Program Director, Physician Assistant (MSPA) Program- Arizona

Job Title: Program Director

Department: Master of Science: Physician Assistant (MSPA) Program

Location: Tempe, AZ

FLSA: Exempt

Supervisor: Heather Heggem, Dean, College of Medical Science

General Purpose of the Job:

This full-time position is primarily responsible for academic and administrative oversight of the MSPA program located in Tempe, Arizona. This individual is responsible for maintaining compliance with ARC-PA standards through program organization, program administration, fiscal management of the program, continuous programmatic review and analysis, program planning, program development, completion of ARC-PA required documents, and adherence to the Standards and ARC-PA policies. This position requires responsiveness to issues related to personnel, strong communication skills, and proactive problem solving.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop, review, and revise, as necessary, the program’s mission statement, vision, and goals in collaboration with the Dean and MSPA program
• Actively participate in selecting applicants for admission to the PA program
• Actively participate in applicant interviews
• Provide student instruction
• Meeting the academic needs of enrolled students
• Evaluate student performance
• Provide academic counseling of students
• Provide remedial instruction
• Actively participate in designing, implementing, coordinating, and evaluating the  curriculum
• Actively participate in evaluating the program
• Teaches assigned courses in accordance with Program Learning Outcomes, Course Learning Outcomes, and Instructional Objectives
• Supports the MSPA department and other team members
• Uses appropriate teaching strategies and methods such as, but not limited to, formal lecture, case studies, small group discussions, active learning, in-person laboratory activities, and self-directed instruction
• Modifies teaching methods based on assessment results and best practices in teaching and learning
• Assess student learning through various forms of assessments
• Submits student grades and course reports as required i.e. attendance
• Attends and actively participates in department and university meetings
• Remains current in their discipline and updates course content as needed
• Work in a team and committee environment in a courteous and professional manner
• Maintains all licenses and certificates necessary for employment eligibility
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned
• In-person attendance the White Coat Ceremony and Graduation
• Participate in all aspects of the regional and program specific accreditation process
•  Performs other related duties as assigned by the Dean MSPA PROGRAM

Director Responsibilities:

A Program Director is assigned to the MSPA Program at 1.0 FTE and assigned to the program on a 12-month, full time basis, and at least 50% of that time is devoted to the administrative responsibilities for the program.

The Program Director is responsible for providing program leadership through effective:

• Program organization
• Program administration
• Oversee all principal faculty, medical director(s), instructional faculty, adjunct faculty, and administrative support.
• Fiscal management of the program
• Continuous programmatic review and analysis
• Communication
• Adherence to the Standards and ARC-PA policies
• Program planning
• Program development
• Completion of ARC-PA required documents
• Selects, trains, develops, and evaluates, program staff and faculty
• Collaborate with other university administrators and Deans to promote effective interprofessional education
• Develop and oversees clinical internship processes and relationships
• Collects and reports statistics, demographics, retention, attrition, and exam pass rates
• Developing, reviewing and revising as necessary the mission statement, goals and competencies of the program
• Applicant interviews
• Selecting applicants for admission to the MSPA program through collaboration with the Admissions Committee
• Provide student instruction as needed o Student instruction may occur either in-person or virtually depending on course assignment
• Teaching assignments may vary term by term depending on the needs of the program.
• Meeting the academic needs of enrolled students o A Program Director is expected to be available to participate in in-person learning activities such as PACA lab sessions, OSCEs, as well as any other teaching assignment.
• Evaluate student performance
• Academic counseling and advising of students
• Provide remedial instruction as necessary
• Designing, implementing, coordinating, and evaluating the curriculum • Evaluating the program
• Attend in-person events including the White Coat Ceremony and Graduation
• Facilitate all aspects of the accreditation process

Duties and Responsibilities specific to program director:

• Program Director

• Lead instructor

• Teaching Assist

Committees and Councils

• Academic Council
• Admissions Committee
• Curriculum Committee
• JEDI Committee
• MSPA Accreditation Steering Committee
• PANCE Preparedness Committee
• Student Progress Committee

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• This job oversees all MSPA program personnel.

• Medical Director

•  Principal Faculty o Instructional Faculty o Adjunct Faculty o Administrative Support

QUALIFICATIONS:

•  The program director is a PA who holds current or emeritus NCCPA certification status and eligibility for state licensure as a PA.
• Master’s Degree or higher in Physician Assistant Studies or a related field (Doctorate preferred).
• Minimum of at least three years of full-time higher education experience at the time of appointment.
• Minimum of three years of experience as a clinical PA.
• Experience in inter-professional education and incorporating technology including simulation into teaching and practice, is strongly preferred. Proficiency in hands-on clinical skills is required.
• Computer skills required: o MS Office 365, MS Teams and SIS system

Other skills required:

• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
• Ability to prioritize work, perform well under pressure and maintain productivity despite consistent interruptions.

Attendance

Must be punctual and timely in meeting all requirements of performance, including, but not limited to, attendance standards and work deadlines; beginning and ending assignments on time; and scheduled work breaks, where applicable. Onsite: This position requires weekly onsite support and/or attendance.

Analytical

Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data;

Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs workflows and procedures.

Business Acumen

 Understands business implications of decisions; Displays orientation to profitability; Demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; Aligns work with strategic goals.

Change Management

Develops workable; Communicates changes effectively; Builds commitment and overcomes resistance; Prepares and supports those affected by change; Monitors transition and evaluates results.

Design

Generates creative solutions; Translates concepts and information into images; Uses feedback to modify designs; Demonstrates attention to detail.

Managing People  

Improves processes

Organizational Support

Follows policies and procedures; Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; Supports organization's goals and values; Benefits organization through outside activities; Supports affirmative action and respects diversity.

Problem Solving

Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.

Project Management

 Develops project plans; Coordinates projects; Communicates changes and progress; Completes projects on time and budget; Manages project team activities.

Safety and Security

Observes safety and security procedures; Determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; Reports potentially unsafe conditions; Uses equipment and materials properly.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

COMPUTER SKILLS:

Computer skills required: o MS Office 365, MS Teams and SIS system CERTIFICATES,

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• Current licensure and NCCPA certification (for PAs) is required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an  employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.

• The employee is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms.

The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; climb or balance; stoop; kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell.

• The employee must frequently lift and /or move more than 10 pounds, occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.

Work Environment:

Ability to prioritize work, perform well under pressure and maintain productivity despite consistent interruptions. Expectations of SCU Employees The SCU President’s Cabinet has identified a set of values and attributes that are bare minimums for employment, those that are core to who we are as a university, and values to which we aspire. Further identified are qualities and attributes desirable for employees in general, and senior leadership specifically. This is in harmony with principles found in The Advantage, by Patrick Lencioni.

SCU Core Values:

1) Integrative Health: We teach, learn, collaborate, and lead by creating an open environment for multiple disciplines and professionals to bring their shared and unique skills together for the benefit of patients and students.

2) Evidence-based Practice: We value a culture of inquiry, assessment, research, scholarship, and judicious use of current best evidence to inform our decisions and work.

3) Health Equity: We value people equally. We strive to educate graduates that are prepared to improve individual and community health.

4) Inclusivity: We welcome everyone regardless of age, race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other similar or protected status. We believe inclusivity leads to more diversity in our reasoning, better representativeness in our conclusions, more ingenuity in our problem solving, and greater equity in our care

Profile Qualities:

1) Customer service focused

2) Willing to invest in student/client success by fostering positive relations, guidance, and assistance

3) A belief that no task that improves the University is beneath us/servant leadership

4) Be an ambassador of the brand

5) Be a part of recruitment

6) Resource innovator Profile-Specific

Qualities by Category:

1.) They promote positivity and teamwork

a. They actively work to build up teams and break down silos

b. They actively work to be part of the solution

c. They actively work to empower themselves and their teammates, working        

               together in decision making processes

2.) They see how they can affect the bigger picture

a. They understand how their role helps to build the future of integrative healthcare

b. They pay attention to the details.