Janet Q. Lawson Endowed Chair in Nursing

Position Summary:

The University of Utah College of Nursing is seeking an established and visionary educator and scholar to serve as the Janet Q. Lawson Endowed Chair in Nursing. The ideal candidate will provide visionary leadership in nursing education by promoting innovative, evidence-based teaching methods that enhance student success and prepare graduates to become future leaders in healthcare. This role requires a candidate who stays at the forefront of educational trends, designs high-quality curricula, and creates supportive learning environments that foster both academic and professional success for students. The role facilitates alignment with accreditation standards and essential nursing competencies while supporting faculty development and mentoring initiatives. The position also drives educational scholarship, builds strategic partnerships, and enhances the institution's reputation through research and national engagement. Active collaboration with academic leadership supports continuous quality improvement and excellence across all nursing programs.

Principal Functions and Responsibilities:

Key functions and responsibilities will include:

1. Advance student academic success through innovative and transformative nursing education approaches, preparing graduates to become healthcare leaders who drive meaningful change within healthcare systems.
2. Stay current with emerging trends in nursing and health professions education, including learning theory and models of education, e.g., competency-based education, evidence-based practice, health system science, policy, and lifelong learning.
3. Cultivate and support teaching and learning environments that deliver value to students by promoting higher levels of learning and professionalism.
4. Demonstrate academic leadership and pedagogical best practices.
5. Maintain high-level knowledge and engagement in accreditation-required content and competencies, e.g., The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021).
6. Promote and support faculty development through mentoring, fostering professional growth, and consulting on evidence-based pedagogical practices to ensure high-quality teaching and student learning across all programs.
7. Collaborate and communicate with faculty, assistant deans, and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
8. Lead the advancement of nursing education scholarship and research by engaging faculty to enhance teaching and promote student learning success both within and beyond the College.
9. Build local, regional, and national collaborations by forging partnerships with national organizations, academic institutions, and community and industry leaders to further position the University of Utah College of Nursing as a leader in educational innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.
10. Enhance institutional reputation by serving as a thought leader within and beyond our College, contributing to our national prominence through scholarship/research, high-impact publications, professional service, and active engagement in academic and healthcare communities.
11. Maintain ongoing, active involvement as an educator and curriculum and/or teaching/learning expert across the Baccalaureate, Master's, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and PhD programs.

Criteria/Experience and Qualifications:

The ideal candidate pursues innovation and develops ideas that transform nursing education and the student experience and prepares graduates to revolutionize healthcare. Candidates must meet the following qualifications:

1. Graduate of an accredited College or School of Nursing and holds a Utah RN or APRN license.
2. DNP, PhD in Nursing, or EdD degree in an appropriately related field.
3. Eligible for appointment as a Career-Line or Tenure-Line Assistant Professor or higher rank.
4. Strong and contemporary working knowledge of the nursing profession, nursing education, higher education, and healthcare delivery.
5. Demonstrated leadership and participation in curriculum development and evaluation.
6. Demonstrated leadership and management skills, and the ability to work collaboratively and productively with individuals and groups.
7. Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to foster a collegial and respectful work and educational environment.
8. Exemplary record of scholarly achievement commensurate with rank.

Appointment:

The Janet Q. Lawson Endowed Chair in Nursing is an administrative appointment, made by the Dean of the College of Nursing in accordance with University guidelines. The individual will maintain a tenure-line or career-line faculty position while in this role. Academic rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications. This endowed chair is allocated 10% FTE within a full-time, 12-month appointment for five (5) years, with the possibility of renewal upon a successful review.

Responsible to: Chair, Division of Graduate Education and Advanced Practice.

Review and Evaluation: Formally reviewed every five years.

College of Nursing:

The University of Utah College of Nursing is a premier nursing education institution with nationally ranked undergraduate and graduate programs. The College of Nursing prepares nurses at all education levels - BS, MS, DNP, and PhD - and has a current enrollment of more than 700 students. The College also offers an MS degree, undergraduate and graduate certificates, and an undergraduate minor in Gerontology. U.S. News & World Report rankings include: #6 Nurse-Midwifery program, #12 Online Master of Science in Nursing program, #22 Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and #39 Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The College of Nursing's Excellence in Education (CONExEd) initiative focuses on foundations for teaching excellence, advancing teaching competence, excellence in teaching leadership, and education scholarship. Staff within Student Affairs and Academic Operations provide the highest quality student experience, advising students, administering scholarships and financial assistance, and promoting student success.

With a $64M portfolio of grant funding, the University of Utah College of Nursing is consistently ranked in the top 20 in NIH funding among Colleges of Nursing. The College of Nursing is a focal point for clinicians and researchers to collaboratively design, lead, and achieve equitable improvements for the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Our high priority research programs include the areas of social and behavioral aspects of chronic disease; innovative care delivery models; simulation in nursing and interprofessional education; social, behavioral, and environmental determinants of health and health equity science; and complement our strengths in women's health, aging, caregiving across the lifespan, informatics and systems science, and clinical and translational research.

The College of Nursing has 10 additional Chairs, and is home to the Family Caregiving Collaborative, Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program, College of Nursing Simulation Center, Center of Excellence for Exposure Health Informatics (CEEHI), Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) program, and HRSA-funded Nurse Education, Practice, Quality & Retention (NEPQR) program. In 2017, the College of Nursing was the first recipient of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) New Era for Academic Nursing Award. The College also received the AACN Exemplary Academic-Practice Partnership Award in 2018. In collaboration with University of Utah Health (U Health), the college works to improve individual, family, and community health and quality of life.

University of Utah and U Health:

The University of Utah (“the U”) - located in Salt Lake City, Utah - is an R1 university, member of the American Association of Universities, and member of the Big 12 Conference. University President Dr. Taylor Randall has a vision for the U to become a top 10 public university with unsurpassed societal impact, to grow to more than $1 billion in annual research expenditures, and to achieve an enrollment of 40,000 students. For the last 5 years, the U enrolled a record number of first-year students.

The University of Utah drives unsurpassed societal impact by preparing students from all walks of life to be leaders and global citizens who strengthen our society and democracy; generating and sharing new knowledge, discoveries, and innovations that supercharge our economy and improve lives locally, nationally, and globally; and engaging local, national, and global communities to promote education, health, and quality of life.

The Martha Bradley Evans Center for Teaching Excellence supports the University of Utah's mission and core values of student success and teaching excellence by 1) promoting engaging and transformational student learning experiences, 2) improving teaching effectiveness through evidence-based, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist pedagogy, and 3) serving the needs of teaching-oriented faculty, instructors, and graduate students.

University of Utah Health - the only academic medical center in the Mountain West - includes numerous interdisciplinary entities such as the Huntsman Cancer Institute, the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital, the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research Training Institute, and the NIH-funded Utah Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) that support education, practice, and team science. With five hospitals, 12 community clinics, and a growing network of regional affiliates, U Health's catchment area covers five surrounding states, and roughly 10% of the United States.

Health Sciences schools include the College of Nursing, College of Health, College of Pharmacy, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, and School of Dentistry. The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library advances education, research, and health care through information access, service, and innovation, and serves the education, research, and clinical needs of faculty, scientists, health professionals, and students.

Application and Inquiries:

Applications will be accepted continuously, with evaluations beginning immediately until the position is filled or closed. Interested candidates should apply online by submitting a completed application - including 1) cover letter, 2) curriculum vitae, 3) teaching philosophy statement, 4) research or scholarship statement, and 5) three letters of recommendation from individuals external to the University of Utah and U Health. Please note that letters must be signed, dated, and on letterhead. The cover letter should address the candidate's commitment to teaching and research/scholarship, experience designing curriculum and/or education initiatives, and, if applicable, leadership experience.

The online application may be found at https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/186384.

Please direct any questions about the position or the application process to Janet Q. Lawson Endowed Chair in Nursing Search Committee Chair, Dr. Sheila Deyette at Sheila.deyette@nurs.utah.edu or Cami Zollinger, Faculty Affairs Manager, at cami.zollinger@nurs.utah.edu.

Department: 00989 - CON - GEAP DIVISION
City: Salt Lake City, UT
Track: Track Dependent on Qualifications
Close Date:
Open Until Filled: Yes
Requisition Number: PRN03879F