POSITION SUMMARY

The University of Providence seeks an accomplished academic administrator to serve as its inaugural Associate Dean for the School of Health Professions (SHP). Reporting directly to the Dean, the Associate Dean will be a key member of the school’s senior leadership team. In line with the University's mission and values, this role carries primary administrative responsibility for all SHP academic programs, including accreditation, curriculum, enrollment and retention, and policies and procedures. The Associate Dean will ensure the quality of all SHP programs, guiding them to meet their objectives and maintain national accreditation and state regulatory requirements. Responsibilities include program assessment, curriculum development, and fostering continuous improvement across all programs.

Additionally, the role oversees programs’ operations. The Associate Dean will collaborate with the dean, university departments, Providence Health System, and regional leaders to ensure cohesive structures and processes for all programs.

This full-time on-campus administrative position is eligible for tenure and a UP faculty appointment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leadership and Strategic Planning - Provides leadership for the School of Health Professions, supporting the Dean; reviews and provides input into academic-related contracts and agreements; leads and implements special projects, education-related grant proposals, or other assignments in response to organizational needs and as assigned.
• Academic Delivery - Develops and maintains a smooth and efficient infrastructure for academic delivery, including collaborating with all academic support services.
• Clinical Coordination: Assesses and coordinates clinical facility placement needs and evaluates the quality of clinical facilities, following state and national regulatory requirements, to ensure that clinical learning experiences satisfy the course and program learning outcomes. • Co-creation - Collaborates with the Dean, the University, Providence Health System, and community stakeholders to envision, design, develop, and evaluate health professions programs aligned with current and future workforce needs.
• Policy, Accreditation, and Quality Assurance – Oversees the adherence to applicable academic policies (at the school, university, state, and national level); assurance of regulatory, accreditation, and compliance standards; systematic evaluation of educational programs; and leads the preparation of internal and external administrative reports related to academic programs.
• Data Management and Reporting – Collects and archives program data to document and report program outcomes and effectiveness to the Dean, Provost, other executive leaders, and any regulatory or accrediting agencies per assigned program requirements. • Program Development and Improvement—Leads the development and enhancement of academic programs, incorporating best practices, research, performance needs assessment, and training assessments into the design and delivery of programs.
• Operational Oversight - Provides direct and indirect oversight of day-to-day operations of all programs and special projects.
• Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice - Serves as a liaison resource for the University of Providence and the Providence Health System in developing cooperative and interprofessional educational initiatives/programs.
• Student Experience - Ensures a positive and quality experience from recruitment and admissions through graduation.
• Team Collaboration - Performs all duties in a manner that promotes effective team collaboration and reflects the University and Providence’s mission and philosophy.
• Diversity and Inclusion - Supports diversity and inclusion and fosters a positive work environment, interpersonal relationships and communication, collaboration, and consensus building.
• Shared Governance - Liaises with applicable school and university shared governance committees on academic, curricular, student, and faculty affairs matters.
• Professional Development - Maintains current knowledge of higher education, health professions, and nursing by attending state and national conferences and participating in other professional development activities to ensure the university’s programs remain robust and relevant.
• Representation and Advocacy - Effectively and ethically represents the School’s goals, strategies, and interests to the university internally and externally.
• Faculty Role - Fulfills academic faculty obligations under the area of expertise and as negotiated with the Dean.

REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:

• An academic doctorate (PhD, Ed.D.) from a fully accredited university is required.
• Preferred health profession academic degree, other than nursing, from an accredited program.

EXPERIENCE:

• Demonstrated progressive escalating experiences in higher education.
• Demonstrated success in academic program development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Strong background in curriculum design and assessment in health professions education
• Direct experience with regional and programmatic accreditation.
• Experience with distance education and online learning platforms.
• Experienced in academic networking and committed to integrating best practices into academic systems and processes.
• Proven track record of scholarly activities, including peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national/international conferences.
• Licensure: If eligible for professional licensure, current, unencumbered professional license, and Montana licensure eligibility.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COVERED BY THE MONTANA VETERANS’ AND HANDICAPPED PERSONS’ EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE ACT

The University of Providence is a Catholic, student-centered, mission-focused university. For more information, please contact Human Resources at 406.791.5977.