At West Coast University, we share a passion for students and transforming healthcare education! As a member for a certified Great Place to Work, you will join a collaborative, student-centric culture valuing academic integrity, mutual respect, student learning, service, responsiveness, innovation, diversity, and stewardship.  As a part of this team, you will guide students to do more than change their own lives – you will help change the lives of every patient they care for throughout their career.  

You will make an impact by:

As the Director of Academic Education (DAE) is a key member of the leadership team responsible for the development, implementation, coordination, and continuous evaluation of the didactic phase of the curriculum, including content, syllabi, delivery, and assessment. The DAE will oversee and develop policies and procedures relevant to the MPA program. This role includes teaching, advising, scholarship, service, student assessment, and ensuring ongoing compliance with ARC-PA accreditation Standards. The role may be held by a physician assistant/associate (PA), physician, or non-clinician scientist. Please see minimum and preferred qualifications for details.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Collaborate as a member of the programmatic leadership team, which may consist of the MPA Dean/Program Director, Medical Director, Director of Student Success, and Director of Clinical Education to achieve a shared vision for the program.
• Lead the design, development, implementation, coordination, and ongoing evaluation of an innovative didactic curriculum to ensure alignment with ARC-PA Standards, PAEA-specific assessments, the NCCPA blueprint, state licensure requirements, and requirements for entry-level clinical knowledge.
• Develop, review, and revise as necessary the mission statement, program goals, and competencies of the program.
• Assists with new course development, assuring quality outcomes and consistent implementation of Bloom’s taxonomy, course sequencing, and appropriate progression throughout the program to entry-level competencies are being met and assessed appropriately.
• Oversee scheduling, coordination, and support of principal and instructional faculty, guest lecturers, and lab facilitators.
• Develop the teaching schedule and workload for the didactic phase in collaboration with the MPA Dean/Program Director.
• Trains didactic faculty, didactic instructional faculty (adjuncts), and guest lecturers to provide an innovative didactic education curriculum.
• Serve as course director for assigned didactic or clinical phase courses, providing student instruction in areas of clinical or professional expertise.
• Develop and maintain curriculum mapping, syllabi, instructional objectives, student learning outcomes, and assessments.
• Ensure the development and consistency of syllabi, textbooks, learning outcomes, instructional objectives, and assessments across the didactic phase of the program meets WCU expectations and ARC-PA requirements.
• Create a responsive and comprehensive assessment strategy for the didactic phase of the program to ensure students achieve programmatic benchmarks, program learning outcomes, and professional success.
• Support planning and execution of academic activities related to the didactic phase, including student orientation, white coat ceremony, and commencement/pinning ceremony.
• Evaluate and collaborate with third-party vendors for equipment, software, and services necessary to enhance the student experience during the didactic phase.
• Support faculty recruitment, onboarding, mentorship, evaluation, and professional development as needed.
• Collaborate with all faculty to ensure vertical integration of curriculum between didactic and clinical phases.
• Oversee student academic progression, retention, and graduation readiness strategies for the didactic phase.
• Create, review, revise, and uphold academic policies and procedures outlined in the MPA Student Handbook in coordination with the MPA Dean/Program Director, Director of Student Success, and DCE.
• Manages, analyzes, interprets, and reports performance databases and the processes of data collection and analysis for the didactic portion of the WCU MPA Program.
• Reviews and interprets exam statistics throughout the didactic year courses.
• Perform other duties as determined by the MPA Dean/Program Director.

Your Experience Includes:

• For PA and Physician Candidates: Minimum of three (3) years of teaching, research, or clinical experience in a PA program/Medical School, or equivalent*** experience in health professions education, healthcare delivery, or related fields that directly support PA student learning and curricular outcomes. ***Note: Individuals without direct PA clinical experience will be considered if they demonstrate substantial experience in PA education, curriculum development, or healthcare experience/leadership aligned with program needs.
• For Non-Clinician Scientist candidates: Minimum of one (1) year of full-time experience in PA education, academic support, or curriculum development in alignment with program needs.
• Demonstrated the ability to develop clinical and didactic curriculum, program evaluation and student assessment.
• Leadership knowledge in the program field to cultivate a learner-centered environment and to foster excellence.
• Knowledge and evidence of strong supervisory and management skills as applicable to specialized program area.
• Knowledge of state, federal and local laws/regulations relating to programs, governmental compliance and other regulatory standards such as Title IV, WSCUC, and ARC-PA and other accreditation standards.

Required Education Certifications, and Licensures: 

• For PA candidates: Graduation from an ARC-PA accredited PA program.
• For PA candidates: Master’s degree in education or a related health- or social-science discipline.
• For PA candidates: Current National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) certification or eligibility* to sit for the PANCE (initial certification) or PANRE (recertification) at the time of hire. *Note: Candidates who are not yet NCCPA-certified or do not yet have state PA licensure must demonstrate eligibility and plan for timely certification in accordance with ARC-PA Standards.
• For PA candidates: State PA licensure or eligibility* for licensure in state of campus location. *Note: Candidates who are not yet NCCPA-certified or do not yet have state PA licensure must demonstrate eligibility and plan for timely certification in accordance with ARC-PA Standards.
• For Physician candidates: Doctorate in medicine or in a related health- or social-science discipline.
• For Physician candidates: Board certified allopathic or osteopathic physician
• For Physician candidates: State MD/DO licensure or eligibility** for licensure in state of campus location. **Note: Candidates who are not yet MD/DO-certified or do not yet have state licensure must demonstrate eligibility and plan for timely certification in accordance with ARC-PA Standards.
• For Non-Clinician Scientist candidates: Master’s degree in education or a related health- or social-science discipline from an accredited university.
• For Non-Clinician Scientist candidates: If applicable, certification(s) in area(s) of specialization required. Must also maintain any professional certifications deemed necessary to meet the requirements of the teaching role.
• For Non-Clinician Scientist candidates: If applicable, state licensure for licensure in state of campus location.
• For Non-Clinician Scientist candidates: Must meet and maintain the qualifications and standards set forth by any accreditation body that West Coast University is accredited by or in process of obtaining accreditation from, for area of expertise and expectations of faculty member as set forth in regulatory documents.
• For Non-Clinician Scientist candidates: Must provide a documented background in educational methodology consistent with teaching assignments, including, but not limited to, education theory and practice, or current concepts relative to specific subjects to be taught, or current clinical practice experience, or distance education techniques and delivery.

Preferred Education, Certifications and Licensures

• Doctoral degree in a health-related discipline with content expertise applicable to PA education (e.g., PhD, EdD, PharmD, DMSc, DHSc, MD, DO, OTD) is preferred.
• Five (5) years of full-time experience in PA or health professions education, academic support, or curriculum development is preferred.
• Prior experience as a chair, committee leader, or director-level role in PA education is preferred.
• Academic experience within a PA program, including teaching, mentoring, and curriculum development is preferred.
• Experience with ARC-PA accreditation activities (e.g., site visits, reports) and programmatic self-assessment is preferred.
• Knowledge of state, federal, and local laws/regulations relating to programs, governmental compliance, and other regulatory standards such as the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), or other regulators and/or accrediting bodies is preferred.

Do you want a career that allows you to make a difference in other people’s lives? Discover what it means to truly believe in the work that you do at West Coast University.

At West Coast University, we have the privilege of educating students seeking careers in healthcare and guide them through their transformational journey from student to caregiver. Our associates are united behind that purpose and share a deep commitment to our values of teamwork, collegiality, transparency, and a student-centric approach to all we do. This focus creates an aligned, nimble, and consensus-driven culture that is solution-oriented and supports our associates’ professional growth.

West Coast University is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all associates.

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) match, paid time off, holidays, parental leave, tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance, health savings accounts, employee discounts, commuter benefits, and company paid life, AD&D and LTD insurance.