"Nurse Practitioner Program Director / Tenure Track"

General Statement of Duties / Position Overview

The inaugural Program Director is a key academic leader responsible for the overall administration and quality of the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Program. This includes ensuring compliance with CCNE and NONPF accreditation standards, overseeing curriculum development, delivery, and evaluation, managing budgetary and operational planning, leading faculty and staff supervision and performance evaluation, supporting student advisement and remediation, maintaining clinical site relationships and preceptor recruitment, and providing direct instruction within the PMHNP curriculum, consistent with MSCA workload requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Administrative Leadership: Direct all daily operations of the PMHNP Program, manage program budgets, data systems, and strategic planning, convene and lead regular faculty and staff meetings, and monitor student advising and academic support systems.
• Curriculum & Instruction: Develop and maintain curriculum aligned with CCNE and NONPF standards, evaluate course effectiveness and student learning outcomes, provide classroom and/or clinical instruction in PMHNP core and specialty courses, and support students in remediation and academic advising.
• Faculty & Staff Oversight: Assign teaching and administrative duties in coordination with the Department Chair, supervise and evaluate full- and part-time faculty and staff, lead hiring and onboarding of new program personnel, and encourage faculty involvement in scholarship, research, and service.
• Accreditation & Compliance: Lead and manage all aspects of CCNE accreditation and NONPF alignment, ensuring full and ongoing compliance, serve as the primary liaison with CCNE, oversee the program's self-study and continuous quality improvement efforts, submit required accreditation documentation, lead preparation for CCNE site visits, and maintain awareness of current and evolving standards.
• Clinical & External Relations: Provide oversight on the development and maintenance of clinical rotation sites, recruit and retain clinical preceptors and affiliated partners, and ensure students meet clinical performance benchmarks and graduation requirements.
• Service & Scholarship: Represent the PMHNP Program in university, local, and national forums, participate in leadership activities that advance PMHNP education and professional development, serve on university committees, attend relevant professional conferences, and perform additional duties as assigned by the Dean.

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• Graduate of an accredited Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program
• Doctoral degree in nursing (DNP, PhD, or equivalent) or matriculated in a doctoral program
• Current national board PMHNP certification
• Current unencumbered licensure, or eligible for licensure, as an RN and APRN in Massachusetts
• Minimum of 2 years of academic experience and 3 years of clinical practice in psychiatric mental health
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and organizational skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and data management systems
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Understanding of Westfield State University's mission and public service values

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated knowledge of CCNE and NONPF standards and the self-study process
• Three (3) years of full-time experience in higher education
• Experience with competency-based and online education

Additional Information

Salary: $110,000.00-$120,000.00 (Commensurate with education and experience), with the remaining weeks of the 52-week year, including summer hours, compensated via an additional stipend. Employee benefits include health insurance, retirement options, tuition waivers, paid time off, and more.