Program Director - Nurse Practitioner Program

ST THOMAS UNIVERSITY INC • Miami Gardens, FL

12d • Onsite

About The Position

The Program Director holds a full-time administrative faculty appointment responsible for the leadership, quality, and accreditation compliance of an assigned nurse practitioner program. The Program Director ensures the program is successfully delivered, as evidenced by national certification pass rates, completion, graduate employment, retention, assessment, and continuous improvement, and serves as the primary academic point of contact for the program's students and faculty. This appointment replaces the prior model of a 24-credit annual teaching load with a program director stipend. Overload teaching is not assigned except with approval of the Dean. Program coverage across all online terms, including summer terms, is coordinated with the Dean and the Assistant Dean.

Requirements

• Earned doctoral degree in nursing (DNP or PhD) from a regionally accredited institution, with graduate preparation as a nurse practitioner in the program's population focus.
• Active, unencumbered Florida RN and APRN licensure.
• Current national certification in the program's population focus (FNP through AANPCB or ANCC; PMHNP through ANCC).
• Minimum of two years of teaching experience in a graduate nurse practitioner program, including clinical courses.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with nursing accreditation (CCNE, CNEA, or ACEN), including self-study preparation or site visits.
• Experience in curriculum development and program evaluation in nurse practitioner education.
• Experience leading online graduate programs and supervising adjunct faculty.
• Current clinical practice in the population focus.
• Record of scholarship in nursing education or clinical practice.

Responsibilities

• Ensure program operations and activities adhere to the standards of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA), the National Task Force (NTF) Standards for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education, the AACN Essentials, applicable state requirements, and University policy.
• Prepare and maintain program documentation for accreditation reports, self-studies, substantive change notifications, site visits, and annual reports in coordination with the Dean and the Coordinator of Accreditation and Program Assessment and Evaluation.
• Monitor national certification pass rates (AANPCB and ANCC) using verified and correctly attributed data, and report results to the Dean each reporting cycle.
• Maintain current documentation of faculty and preceptor credentials, licensure, and national certification in the population focus.
• Ensure that program information published to students and the public is accurate and consistent with accreditation and state authorization requirements.
• Lead a full program curriculum review at least every three to five years and an annual review of each course through course leads, bringing revisions through the Curriculum Oversight and Program Evaluation Committee (COPE) and University curriculum approval.
• Align course and program outcomes with the NTF standards, the AACN Essentials, and the national certification test blueprint for the population focus.
• Review syllabi, grading rubrics, assignment schedules, and course announcements before each term to ensure consistency across all sections, and ensure graded components and grading criteria are published in advance and not changed after students begin the work.
• Oversee assessment integrity for high-stakes examinations, including secure proctoring, predictor and exit examination administration, and referrals to the Nursing Academic Integrity Committee (NAIC).
• Collect, analyze, and submit program data for the Systematic Evaluation Plan (SEP) each term on the academic-year framework, and develop action plans for any outcome below benchmark with the Programmatic Outcomes Remediation Committee (PORC).
• Work with instructional design staff to complete and maintain course maps and course builds.
• Oversee clinical education for the program and ensure each student completes the required direct patient care clinical hours in the population focus.
• Direct the program's participation in the College's in-house clinical preceptor program, including preceptor recruitment, credential verification, orientation, approval of preceptor capacity, and evaluation.
• Approve clinical sites for suitability and confirm that a current clinical affiliation agreement is in place before any student begins clinical hours at a site.
• Ensure clinical faculty evaluate student clinical performance and complete site evaluations as required by program policy.
• Resolve clinical placement delays and problems promptly to prevent disruption to student progression.
• Serve as the primary academic point of contact for students in the program and acknowledge student concerns within two business days.
• Resolve student academic concerns at the program level through the College chain of command (faculty, Program Director, Assistant Dean, Dean), documenting each concern, the review conducted, and the outcome.
• Escalate to the Assistant Dean only matters that require review above the program level, accompanied by a written summary of the facts and actions taken.
• Communicate program updates, policy changes, and progression requirements to students in writing each term, and hold at least one program meeting or town hall with students each term.
• Monitor student progression, identify at-risk students early using course performance and predictor examination data, and refer students to remediation and support services.
• Collaborate with the Nursing Student Affairs Committee (NSAC) on student policy matters.
• Recruit and build a credentialed full-time and adjunct faculty pool in conjunction with the Dean, and provide orientation and mentorship.
• Orient adjunct faculty member before the term and observe and evaluate full-time and adjunct faculty performance each term, including responsiveness to students, grading consistency, and adherence to course standards.
• Appoint and coordinate course leads to keep content current and aligned across sections.
• Conduct program faculty meetings each term and provide dates, times, and minutes of the meetings to the Dean.
• Recommend faculty development needs to the Faculty Affairs and Professional Development Committee (FAPD).
• Work closely with Admissions, Student Success, Registration, Marketing/Communication, and the College's online program partner to recruit, advise, and onboard potential and incoming students.
• Participate in, organize, and deliver information sessions and open house activities using Program and University resources.
• Initiate and set goals for the program according to the strategic retention objectives of the College and University.
• Prepare and manage term and annual course schedules for approval by the Dean and ensure accurate faculty course load and overload assignments consistent with College workload policy.
• Maintain faculty-to-student ratios in didactic and clinical courses consistent with accreditation standards and College policy.
• Develop collaborative working relationships with healthcare organizations and community, industry, and government leaders to support clinical placement and student recruitment.
• Recommend content areas for library acquisitions and learning resources, including clinical references and certification review materials.
• Identify program resource needs, including testing, proctoring, and simulation resources, and report them to the Dean.
• Evaluate Program Director performance against specific measures and recommend to the Provost whether to continue the appointment.
• Provide programmatic direction to course leads, full-time and adjunct faculty, and clinical preceptors assigned to the program.
• May supervise program staff, student workers, and Graduate Assistants as assigned.

Benefits

• Full-time administrative faculty appointment with a 12-credit annual teaching load.
• Compensation is based on the faculty salary for the appointment.
• Continued appointment is based on performance outcomes.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree