Founding Program Director, Physician Assistant Program

This role involves comprehensive program oversight, including student recruitment, curriculum development, faculty evaluation, and strategic planning. The Founding Program Director will work closely with faculty, academic affairs, and external healthcare entities to ensure the program meets accreditation standards and prepares students for successful careers as Physician Assistants. This position reports to the Provost and collaborates with various departments to support student and program success.

ABOUT NLU

National Louis University (NLU) is looking to honor its past while defining a bold new future as a contemporary, comprehensive university that prepares diverse students for sustained professional success with a deep commitment to Access, Excellence, Innovation and Equity. We are a pioneering community that uses innovation to improve outcomes. NLU questions the status quo and strives to adapt and evolve with the changing needs of its students. We are a community that cares about each other and our students and we work collaboratively, tirelessly and quickly to advance change in the service of students. We have a long venerable history, but we are not typical. We seek to solve intractable social issues through education; we believe we have not succeeded until graduates achieve sustainable career related employment; and we foster a culture that promotes failing fast so that we may constantly improve our work.

Founded in 1886, National Louis University is a private not-for-profit university offering over 70 programs from short-term certificate through the doctoral level across its five colleges. The University serves over 10,000 students per year and has experienced unprecedented growth over the last several years. Most students are from Illinois, but the University also attracts students from throughout the U.S. and from around the world who take advantage of campus based, blended and online programming.

NLU is located in the center of Chicago’s downtown loop, across the street from the Art Institute, in an area which has been recognized as America’s largest campus with over 25 institutions and 50,000 students attending a college across the city. In addition, the University has two suburban locations and a Florida regional campus.

Essential Responsibilities:

Program Leadership:

• Develop and implement the Physician Assistant program.
• Ensure the program meets accreditation standards and maintains accreditation status.

Curriculum Development:

• Design and manage the curriculum, including clinical rotations.
• Assess and plan program improvements.

Continuous Programmatic Review and Analysis:

• Lead academic quality and continuous improvement efforts, including evaluating and analyzing student and program outcomes data to inform strategic priorities and prepare self-study reports.

Student Recruitment and Support:

• Recruit academically prepared students.
• Support students in a rigorous graduate program.

Faculty Management:

• Evaluate faculty performance.
• Recruit and hire student centered faculty.
• Foster a collaborative academic environment.

Interprofessional Collaboration:

• Facilitate collaboration with other departments and external healthcare entities.
• Promote interprofessional education.

Communication and Marketing:

• Ensure effective day-to-day communication within the program.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Admissions to enhance the program’s visibility and attract prospective students.

Fiscal Management:

• Oversee the program’s budget and resources.

Community Engagement:

• Build partnerships within the healthcare community and the college.

Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• A minimum Master’s degree in physician assistant studies from an ARC/PA accredited program with current NCCPA certification.

Experience:

• Minimum of Six (6) years of professional clinical practice as a Physician Assistant.
• Three (3) years of teaching experience is also required. Management experience in a college, university, or academic post-secondary institution strongly preferred
• Knowledge of the accreditation process for Physician Assistant programs.

Skills and Abilities:

• Visionary leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service.
• Ability to build partnerships within and outside the program.

Commitment to Community and Service:

• A strong commitment to serving the community and fostering student success.

Special Instructions: Please Include the following along with your application: – Resume/CV (Required) NLU Employees please also submit an Internal Posting Form