CCPA - Associate Program Director & Faculty, Physician Assistant Studies

CCPA - Associate Program Director & Open Rank Faculty, Physician Assistant Studies

Job Type Full-time

A.T. Still University (ATSU) is a culturally rich environment leading the way in whole-person health education with cutting‑edge technology and instruction. From its inception in 1892, ATSU has had a long tradition of inclusion. The ATSU College for Healthy Communities is the newest College within ATSU, located in the beautiful Central Coast region of California. The Central Coast Physician Assistant (CCPA) Program is the founding academic program within the College with the mission of educating culturally‑humble, diverse physician assistants (PAs) to serve the primary care needs of medically underserved communities.

The Associate Program Director and open‑rank faculty of Physician Assistant Studies will report directly to the CCPA Department Chair / Program Director. The individual will support the Program Director in leading and managing all aspects of the didactic and clinical phases of the PA Program, lead a dedicated team of faculty and staff, and teach courses, engage in service, and conduct scholarship.

The responsibilities of the Associate Program Director and open‑rank faculty of Physician Assistant Studies include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Collaborate as a member of the programmatic leadership team, consisting of the Department Chair / Program Director, Associate Program Director, Director of Didactic Education, Director of Clinical Education, and Medical Director to achieve a shared vision for becoming recognized as the principal source of PAs from historically underrepresented groups providing culturally‑humble care to medically underserved communities.
• Provide leadership and oversight to the program's holistic student admissions process.
• Oversee a student‑centered process to manage student academic progression, retention, and completion strategies.
• Provide on‑campus leadership and support to students engaged in the didactic phase of the program.
• Provide on‑campus support and mentoring through the development of a new faculty onboarding program and a comprehensive faculty development program.
• Engage in the community to promote the PA profession, the College, and the University, and to help address critical primary care workforce issues on the Central Coast.
• Participate in local student‑driven community activities to facilitate student‑faculty relationships and to foster an effective and successful transition between the didactic and clinical year.
• Provide leadership for the development and implementation of a robust community engagement program for students, faculty, and staff.
• Oversee all aspects of the programmatic assessment and outcomes plan with oversight of the program's full‑time Director of Assessment.
• Serve as a principal faculty member to educate a student body selected for their commitment to the CCPA mission using a holistic admissions process.
• Ensure students are adequately prepared to achieve all programmatic benchmarks (e.g., PACKRAT and PANCE).
• Ensure ongoing compliance with ARC‑PA accreditation standards and best practices in contemporary physician assistant education.
• Develop and deliver academic courses as assigned.
• Conduct and disseminate scholarship.
• Serve on departmental, college, and university committees as assigned.
• Engage in community and professional service.

The successful candidate will have the following qualifications, skills, and accomplishments:

• Prior academic experience commensurate with the appointment at the rank of associate or full professor is preferred.
• Leadership experience in the design, development, and implementation of didactic and/or clinical education programs in medical education is preferred.
• Applicants who can articulate how they can collaboratively contribute to the program's mission and vision will be given preference.
• Prior experience in the successful recruitment, onboarding, and development of faculty to be high‑quality academics (teaching, service, and scholarship) is preferred.
• Substantial previous clinical experience is preferred.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills are required.
• Skilled in…