Program Director, ABSN

Job Description Summary

Position Summary: The ABSN Program Director is the academic leader responsible for the leadership and management of administrative, curricular, and student/faculty issues of the program. The Director maintains standards for professional accreditation, university policy, and plans and manages the budget. They collaborate with leaders and administrative staff across the Academic Affairs Division to sustain strategic planning goals and priorities consistent with University values and mission. They model appropriate ethical and professional behaviors, as well as expert communication skills.

Duties and Responsibilities

Major Areas of responsibilities include but not limited to:

Administration (75%)

General Program Oversight

• Holds primary responsibility for curricular integrity to assure compliance with CCNE Standards
• Assure the integrity of the instructional delivery of the ABSN curriculum on all campuses where student cohorts matriculate
• Serves as the hiring manager for the ABSN Program, for adjunct and annualized faculty (regular and annual)
• Conducts the annual faculty evaluations of all ABSN faculty and the ABSN Associate Director; ensures that adjunct faculty are evaluated at expected intervals
• Preparing regulatory related items for CCNE, BRN, program evaluation reports, etc
• In collaboration with the ABSN Associate Director, engage in the day-to-day processes at all campuses where ABSN cohorts are enrolled
• Coordinating students who fail a class and/or need to go out of sequence
• Providing progressive discipline to direct reports as needed
• Top of license activities w/ more remedial tasks delegated to other qualified subordinates or members of student services, clinical placement, etc

Collaborate with the appropriate university leadership for contract development for clinical agencies and partnerships with academic and practice organizations

Effective collaboration with ABSN Academic Directors, College of Nursing leadership and university departments

In collaboration with campus academic directors, provide oversight for the submission of course schedules and faculty assignments for the ABSN program at each campus.

Identify and assign student advisors in collaboration with campus academic directors

Curriculum & Instruction

Manage the curriculum and instructional programs

Collaborates with student services, scheduling, grievance procedures, advising, retention, special services, awards, and graduation processes for the ABSN program

Collaborates with the associate dean for prelicensure & undergraduate programs, clinical coordinators, and other program directors/chairs in the development of faculty assignments and course schedules.

Collaborates with the NCLEX success coordinator and other prelicensure program directors/chairs to develop and implement strategies for student preparation for the licensure examination.

Faculty & Staff Development and Mentorship

• Supervise and mentor faculty through all institutional mechanisms and processes available
• In collaboration with the faculty development coordinator, identify faculty orientation and professional development needs
• Conducts or provides input for the selection adjunct faculty

Financial, Resource & Systems Management

• Provides information to the associate dean for prelicensure & undergraduate programs, Associate Dean of Operations & Partnerships for macro budget planning for the ABSN program
• Manage the program budget in collaboration with campus academic directors where the ABSN program is offered
• Identifies grant opportunities for the ABSN program and oversees as appropriate
• Assists in identifying new program opportunities for nursing and developing proposals for their development and implementation.

Reports & Documentation

• Prepare accreditation and other relevant reports for the ABSN program
• Represent the program, the school, and the university at relevant external conferences, workshops, and meetings

Teaching (25 %)

• Teaches in area of expertise.
• Creates a dynamic, learner centered environment that uses a variety of teaching methods that support the diverse learning needs of the student population and that are based on educational theory, and evidence-based teaching and clinical practices.
• Models reflective and critical thinking and serves as a coach and mentor for students; confers with them on their progress and assists them in the development of learning plans to facilitate successful achievement of course objectives.
• Maintains and enhances competence in subjects being taught.
• Confers with colleagues to assure the integrity of the courses across programs and the curriculum as a whole
• Prepares and reviews written examinations, papers, and student projects; supervises independent study projects as needed, and evaluates learner performance in both the classroom and clinical settings
• Collaborates with Course Manager concerning at-risk students or unusual occurrences. Supervises or teaches clinical rotations as needed in acute, community and laboratory settings as well as internship/preceptorship courses.
• Documents student progress on appropriate forms. Other duties as assigned.

Scholarship

• Draws on extant literature to design evidence-based teaching and evaluation practices.
• Exhibits a spirit of inquiry about teaching and learning, student development, evaluation methods, and other aspects of the faculty role.
• Demonstrates qualities of a scholar: integrity, courage, perseverance, vitality and creativity.
• Designs and implements scholarly activities as agreed upon with his/her evaluator.
• Engages in scholarly activities reflecting dissemination and professional peer review.

Service

• Participates in Faculty Organization meetings
• Participates in School College of Nursing Faculty meetings
• Participates in University or School committees as needed
• Provides service to the profession and the community
• Participates in University and SoN CoN events as specified in University and SON attendance expectations

* The SMU Faculty Handbook provides guidance to regular faculty regarding how to establish expectations with direct supervisor related to an individual’s annual workload in these areas

Minimum Qualifications & Requirements

Education & Experience

• Earned doctorate in nursing or a related field from an accredited instititution of higher learning (e.g., PhD, DNP, DNSc, DNS, EdD).
• Active, unencumbered license as a Registered Nurse (RN), eligible for licensure in California
• Demonstrated teaching experience of diverse students at the baccalaureate or higher degree level, preferred
• Demonstrated experience in academic administration highly desirable
• Experience with different modalities for instructional delivery desirable

Skills

• Excellent written and oral communication.
• Knowledgeable about prelicensure nursing education and academic administration.
• Excellent customer relations
• Excellent teambuilding and team leadership skills

Abilities

• Ability to function effectively as an academic leader, member of a team, and independently.
• Ability to receive detailed information through verbal and written communication.
• Ability to read and write clear documents.
• Hand and finger dexterity for computer, calculator, copy machine, and telephone use.
• Must be able to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word in person or on the telephone.

Work Environment

Office Location: Oakland Campus – Onsite

• This is an onsite position based in Oakland, CA, requiring regular in-office presence to support daily operations, collaboration, and student or team engagement.
• Work is performed primarily on campus in a dynamic academic environment, with direct interaction across multidisciplinary teams.

Employee Status: Regular
Exemption Status: United States of America (Exempt)
Time Type: Full time
Pay Range: based on experience is up to $130,000 annually