Academic Program Director, Full-time - Physician Assistant Studies

The mission of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is the development of professional health care practitioners through innovation, individualized, and quality classroom, clinical, and distance education.

GENERAL SUMMARY

At the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) we are committed to the development of professional healthcare practitioners through innovative, individualized, and quality classroom, clinical, and distance education.  The institution has a far-reaching presence through distance education and campuses located in San Marcos, California; St. Augustine, Florida; and Austin, Texas and our new campus in Miami, Florida and offers distance education.

As a Founding Program Director for Physician Assistant Studies, you help to create the energy and excitement about our new program.  “Clinical Excellence” is our sacred mantra and every day is an opportunity for you to live the mission of developing professional healthcare practitioners through innovative, individualized and quality teaching methods.  Together with the support of fellow clinical experts, USAHS is dedicated to delivering a top-notch education to our students.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Program Director will assist in the planning, development and implementation of master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies.  In collaboration with the Dean and faculty, the Program Director assures delivery of the curriculum in a manner that meets program goals, learning outcomes, consistency, and institutional expectations.

• Primary responsibility and accountability for Physician Assistant program organization, administration, fiscal management/budget, ongoing review and analysis, planning, curriculum development and accreditation requirements.

• Works with the accreditation team and leads programmatic accreditation to ensure all standards are met and reports are appropriately filed. 
• Works closely with the Dean and other Program Directors and/or faculty, across disciplines, on revisions of program policies, admissions, academic progress and graduation competencies.
• Directly accountable for the strategic plan initiatives concerning the program, as well as integrating with other departments and programs to resolve student and faculty issues and promote assessment of educational effectiveness. 
• Serve as an important conduit connecting the program with other University departments, communicating information and contributing to the growth and improvement of the institution.
• Working in collaboration with other departments, the PD will assist in the planning and implementation of associated clinical education resources, per accreditation standards.
• Responsible for performing all duties and responsibilities aligned with the ARC-PA standard A2.06-A2.10 and will be assessed on an annual basis according to these guidelines.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

May perform other duties and responsibilities that management may deem necessary from time to time, to include:

• Work with the instructional design team to lead course development process, including hiring appropriate subject matter experts

• Collaborates with Clinical Education department to assure quality clinical experiences for students Leads curriculum development and improvement efforts in concert with other disciplines as needed.

• Serve on identified committees and councils
• Complete scholarship, service and clinical work as identified in professional development plan

• Participates in student recruiting efforts;
• Works closely with enrollment and admission departments to meet projected enrollment goals;

POSITION IN ORGANIZATION

REPORTS TO:  Associate Dean

POSITIONS SUPERVISED:  Future PA Core and Contributing faculty as program develops

TECHNICAL, MANAGERIAL, and PEOPLE SKILLS REQUIRED

To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Incumbents will be evaluated, in part, based on performance of each essential function. Appropriate reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• The successful candidate must possess a Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies or a related field; candidates with a Doctorate are highly preferred.
• Must be a PA holding NCCPA certification (PA-C)
• Experience teaching in the field of Physician Assistant education
• Demonstrated experience as a chairperson or program director of an ARC-PA accredited program in Physician Assistant Studies preferred

LICENSURE and/or CERTIFICATION

• Current NCCPA certification as a Physician Assistant.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: Position will require periodic travel to other campuses and professional events.

BUSINESS COMPETENCIES

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Being Resilient - Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.
• Instills Trust - Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Drives Results - Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.
• Innovation - Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
• Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Drives Engagement (People Managers Only) - Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organization achieve its objectives.
• People Leadership (People Managers Only) - Leads by example when it comes to finding and developing talent, with a focus on talent acquisition strategies, setting performance targets that raises standards and development of high potential talent.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work is performed primarily in a standard office environment but may involve exposure to moderate noise levels. Work involves operation of personal computer equipment for six to eight hours daily and includes physical demands associated with a traditional office setting, e.g., walking, standing, communicating, and other physical functions as necessary. 

Hiring Range (Austin): 

• Academic Program Director: $102,480 - $178,290