Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education

University of North Texas System•Fort Worth, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Physician Assistant Studies at HSC is seeking a PA educator for an open rank faculty position with an administrative appointment as Director of Clinical Education. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative team player with excellent written and verbal communication skills, experience in teaching and scholarship, and proficiency with common software applications. Responsibilities include preparing and delivering instruction, assessing student performance, participating in program evaluation and student recruitment activities, mentoring students in their professional development, conducting research related to PA practice or education, pursuing grant opportunities, and engaging in other scholarly activities. Faculty are given release time to maintain clinical skills through clinical practice opportunities and enjoy a collaborative academic environment, competitive benefits, and opportunities for professional growth. In addition to a PA Faculty role, the Director of Clinical Education (DCE) serves as a member of the Department of PA Studies leadership team. The role oversees the clinical phase of the program, ensuring curricular alignment with ARC-PA accreditation standards and the overall mission of the program. This position integrates strategic oversight of clinical curriculum, site management, faculty coordination, and external clinical partnership development to support high-quality clinical education and student success. The DCE collaborates closely with the Program Director, Director of Academic Education, Associate Program Director, Executive Committee, Curriculum Committee, Communication Committee, Senior Project Coordinator, and Clinical Site Coordinator to maintain curricular coherence, ensure an adequate number and diversity of clinical sites for student education, and facilitate effective communication across all clinical education activities. The DCE will work closely with the DAE to implement, coordinate, schedule and evaluate educational activities taking place in the clinical phase of the curriculum. The DCE will also cultivate and sustain external clinical relationships with healthcare organizations, providers, and community partners, leveraging these partnerships to enhance clinical training opportunities, expand clinical placement capacity, and strengthen connections between the program and the healthcare community. This position may be assigned additional duties and may be required to participate in special projects, consistent with the responsibilities and objectives of the position and the needs of the department, college, and university.

Requirements

A master’s degree in PA Studies or a related field is required.
Three or more years of highly relevant, full-time professional experience to be considered for the Assistant Professor position.
Five or more years of highly relevant, full-time professional experience to be considered for the Associate Professor position.
Candidates who have served as an Associate Professor for at least five years or Professor to be considered for the Professor position.
Applicants must currently hold or be eligible for PA licensure in the State of Texas.
Current NCCPA certification is required.
Knowledge and skills necessary to demonstrate the PA profession’s competencies to other in an educational setting.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience in higher education is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Preparing and delivering instruction
Assessing student performance
Participating in program evaluation and student recruitment activities
Mentoring students in their professional development
Conducting research related to PA practice or education
Pursuing grant opportunities
Engaging in other scholarly activities
Oversees the clinical phase of the program, ensuring curricular alignment with ARC-PA accreditation standards and the overall mission of the program
Integrates strategic oversight of clinical curriculum, site management, faculty coordination, and external clinical partnership development to support high-quality clinical education and student success
Collaborates closely with the Program Director, Director of Academic Education, Associate Program Director, Executive Committee, Curriculum Committee, Communication Committee, Senior Project Coordinator, and Clinical Site Coordinator to maintain curricular coherence, ensure an adequate number and diversity of clinical sites for student education, and facilitate effective communication across all clinical education activities
Works closely with the DAE to implement, coordinate, schedule and evaluate educational activities taking place in the clinical phase of the curriculum
Cultivates and sustains external clinical relationships with healthcare organizations, providers, and community partners, leveraging these partnerships to enhance clinical training opportunities, expand clinical placement capacity, and strengthen connections between the program and the healthcare community
Develop and execute strategies for recruiting and retaining clinical sites and preceptors
Conduct and oversee site visits to ensure quality and compliance
Partner with the Senior Project Coordinator to collect and report clinical site data for accreditation and annual reporting
Oversee adjunct faculty involved in the clinical year, particularly those grading SCPE components
Collaborate with internal committees and leadership to ensure adequate site capacity and instructional quality
Provide regular updates to the Program Director and Executive Committee on: Student progress, SCPE site scheduling, Clinical site numbers, Site visit outcomes, Recruitment and retention efforts