Texas and just an hour drive north of Houston, Huntsville provides area residents with a sense of community and belonging.

SHSU offers compelling options for individuals seeking a fulfilling and impactful career including a superior benefit package, competitive salaries and a flexible work environment fostering work/life balance. SHSU offers programs that support a healthy work-life balance, contributing to employee well-being and job satisfaction, as well as, professional development opportunities with our educational assistance and dependent assistance programs.

Position Information

This position is security-sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code §51.215, which authorizes the employer to obtain criminal history record information.

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Position Details

Duties Performed in the Usual Course of the Job

The Program Director of Paralegal Studies, in collaboration with Polytechnic College leadership, provides the academic, operational, and instructional leadership necessary to advance the mission and continued growth of the Paralegal Studies Program.

The program is delivered fully online through an accelerated format and offers a stackable Level I Certificate and Associate of Applied Science degree. The Program Director is responsible for maintaining a high-quality, workforce-aligned curriculum that prepares students for employment and career advancement in law firms, government agencies, corporate legal departments, and other legal environments.

The Program Director leads the program’s day-to-day academic operations, including curriculum development and review, course scheduling, instructional assignments, faculty recruitment and onboarding, program assessment, budget management, and coordination with college and university offices. The Director works closely with employers, legal professionals, advisory committee members, and community partners to ensure that curriculum and student experiences remain aligned with workforce needs.

The Program Director, in collaboration with Polytechnic College leadership, supports enrollment, retention, completion, and graduate employment by collaborating with admissions, advising, financial aid, the Registrar, career services, and other student-support offices. The Director also develops and maintains internships, cooperative education opportunities, employer partnerships, and pathways that allow certificate and AAS completers to continue their education, including applicable BAAS and transfer opportunities.

This is a faculty position with administrative responsibilities. The Program Director maintains an instructional assignment, with appropriate administrative workload recognition, and must be able to teach effectively in an online, accelerated learning environment.

Educational Requirements for the Position

Candidates must meet at least one of the following qualification standards:

• Master’s degree or higher in the teaching discipline;
• Master’s degree in another discipline with at least 18 graduate semester credit hours in the teaching discipline;
• Bachelor’s degree in the teaching discipline;
• Bachelor’s degree in another discipline with at least 12 undergraduate semester credit hours in the teaching discipline or a related field; or
• Associate degree in the teaching discipline and at least three years of relevant full-time professional experience.

A Juris Doctor or a master’s degree in paralegal studies, legal studies, or a closely related field is preferred.

Experience Required for the Position

Relevant professional experience in a legal or paralegal setting is required. Candidates must possess the professional knowledge necessary to develop, deliver, and assess curriculum that prepares students for employment in the legal profession.

Demonstrated teaching or training experience in paralegal studies, legal studies, law, or a related field in a postsecondary or professional setting is required.

The following experience is preferred: teaching and developing courses for online or accelerated delivery. Developing and assessing student learning outcomes. Leading or administering an academic, workforce, training, or professional program. Recruiting, onboarding, supporting, and evaluating full-time or adjunct instructors. Developing employer partnerships, internships, cooperative education placements, or other work-based learning opportunities. Supporting student recruitment, persistence, completion, and employment. Using enrollment, student-success, and workforce-outcome data to guide program decisions. Working with Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board requirements and workforce-education curriculum processes; and working with learning-management systems, preferably Blackboard.

Other Requirements for the Position

Program Leadership and Administration

Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Paralegal Studies Program. Develop and maintain program goals, annual priorities, enrollment targets, and student-success objectives in collaboration with college leadership. Develop course schedules and instructional assignments that support student progression through accelerated parts of term. Recruit, onboard, mentor, coordinate, and evaluate instructors. Promote communication and consistency across courses and instructors. Identify instructional, technology, staffing, and professional-development needs. Address student, faculty, and program concerns in a timely, constructive, and student-centered manner. Maintain accurate program records and complete required institutional reports and documentation.

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Teach courses in the Paralegal Studies Program. Develop and maintain rigorous, practical, and workforce-aligned course content. Ensure consistency in course expectations, learning outcomes, instructional materials, and assessment practices across instructors and course sections. Coordinate the development and maintenance of syllabi, master course materials, assignments, assessments, and instructional media. Review and revise curriculum in response to changes in the legal profession, technology, employer expectations, and applicable state and institutional requirements. Lead program review, annual assessment, and evaluation of student learning outcomes. Apply effective practices for teaching and supporting adult learners, working professionals, first-generation students, and students in an accelerated online environment. Support accessible, engaging, and effective use of educational technology.

Student Success and Enrollment

Serve as a primary source of program-specific academic advising and mentoring for Paralegal Studies students. Work with appropriate university offices to support prospective and current students from inquiry through application, enrollment, completion, and employment. Contribute subject-matter expertise to recruitment, outreach, and program-marketing efforts. Monitor enrollment, course success, persistence, certificate and degree completion, and other program indicators. Provide or coordinate timely academic guidance and high-touch student support. Identify barriers affecting student progress and work collaboratively to develop practical interventions. Support clear pathways from the Level I Certificate into the AAS and from the AAS into applicable BAAS or other continuing-education opportunities.

Employer Partnerships and Graduate Outcomes

Maintain an active employer advisory committee and engage legal professionals in ongoing program improvement. Develop relationships with law firms, courts, government agencies, corporate legal departments, nonprofit organizations, and other prospective employers. Expand internships, cooperative education placements, mentorships, guest instruction, and other work-based learning opportunities. Collaborate with career services and college personnel to support placement of graduates into appropriate legal-support positions. Assist in tracking and evaluating internship participation, graduate employment, employer feedback, and other workforce outcomes. Represent the program at professional, community, recruitment, and employer-engagement events.

Compliance and Collaboration

Maintain compliance with applicable university, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, institutional accreditation, and professional requirements. Support preparation for and maintenance of any specialized program recognition or approval pursued by the college. Collaborate effectively with Polytechnic College leadership, faculty, staff, and university offices. Demonstrate sound judgment, integrity, adaptability, clear communication, and a commitment to collaborative problem-solving. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Special Instructions Summary

Sam Houston State University is a university located in East Texas, approximately 65 miles north of Houston, with an enrolment of about 22,000 students. The Polytechnic College is the newest college at Sam Houston State University, with a mission to meet the needs of industry for high-skill employees. The SHSU Polytechnic College offers industry-aligned workforce/technical educational programs that result in lower-level credentials (certificates and associate degrees), providing students with industry-aligned skills required for successful employment in high-demand occupations throughout the SHSU service area (Greater Houston and Southeast Texas). The college engages a large network of industry partners to ensure a contemporary and practical curriculum that generates high-quality employment opportunities for graduates.

The successful candidate will inherit an operating program with enrolled students, graduates, adjunct instructors, employer relationships, and an established curriculum. The Program Director will be expected to strengthen the program’s academic quality, enrollment, student support, employer engagement, work-based learning opportunities, graduate placement, and pathways to continued education.

Interested applicants should apply online. Review of applications will begin on 25 NOV 2026 and continue until the position is filled.

Open Until Filled

Yes

EEO Statement

Sam Houston State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and Smoke/Drug-Free Workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, ancestry, marital status, citizenship, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or protected veteran status. The University takes seriously the initiative to ensure equal opportunity in the workforce and to comply with Title VII as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court. Sam Houston State University is an “at will” employer. Employees with a contract will have additional terms and conditions. Security-sensitive positions at SHSU require background checks in accordance with Education Code §51.215.

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