Assistant Director of Didactic Education - Physician Assistant

POSITION SUMMARY: 

The Assistant Director of Didactic Education is responsible in conjunction with the Director of Didactic Education for the oversight of all aspects of the Didactic phase of the Physician Assistant Program. It is expected that the Assistant Director of Didactic Education provides effective leadership toward consistently meeting program and student learning outcomes related to the didactic phase of the program. The Assistant Director of Didactic Education will work with the Director of Didactic Education and other members of the PA faculty to ensure that the program’s didactic phase is in compliance with all ARC-PA Accreditation Standards. The Assistant Director of Didactic Education will also work in synergy with their counterparts at other South University PA programs.  The Assistant Director of Didactic Education is a member of the faculty (rank commensurate with experience) with the Physician Assistant Program.

The Assistant Director of Didactic Education must assure that the South University philosophy is considered in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of this position, which includes quality services to clients; development, growth, involvement, and recognition of employees; sound economic principles; and maintenance of an environment which is conducive to innovation, positive thinking, and expansion.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Coordinates curriculum development with Directors of Didactic and Clinical Education, which includes the design and implementation of the program’s didactic phase with the program’s student learning outcomes and PA competencies.
2. Collaborates on didactic phase curriculum evaluation, assessment, and improvement to include courses, students, and teaching faculty with the Director of Didactic Education.
3. Manages faculty coordination by assigning coursework to instructional faculty in the didactic phase of instruction with the Director of Didactic Education.
4. Serves on the PA Department’s Curriculum Committee in conjunction with counterpart(s) from other South PA programs.
5. Provides teaching and instruction in the PA program including: Overseeing coordination of instruction for all didactic courses/didactic instruction annually, Lecturing in areas of clinical and/or professional expertise, Providing academic advising as a small group facilitator and student advisor.
6. Works with the Program Director to coordinate recruitment of full-time and adjunct/instructional faculty for the didactic phase of the program.
7. Works with the Program Director to design and implement faculty development initiatives for all didactic instructional faculty.
8. Provides input to assist with accreditation activities, as well as ongoing program evaluation and mission and vision statement review.
9. Participates in the program’s admissions process to include open houses, student evaluation (through application review and candidate interviews), and student selection meetings.
10. Collaborates with the Director of Clinical Education on ongoing assessment of student performance toward attaining the program’s student learning outcomes.
11. Engages in service, community and campus relations, PAC (Program Advisory Committee) meetings, and scholarly activities appropriate to the role of Assistant Director of Didactic Education and PA faculty.
12. Participates in faculty development opportunities each year as required in the areas of teaching and academic administration.
13. Assists with clinical site development and clinical site monitoring.
14. Provides remedial instruction as needed.
15. Assists with other responsibilities as determined by the Program Director and/or the Campus Leadership.
16. Performs instructional duties as assigned and outlined in the job description and in accordance with the provisions of Faculty Supplement to the South University Employee Handbook.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Certifications:

• Graduation from an accredited PA Program.
• Terminal degree as a physician assistant.
• Current or emeritus NCCPA certification.
• PAs with active certification must be eligible for state licensure or hold an active, valid, and unencumbered state license in the state where they are assigned.

Experience:

• 1-2 years teaching experience in a graduate health-related profession highly preferred
• 2 years of clinical experience required.
• Experience in PA/medical classroom teaching and PA education administration highly preferred
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Strong interpersonal skills with student, faculty, and staff populations.
• Superior organization, prioritization, and self-motivation skills.
• Strong computer skills, including MS Office Suite, Examsoft, and WebAdMIT.
• Ability to interact effectively as both a leader and as a member of a team and work collaboratively with other departments.
• Ability to read, understand, interpret, and implement accreditation criteria and state agency regulations.
• Ability to effectively present information to faculty, academic and campus leaders, corporate leaders, and public groups.
• Ability to resolve inquiries and complaints from employees, students, regulatory agencies, or members of the academic or business community.
• Ability to listen to customers (e.g. staff, students, etc.) and to understand and respond positively to their requests.
• Ability to adapt to changing assignments and multiple priorities.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and successfully meet deadlines. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those encountered while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. 

South University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and embraces diversity as a critical step in ensuring employee, student and graduate success. We are committed to building and developing a diverse environment where a variety of ideas, cultures, and perspectives can thrive.