Adjunct Practicum Liaison Advisor for On-ground MSW, School of Social Work

Located in Boston’s historic Fenway area, Simmons University has a strong tradition of empowering women and challenging traditional gender roles. Simmons was founded for equality 125 years ago as one of the first higher education institutions dedicated to helping women become leaders. Today, our university continues to grow and evolve and now offers Boston’s only women’s undergraduate program and graduate programs open to all. 

You’re joining our community at an especially exciting time as we continue to innovate for the future. Simmons recently launched a six-school academic structure that leverages our expert faculty and longstanding expertise in professions that make our communities stronger. In addition, we continue to highlight our high-value education proposition that is delivering greater ROI to students and putting them on the fast track to career growth and success. You’ll find that people who work here truly believe in our mission of preparing students to become social justice-oriented leaders who excel in their professions and their communities. This commitment and pride make for a dynamic workplace.

As a university that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices–at all levels, for all positions–ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.

Adjunct Practicum Liaison Advisor for On-ground MSW, School of Social Work

Simmons University School of Social Work (SSW) is now accepting applications for a part-time adjunct faculty position (non-tenure track) in Practicum Education as Practicum Liaison Advisor to on-ground students in our MSW program. This position requires the candidate to be located on the Simmons campus in Boston. This position will start on or around August 26, 2025.

Simmons University is a small, highly collegial and dynamic university located in the heart of Boston’s world-renowned Longwood Medical Area. Simmons is comprised of an undergraduate liberal arts education program for women and those who identify as women plus professional graduate schools with master's and doctoral programs for all genders, presenting unique and rich opportunities for interdisciplinary research and collaboration. The Simmons School of Social Work offers degrees at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral levels (BSW, MSW, DSW, PhD). Our MSW Program is offered via robust on-ground and online platforms. Areas of current SSW faculty expertise include: dynamics of diversity, family and intimate partner violence, immigration, health and health policy, health disparities, aging, behavioral health, substance abuse, suicidality, child maltreatment, social policy, and innovations in social work education.

Practicum Liaison (PL) Advisors provide Practicum advising for up to fifteen students. The role of the PL is to be a resource to agencies and Practicum Instructors and to help students achieve their educational goals in the Practicum and in the classroom. All Practicum Liaison Advisors report to a designated Practicum Education Faculty member who collaborates with the Director of Practicum Education.

Primary Responsibilities
● Check in/introductory phone call or email to the Practicum Instructor in the first week of
placement;
● Individual meetings with advisees:
○ Minimum of 3 times a year - 1 introductory and 1 Practicum visit per semester - these typically occur via Zoom, but can take place in person;
○ Monthly email contact with student to check-in;
○ For the purpose of getting information to students, efficiently set up and utilize email lists according to their status (Foundation Year, Advanced Year, Advanced Standing);

● One Practicum site visit per semester with Practicum Instructor and student at agency
○ Practicum visits generally occur November-December and March-April. Please note there are variations in this timeline for students in 16 hour-per-week placements.
○ Extra visits are scheduled if there are issues or concerns.
● Read, comment on, and return required written student assignments;
● Assist with planning for Year II placement (for Year I students), including learning goals and resume review, and if applicable, provide career planning support to graduating students;
● Convene Level 1 student meetings to mediate and address Practicum concerns;

○ The Practicum Instructor may be consulted or invited to attend the meeting;
● Learn and utilize Starfish to document specif