Director of Nursing / Chair of Nursing

National University, a private nonprofit leader among adult learners, seeks a new Director/Chair  for the Department of Nursing  The Director/Chair’s primary responsibility will be to promote NU's mission "to deliver an exceptional student experience by providing superior programs and services that are relevant and result in meaningful learning."

NU 2023, our strategic plan, has five interrelated priorities:

• Increase access to adult learners nationwide by offering a variety of programs asynchronously online.
• Reduce the costs to students and continue to do so until our most deserving students receive an education with no out-of-pocket costs. 
• Implement precision education as an operational strategy to improve student success.
• Build an infrastructure to support innovative instruction.
• Create a culture that attracts and retains top talent, including transparent communication and inclusion.

NU 2023 emphasizes the priority to invest in retention and completion initiatives so that each student will realize his or her personal goals and contribute to the University's vision to "make positive contributions to the transformation of society." NU's approach to assuring student success is defined by precision education as an operational strategy, including assessment-led, adaptive instruction, holistic student support, and competency-based credentialing.

In 2019, NU consolidated four schools into the College of Professional Studies and stated that its overall mission is to provide workforce-relevant education.  The four schools that combined to form the College were: engineering, business, health & human services, and professional studies.  Programs and faculty belong to one of the following departments: Health Sciences, Leadership and Human Resources Management, Marketing and Management, Nursing, Professional Studies, Accounting, Finance, and Economics, Engineering and Computing, and Community Health.  A chair heads each department.  A program lead directs each program (for a complete list of programs, please see:  https://www.nu.edu/ourprograms/college-of-professional-studies/). 

National University is the flagship university of the National University System.  Sister universities include JFK University, City University of Seattle, and the recently acquired Northcentral University.  Also, National University owns a Virtual High School.  NUS has 45,000 students and 250,000 alumni. 

COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

The College of Professional Studies provides a unique opportunity to leverage several professional disciplines to serve the various workforce needs online throughout the nation.  Forty-five programs account for 11,175 students.  The College has 91 full-time faculty and 830 adjunct faculty.  Each department has signature programs, including but not limited to public health, cybersecurity, nursing, business administration, homeland security, organizational leadership, and accounting.  The Department of Nursing has campuses located in Los Angeles, Fresno, and San Diego. The mission of the College of Professional Studies is to provide workforce relevant degrees for the next generation of learners who are expecting innovation, quality, and academic excellence woven into an exceptional student experience that is immediately applicable in the workplace.

THE DEPARTMENT OF NURSING

The predominant themes from the Department of Nursing mission statement reflect the diversity of the student body, the faculty, and the educational delivery systems. These themes center on the relevance and excellence of academic programs, a learner-centered educational approach, and accessibility to the diverse community.

Across the three campus locations, nursing enrollment totals more than 775 students. The Department maintains approximately 20 full-time faculty, who are assisted in covering the nursing theory and clinical courses with approximately 140 adjunct faculty, all of whom hold BRN approval.

The Department of Nursing offers undergraduate, graduate and post-master’s certificate programs of study:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)– RN Completion
• BSN generic entry (California)
• BSN Second Bachelor’s degree
• Nursing Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) to BSN
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
• Family Nurse Practitioner Post Graduate Certificate
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post Graduate Certificate

ACCREDITATIONS

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, the master’s degree program in nursing, and the postgraduate APRN certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

ROLE OF THE DIRECTOR/CHAIR, NURSING

The Director/Chair delivers an exceptional student experience through teaching, scholarship, and service in support of the overall academic quality of departmental programs.  As a champion of student success, this position innovates and collaborates within the University to deliver outstanding course content and academic programs to the diverse student population at National University.  This position provides an opportunity for an experienced nurse educator to lead these undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. This exempt position reports to the Dean as assigned.

The Director/Chair will be responsible for the oversight of the undergraduate, and graduate nursing programs. The goals and challenges of the Nursing Department dictate the need for a candidate who has the ability to lead a complex, multi-campus department, ensuring compliance with all applicable professional accreditation, Board of Registered Nursing, and state authorization standards and regulatory requirements. The Director / Chair will be expected to demonstrate excellence in management skills while meeting the tripartite mission of the academy in teaching, research, and service to the department, college, university, community, and the nursing profession.

Responsibilities will include:

• Supervision of all faculty within the department. This includes but is not limited to the hiring, training, developing, coaching, and evaluating of all faculty.
• Evaluation of student performance.
• Provide oversight of departmental committees.
• Oversee nursing program operations
• Identify program outcomes in collaboration with faculty.
• Ensure the infusion of technology and other instructional strategies into the curriculum.

• Participate in commencement exercises and other critical University events.
• Participate in faculty governance and perform administrative responsibilities as assigned.
• Complete all trainings as assigned (faculty development, required compliance trainings, etc.)  
• Other job-related duties as assigned.

Candidates must have an earned doctorate in nursing or related field from a regionally accredited institution. The Master of Science in Nursing degree is required if the doctoral degree is not in nursing. Candidates must have sufficient qualifications and experience to warrant appointment at the rank of associate professor or professor. Demonstrated excellence in teaching, scholarship, and professional service is expected. Skilled in the use of technology, software, and resources to assist in the delivery of course content is required.

It is expected that the candidate will be eligible for licensure and approval by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) ), and other licensure and regulatory bodies as required in other states, to serve as the director of the nursing program, with documentation to demonstrate recent nursing practice in a specialty area.

Other requirements are:

• Five to seven years of progressively responsible faculty and administrative experience in baccalaureate and higher degree programs in nursing education, preferably in programs with large student enrollment
• Track record of successful submission of self-study reports for regional and national nursing accreditation and in-depth understanding of program organization, development, and maintenance
• An established reputation as a leader in nursing and higher education with prior experience as a nursing dean or chair, and the ability to demonstrate exceptional leadership experience
• The ability to lead faculty in the advancement of scholarship, distance education, funding, and community involvement, commensurate with the level of a graduate-degree-granting department
• Evidence of experience with strategic planning

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Nursing
• Experience in the online mode of instruction at the graduate level
• Hold national board certification in a specialty area
• Evidence of experience with financial planning
• Track record of grant-funded program initiatives

Employment is contingent upon proof of the legal right to work in the United States. This proof must be provided prior to employment at the University. An appointment is not final until proof is provided and the BRN approval to serve as a director has been granted.

SUPERVISION

This will include oversight and supervision of the program leads and faculty to include hiring, training, development, evaluation, reappointment, and other personnel actions as needed.

CONTRACT DURATION

This contract will be for 3 years.

TOTAL REWARDS

Salary is commensurate with the background and experience.

National University offers a rich, comprehensive benefits package (medical/dental/vision, FSA, HSA, 403b with matching, life insurance, AD&D, LTD, EAP), voluntary benefits (short-term disability, pet insurance, hospital indemnity plan, etc.) and competitive salaries. For more information, please see our Benefits page here: https://www.benefits.nu.edu/