"Director of the Nursing Program and Nursing Department Chair"

Director of the Nursing Program and Nursing Department Chair

Company: Illinois College

Job Location: Jacksonville, Illinois

Category: Nursing

Type: Full-Time

Illinois College, in partnership with the national search firm Scott Healy & Associates, invites applications and nominations for the position of Director of the Nursing Program and Nursing Department Chair. The Director is the administrative leader of Nursing and reports to the Dean of Faculty. This position provides administrative leadership for the Nursing Program at Illinois College (IC), including the traditional track BSN pre-licensure and the online MSN. The Director oversees strategic planning, program management, personnel development, curricular development, accreditation, and community engagement. The Director may also teach at the undergraduate or graduate level, if time and other duties permit. Illinois College seeks an enthusiastic and experienced leader to serve in this vital role.

Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership to the nursing faculty and staff in achieving the program's expected outcomes
• Partner with Enrollment Management on student recruitment
• Oversee student mentoring, advising, and evaluation
• In conjunction with the Dean of Faculty and Provost, recruit, mentor, and evaluate nursing program faculty
• Assess the program's performance and ensure compliance with professional standards and governmental regulations
• Represent the program and College with external constituencies
• Collaborate with other departments on such functions as course scheduling
• Oversee departmental planning
• Develop and monitor the nursing program budget
• Manage grant funds from both private and governmental sources
• Oversee the nursing curriculum and in collaboration with Program faculty, make periodic adjustments to improve Program outcomes
• Review, revise, implement, and evaluate Nursing Program policies
• Monitor student progress and success in the Nursing Program
• Direct departmental accreditation activities relative to continued approval through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Engage professionally through such activities as conference presentations and memberships/leadership in professional nursing organizations
• Monitor trends in nursing and nursing education to ensure the program continues to serve the needs of students and the community of interest

Qualifications:

Education and Experience

• Doctorate (DNP, EdD, PhD) with minimum of master's degree in Nursing
• Current unencumbered license as a Registered Nurse in the State of Illinois or eligibility to become licensed in the State of Illinois
• Minimum 3 years' experience in clinical nursing practice; 5 or more years strongly preferred
• College teaching experience; 3 years full-time strongly preferred
• Relevant administrative leadership experience

Desired Knowledge, Skills and Attributes

• Demonstrated leadership skill
• Passion for Nursing education, especially at the undergraduate level
• Successful supervisory experience
• Knowledge of and experience with collegiate Nursing education
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with a wide range of internal and external constituencies
• Personal integrity and professionalism
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to consistently multi-task
• Knowledge and understanding of educational outcomes measures and assessment
• Ability to interact effectively with students
• Intercultural competency and the ability to work effectively with students and colleagues from diverse backgrounds
• Understanding of best practices in nursing pedagogy

About Illinois College: Illinois College, founded in 1829, was the first college in the state to grant degrees. Primarily residential and undergraduate, IC is home to slightly over 1,000 students. The College is committed to student success and provides extensive opportunities for faculty-student interaction beyond the classroom, including collaborative research projects, international study-travel, and intensive mentoring/advising. Its mission is to prepare students for fulfilling lives of leadership and service. IC is located in the city of Jacksonville in central Illinois, approximately 30 miles west of the state capital of Springfield and 90 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri.

About the Nursing Program: The Nursing Program at IC is vibrant and growing, offering an undergraduate (pre-licensure) BSN degree track, and a small online MSN track with two concentrations (Leadership and Nursing Education). The Nursing Program at Illinois College is a young program, with six years of graduates, and has experienced a very positive growth trajectory. Within the last year, Nursing Program facilities have been extensively renovated and expanded, resulting in state-of-the-art labs and simulation spaces. Students gain broad exposure to multiple clinical experiences, specialties and health systems at one of the most dynamic nursing colleges in Illinois. The mission of the Nursing Program is to prepare culturally sensitive and caring professional leaders able to role model service to others, address the evolving healthcare needs of all persons, and advance the profession of nursing. The new Director of the Nursing Program will have an extraordinary opportunity to expand and innovate.

Application and Nomination Process: All correspondence relating to the position of Director of the Nursing Program and Nursing Department Chair at Illinois College should be directed in confidence to the College's executive search consultant: Danan Tsan, Vice President, Scott Healy & Associates, danan@scotthealy.com. A complete application should include the following: 1. Cover Letter outlining your interest and qualifications for the position; 2. Updated CV; 3. Contact information for three (3) professional references with title, institutional affiliation, email address and direct phone numbers. (No references will be contacted without written permission from the candidate.) Applications received by October 31, 2025 will receive priority consideration. The search will remain open until the position is filled.