Director of Clinical Education, Physician Assistant Program

THE OPPORTUNITY

National Louis University is seeking a Director of Clinical Education and Principal Faculty Member for a new Physician Assistant (PA) program launching at its Chicago campus. This is a 12-month professional practice faculty position that will function in a joint role with administrative and faculty responsibilities that will involve activities in both the didactic and clinical phases of the students' academic program. The annual workload requirement is 36 semester credit hours, with release time dedicated for clinical practice and additional release time for clinical education administrative functions. Rank will be commensurate with education, experience, and academic record.

The Director of Clinical Education (DCE) will assume the responsibility for developing and overseeing the clinical phase of the PA program, ensuring it aligns with ARC-PA accreditation standards, program goals, and curricular requirements in collaboration with the Physician Assistant Program Director. Duties include, but are not limited to, planning, developing, implementing and evaluating the clinical education experience, managing clinical site development, tracking student performance, and leading clinical course development and instruction to ensure students are prepared and demonstrate the competencies required as a Physician Assistant.

The DCE will report to the Program Director at its Chicago campus and serve in a leadership role in the Physician Assistant Program. The PA faculty consists of a highly motivated, cohesive group of experienced educators. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive curriculum to prepare students to practice in a variety of clinical settings and specialties.

ADMINISTRATION

Oversee implementation of curricular design and coordination of scheduling of the clinical education program with faculty, instructors, and preceptors, to optimize delivery of instructional content to students.
• Ensure preceptors are appropriately oriented to: program mission and goals, specific teaching responsibilities, program instructional resources, and specific learning objectives for which they are responsible.
• Mentor and support clinical instruction to ensure alignment of program, course, learning, and session objectives with clinical instruction and student assessment.
• Confirm, record, and report remediation instruction is occurring in clinical courses according to department policy and procedure.
• Serve as a member of the PA Education Committee and lead curricular evaluation of the clinical phase to ensure high quality education through curriculum development and continuous self-assessment and improvement processes.
• Design original or review and modify as appropriate existing clinical curricula to correlate with established or new course and program outcomes.
• Implement curricula in alignment with the educational objectives of the National Louis University Physician Assistant Program.

TEACHING

• Mentor, instruct and evaluate students within areas of need, expertise, and interest.
• Develop, revise, and publish syllabi that are compliant with institutional and departmental requirements.
• Develop, revise, and maintain student course learning objectives in alignment with session objectives.
• Serve as course director, conduct classroom teaching, and participate in course assignments in a setting promoting team teaching.
• Understand and use the university provided learning management system to conduct the course. Turn in grades to the registrar by the posted deadline each semester.
• Develop, revise, adjudicate, and align student assessments with course and session learning objectives.
• Conduct student course remediation activities in accordance with the program policy and procedures.
• Attend guest lectures and ensure content delivered is in alignment with the session learning objectives. Provide peer feedback and evaluation.
• Serve as a faculty advisor and mentor students/class.
• Participate in lab sessions and simulations.
• Participate in the course review evaluation process and execute the agreed action plan at the next course offering.
• Establish a personal program of peer-reviewed scholarly activity resulting in local, regional, and/or national, presentation or publication.

SERVICE

• Maintain an active role in state and national organizations supporting the educational mission of the program.
• Represent the Department in intramural and extramural community activities.
• Participate in student recruitment, admission interviews and selection, curriculum evaluation, student progress, and accreditation activities.
• Serve as a member of the Department's PA Education Committee, PA Admissions Committee and PA Student Progress Committee.
• Attend faculty meetings of the Department.
• Participate in student class activities.
• Other duties as assigned by the Department Chair & Program Director.

CLINICAL PRACTICE

• Provide clinical services to patients in accordance with Department policy.
• Clinically manage patients in a clinical practice appropriate to training and expertise up to one day per week for at least 46 weeks annually. It is your responsibility to communicate your availability with colleagues.
• Maintain clinical credentials to include state licensure and national practice certification.
• Release time is coordinated with the department in a manner that allows you to conduct your teaching and administrative responsibilities with minimal disruption. Clinical work should augment your teaching and not conflict with teaching and administrative commitments.

Education and Certification:

• A minimum Master's degree in physician assistant studies or other discipline if physician assistant degree is less than a Master's degree. Graduation from an ARC/PA accredited program required
• Current NCCPA certification and licensure or eligibility for licensure in the state of Illinois required.

Experience:

• Minimum of Three (3) years of professional clinical experience required.
• Three (3) years of teaching experience preferred. * Leadership experience in a clinical, college, university, or post-secondary academic institution preferred.
• Knowledge of the accreditation process for Physician Assistant programs.
• Doctoral preparation or active pursuit and documented scholarly activity preferred.

Skills and Abilities:

• The ability to work collaboratively as an interprofessional team member.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills to effectively communicate with students, staff, instructional faculty including adjunct faculty and guest instructors, and organizational administrators.
• Punctuality, attention to detail, and adherence to due dates are required.
• Proficiency in the use of technology for organization, word processing, learning management system, and communication is essential. * Proven track record in building internal and external partnerships.
• A strong commitment to serving the community and fostering student success.

NLU Inclusion Statement:

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.

At National Louis University, we offer our employees an innovative environment to work together and inspire the ideas that will make an impact. As our external environment changes, our employees are provided the opportunities and tools needed to grow both personally and professionally to remain successful. NLU employees and dependents are offered a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, Health Insurance benefits, Retirement benefits, Paid Time Off and Educational Opportunities. Additional information regarding full-time faculty benefits can be found here.

NLU Faculty salaries are based on rank within each college. The ranges for each rank for the Physician Assistant Faculty are listed below:

2025 PA 12-Month Faculty Salary Ranges

Compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate. Offers are based on multiple factors permitted by law, including but not limited to: budgetary considerations, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, current/previous faculty rank, market considerations, tenure and standing with the university (applicable to current employees), and internal equity.