PA Program Director

Reporting Relationships

Position Reports To:

• Dean of the College of Health Sciences

Positions Supervised:

• Medical Director
• Assistant Program Director
• Director of Didactic Education
• Director of Clinical Education
• Director of Program Operations
• Principal Faculty

Position Summary

This is a University administrative faculty position with academic rank based on the appointee’s academic qualifications and experience. The incumbent serving in this twelve-month full-time residential position is responsible for the supervision, planning, development, implementation, organization, administration, evaluation, and general effectiveness of the Physician Assistant (PA) Program. The Program Director (PD) delegates responsibility to the Assistant Program Director (APD), Director of Didactic Education, Director of Clinical Education, Medical Director, and other program faculty and staff. The PD holds ultimate responsibility for the overall functioning of the Program.

Essential Functions And Responsibilities

Administrative Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for overall operation of the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP) Physician Assistant (PA) program: organization, administration, fiscal management, continuous review and analysis, planning, development, and accreditation
• Ensure program operations are in harmony with the policies and regulations of RMUoHP
• Develop, and/or modify as necessary, policies and processes to ensure and maintain program quality in compliance with established ARC-PA accreditation standards
• Provide administrative oversight and direct best practices in the following major program areas:
• Manage budget within established University parameters to develop, obtain, and manage program resources necessary to carry out required activities
• Direct and manage process of recruiting and hiring faculty and staff
• Supervise and mentor the following in their essential functions and responsibilities, working with each to establish and review progress on goals, as well as conduct their annual performance evaluations: Medical Director, Assistant Program Director (APD), Director of Clinical Education (DCE), Director of Didactic Education (DDE), and Director of Program Operations (DPO)
• Serve as chair in formal Core Program Faculty (CPF) meetings and chair of Program Review Committee (PRC)
• Serve as a member of the RMUoHP Academic Leadership Council (ALC) as well as other University- level committees and workgroups as determined in collaboration with supervisor
• Ensure program operations run smoothly through thoughtful management of faculty and administrative support personnel by modeling servant-oriented leadership and championing a program culture dedicated to consistency between day-to-day actions and established core values, mission, vision, and goals
• Culture, Relationships, & Innovation
• Clinical Education Operations
• Accreditation & Program Self-Assessment
• Program Personnel & Empowerment
• Program Design & Data Management

Faculty Responsibilities

• Design original or review and modify as appropriate existing curricula to correlate with established or new course and program outcomes and implement curricula in harmony with the educational approach of the program through active course direction and instruction
• Participate in activities of state, regional, and national organizations to promote a positive image of the PA concept within academic, lay, and professional communities
• Advise, instruct, evaluate, and remediate students within areas of expertise and interest
• Pursue professional development activities such as clinical practice, scholarly works, or an advanced degree
• The PD, as well as the Faculty, is not to act as a health care provider for students in the program, except in an emergency situation.

Position Competencies

• Communication
• Development of Self
• Job Knowledge/Skill Application
• Champions Innovation
• Drives for Results
• Collaboration
• Integrity
• Critical Thinking
• Initiative
• Student/Customer-Centeredness

Qualifications

The individual filling this position must be able to carry out each essential responsibility satisfactorily. The

ideal incumbent will have the requirements listed below. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Education/Certification:

Graduate-level terminal degree (Master’s acceptable but doctorate strongly preferred) | Physician assistant with current NCCPA certification.

Required Knowledge:

Knowledge of higher education industry, particularly related to the capacity to handle substantive PA or medical education administrative responsibilities

Experience Required:

Must have three years or more of full-time higher education experience. Prior experience preparing for and participating in an accreditation process

Skills/Abilities:

Creative and professional spirit with proven success in leadership. Strong interpersonal abilities with excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively communicate with students, staff, faculty, administrators, and the public. Strong interest in mentoring and guiding junior faculty. Proficiency in the use of computers for organization, word processing, and communication. Demonstrated abilities in teaching and curriculum development. Self-motivated with refined organizational skills. Enthusiastic about working in a collaborative environment

Physical Activity Requirements

Finger Dexterity:

Using primarily just the fingers to make small movements such as typing, picking up small objects, or pinching fingers together.

Talking:

Especially where one must convey detailed or important instructions or ideas accurately, loudly, or quickly.

Average Hearing:

Able to hear average or normal conversations and receive ordinary information.

Average Visual Abilities:

Average, ordinary visual acuity necessary to prepare or inspect documents or products, or operate machinery.

Physical Strength:

Sedentary work. Sitting most of the time. Exerts up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally.

Mental Activity Requirements

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to deal with a variety of variables under only limited standardization. Able to interpret various instructions.

Mathematics Ability:

Ability to perform basic math skills, use decimals to compute ratios and percentages, and draw and interpret graphs.

Language Ability:

Ability to read a variety of books, magazines, instruction manuals, atlases, and encyclopedias. Ability to prepare memos, reports, and essays using proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Ability to communicate distinctly with appropriate pauses and emphasis, correct pronunciation (or sign equivalent), and variation in word order using present, perfect, and future tenses.

Hazardous Working Conditions

None:

No hazardous or significantly unpleasant conditions

INTENT AND FUNCTION OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Job descriptions assist organizations in ensuring that the hiring process is fairly administered and that qualified employees are selected. They are also essential to an effective appraisal system and related promotion, transfer, layoff, and termination decisions. Well-constructed job descriptions are an integral part of any effective compensation system.

All descriptions have been reviewed to ensure that only essential functions and basic duties have been included. Peripheral tasks, only incidentally related to each position, have been excluded. Requirements, skills, and abilities included have been determined to be the minimal standards required to successfully perform the positions. In no instance, however, should the duties, responsibilities, and requirements delineated be interpreted as all- inclusive. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is possible that requirements may be modified to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals. However, no accommodations will be made which may pose serious health or safety risks to the employee or others or which impose undue hardships on the organization.

Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts. RMUoHP maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.