Academic Director, Nursing Program

Description

Saint Mary's College invites applications for a full-time position as the Academic Director starting Spring 2024. The Academic program Director candidate must be Board approved to teach Medical Surgical and Geriatric courses or content specialty such as OB, PEDs, or Mental Health. The position has the option of tenure-track upon successful program launch. The Academic Director is accountable for the leadership and management of the Prelicensure program. The Director is responsible for ensuring the delivery and oversight of high-quality educational experiences for students enrolled in the nursing program. The individual in this leadership role has responsibility for program structure, practices, and clinical oversight such that the program adheres to accreditation and the California nurse Practice Act Standards. The Program Director ensures that curricular and program requirements are established and maintained in accordance with national accreditation standards. Reporting to the Director of Nursing, the Director holds a full-time faculty position, with teaching assignments during fall, spring, and summer semesters.

These responsibilities reflect the multiple roles that leaders and faculty fulfill in an academic environment: teaching, service, scholarship. The Director has a 35-40% release time.

All nursing faculty at Saint Mary’s College practice the Maria O’Rourke’s Professional role model with the primary Professional Role obligation to “do no harm”. Within this role, we are expected to be leaders/decision-makers, practitioners, and scientists and to transfer knowledge. As a director, you are expected to ensure faculty practice our professional role obligations and that we train our students in a manner that promotes their understanding of their role and helps with role clarity. The Academic director will integrate role clarity as a concept when training faculty, developing curriculum, teaching students, and creating policies and procedures. The director will be responsible for ensuring that role-driven practice is used as the framework for all activities. 

This individual will provide leadership and coordination to ensure activities are designed to foster student success with supportive teaching methods. The Director will ensure evidence-based practice and professional roles are incorporated both in meeting patient care needs and student learning outcomes. The Director, in collaboration with course faculty, develops and ensures the quality of curriculum that supports the evaluation of student competencies. 

Responsibilities of the Academic Director:

Curriculum and Program Outcome Management

• Curriculum design and development that is based in educational theory, evidence-based teaching, and clinical practices, including creating/monitoring student assessment protocols. 
• Oversee curriculum design that is student-centered and integrates different pedagogies that support the diverse learning needs of the student population.
• Incorporates Maria’ O’Rourke’s Professional role model and philosophy of “Do no Harm” in all activities and focuses on assisting students in establishing Role Identity 
• Maintains and enhances competence in subjects to be taught.
• Confers with colleagues to ensure the integrity of courses across programs and the curriculum.
• Conducts and participates in tours of Saint Mary’s Nursing Program

Academic Director Management

• Provides a professional and evidence-based learning environment for faculty and students.
• Represents the organization as appropriate in its relationship with the community by participating in targeted events, conferences, meetings, and workshops. This includes developing and maintaining active linkages with agencies and educational institutions to promote positive relationships and articulation with the school’s programs.
• Evaluate Nursing program success by assessing student passing rate on NCLEX and program attrition rate.
• Assess the credentials and experience of nursing adjunct faculty. 
• Mentor new Nursing faculty in both teaching and clinical  responsibilities. 
• Track alumni employment and employer satisfaction with Nursing program graduates.
• Participate in faculty review of nursing program courses, faculty, preceptors, and clinical sites.
• Evaluate student petitions, appeals and disqualifications as the representative of the nursing program.
• Participate in recruitment of students to the St. Mary’s nursing program.
• Maintains federal safety standards regarding the use of equipment and hazardous waste.
• Oversees, participates in, and contributes to a safe learning environment, keeps current with safety regulations, provides training and enforcement of safety regulation policies and procedures; inspects and m