Chair & Program Director, Department of Physician Assistant Studies

Salary/Position Classification

• $170,000+ annual, Exempt
• This position will work onsite the Grand Forks, ND campus.

Purpose of Position

The department is seeking a Chair & Program Director of Physician Assistant Studies that will provide leadership and strategic direction for the department. This role involves overseeing the department to ensure the highest standards of excellence are achieved in education, research, and service. The Chair will work collaboratively to foster a collegial, supportive and innovative environment in the department.

This position is a 1.0 FTE, twelve (12) month, special appointment with the University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), Department of Physician Assistant Studies.

The UND Physician Assistant Program was established in 1970 at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine, in response to health manpower shortages and the lack of access to primary health care in rural communities. Initially, the Program was designed to build upon the existing clinical skills of independent duty medical corpsmen returning from the Vietnam conflict to prepare them for a role in civilian primary health care delivery. Later, the Program turned to experienced registered nurses for its applicant pool with the goal to expand and extend the role of RNs in community-oriented rural and underserved primary care practice settings. From then until January 2004, a Physician Assistant Certificate was given to all who successfully completed the 12 month Program.

In 2003, the Program moved to a graduate level program offering a Master of Physician Assistant Studies. It then progressed to 24 months in length to facilitate more instruction in basic sciences as the foundation of medical practice. The Program has expanded the applicant pool by accepting registered nurses and experienced clinical health care professionals from other disciplines with the same philosophy to expand the health care role of those in rural and underserved communities.

Today, the UND Department of Physician Assistant Studies offers a unique hybrid of online coursework combined with alternating classroom and clinical experiences to award a Master of Physician Assistant (MPAS) degree. This innovative curricular design provides exceptional comprehensive physician assistant education and helps solidify skills and concepts.

Benefits: Includes single or family health care coverage (premiums paid for by the university), basic life insurance, EAP, retirement plan, and tuition waiver. Optional benefits available: supplemental life, dental, vision, flexible spending account, supplemental retirement plans.

Duties & Responsibilities

The key responsibilities of the Chair & Program Director of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide academic, administrative, and professional leadership, direction, and support for the PA program.
• Responsible for the management and administration of all operations, planning, administration, and organization of the PA Program.
• Lead the development, review, and revision of the program’s mission statement, goals, competencies, and program-defined outcomes, with participation from the principal faculty and medical director.
• Responsible for the oversight and fiscal management of the program budget and expenditures.
• Direct the recruitment and hiring of all program faculty and staff.
• Supervision and leadership of the medical director, principal faculty, instructional faculty and all program faculty and staff.
• Support faculty and staff with professional and leadership development as appropriate for their role within the department.
• Responsible for adherence to accreditation standards and policies, maintaining accreditation status and ensuring the completion and submission of all documentation relating to accreditation by the ARC-PA.
• Responsible for maintaining program policies and procedures that support an ongoing process of program self-assessment and analysis to meet internal and external stakeholder requirements.
• Provide oversight and direction for all department committees to ensure a robust applicant pool (admissions), efficient collection and analysis of data (assessment), and effective review and revision of curriculum (curriculum).
• Provide support and advocacy to recruit and retain clinical preceptors and clinical sites, providing a quality clinical education for students.
• Assist with student recruitment and communication with prospective applicants.
• Provide oversight to the admissions application and selection process.
• Course instruction or co-instruction in areas of expertise, as well as assisting with scholarly projects, labs, simulation, technical skills, and small group activities within the program curriculum.
• Develop and participate in student performance assessment, evaluation and remediation.
• Participate in academic counseling of students.
• Participate in ongoing curriculum and program evaluation, review and analysis, and accreditation activities and processes.
• Lead full department meetings and serve on School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and University committees and activities as requested.
• Engage in professional advocacy for the PA profession and the UND PA program.
• Serve as the primary liaison to UND SMHS and other university administration
• Represent the program and its interests on a local, regional, national and international level.
• Scholarly activity in areas of research interest
• Ensure that academic standards, policies and procedures are upheld by faculty, staff, and students.
• Exemplify and model the ethical conduct required of the PA profession and promote professionalism within the department, clinical community, university, and profession.

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree in physician assistant studies from a regionally accredited institution
• Current NCCPA certification (PA-C)
• Unrestricted North Dakota State PA license (or ND licensure-eligible)
• Five years of clinical practice
• Five years of full-time higher education experience in PA Education
• Qualifications for appointment as associate professor or professor rank
• Effective communication skills
• Successful completion of a Criminal History Background Check

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the US and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. This position does not support visa sponsorship for continued employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D. DHSc) in higher education, administration, or public health leadership
• Three years of primary care clinical practice
• Demonstrated experience in academic leadership of a PA education program
• Record of scholarly activity in their area of research
• Experience with accreditation reviews and the ARC-PA
• Collaborative and relational leadership style

To Apply

To assure full consideration, applications must be received by 05/08/2026 and include the following materials:

• Letter of interest
• Current curriculum vitae
• Contact information for three professional references

Position is open until it is filled.