Director of Nursing Programs

About the Role

This position involves leading, mentoring, and evaluating faculty and staff while ensuring academic excellence and operational success for nursing programs at John Carroll University. The role requires strategic planning, program growth, and maintaining compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and evaluate full-time and part-time faculty, clinical instructors, coordinators, and program staff to support excellence in teaching, scholarship, service, and professional growth.
• Recruit, onboard, develop, and retain a diverse, mission-aligned team, including clinicians transitioning into academic roles.
• Establish clear roles, expectations, and accountability structures; delegate substantive authority and develop successors.
• Conduct performance evaluations and collaborate with the Dean and Provost on faculty appointment, promotion, and retention recommendations.
• Author and maintain position descriptions as the program evolves.
• Partner with faculty through shared governance to review and strengthen curricula, pedagogy, assessment, and student learning across undergraduate and future graduate programs.
• Ensure nursing education integrates disciplinary standards with JCU’s Jesuit Catholic mission, ethical formation, service, and care for the whole person.
• Direct day-to-day program operations, including course scheduling, faculty workload, clinical placement logistics, laboratory and simulation resources, and student progression processes.
• Develop and manage the program budget in partnership with the Dean; forecast staffing, clinical, and capital needs against enrollment projections.
• Maintain appropriate faculty-to-student ratios, qualified instructional personnel, current learning resources, and reliable systems for safe care delivery and high-quality education.
• Oversee admissions, advising, progression, petitions, and resolution of student concerns in partnership with faculty, staff, Enrollment Management, and Student Success.
• Use data to monitor enrollment, retention, progression, licensure, employment, student experience, faculty capacity, and program effectiveness; lead timely improvement efforts.
• Lead strategic planning for nursing programs in alignment with College of Health and University priorities, collaborating with faculty, academic leadership, and the nursing community advisory board.
• Evaluate opportunities for new programs, pathways, credentials, and delivery models; develop academic and business cases and guide initiatives through shared governance and external approval.
• Shepherd new programs through curricular governance, regulatory approval, and accreditation processes.
• Partner with enrollment management and marketing to build demand, shape the applicant funnel, and grow the program’s regional visibility and reputation.
• Pursue grant and philanthropic opportunities in partnership with Sponsored Programs, University Advancement, and community agencies.
• Develop and sustain academic-practice partnerships that expand clinical capacity, faculty and preceptor pipelines, workforce pathways, research, innovation, and community impact.
• Represent JCU nursing with healthcare organizations, professional associations, alumni, donors, and community partners.
• Lead ongoing curriculum review, revision, and systematic program assessment with documented follow-through on findings.
• Partner with the Dean/program administrator of record to maintain compliance with Ohio Board of Nursing requirements, CCNE standards, University policies, and applicable state and federal regulations.
• Maintain accurate policies, faculty and preceptor qualifications, program records, affiliation agreements, and documentation required for licensure, certification, and regulatory reporting.
• Convene regular faculty meetings to foster genuine faculty participation in planning, implementing, and evaluating the curriculum.
• Teach one nursing course annually and mentor new faculty members in teaching pedagogy.
• Ensure effective academic advising, progression monitoring, petition review, and resolution of student concerns.
• Monitor and act on retention, progression, licensure examination, and placement outcomes.
• Serve as a faculty member of the University and participate in College and University governance, committees, initiatives, and academic life.
• Champion nursing as an expression of JCU’s Jesuit Catholic mission by advancing ethical leadership, compassionate care, health equity, service, and formation of the whole person.
• Support University Advancement and other institutional priorities in ways that strengthen nursing and the College of Health.

Requirements

• Current, valid, unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse in Ohio, or a multistate license privileging practice in Ohio, at the time of appointment.
• Minimum of a Master’s degree with a major in nursing from an accredited program.
• An earned DNP, PhD, or EdD, or a realistic completion date of the doctoral degree within two years of appointment.
• Demonstrated teaching experience in academic nursing, clinical education, or nursing professional development.
• At least five years of progressively responsible professional experience, including at least three years leading and supervising teams of licensed professionals, faculty, or comparable professional teams.
• Demonstrated success recruiting, developing, and retaining professional staff, including in tight labor markets.
• Demonstrated ownership of a budget, staffing plan, or operating unit, with evidence of managing resources against defined performance targets.
• Demonstrated record of building, launching, or substantially growing a program, service line, department, or operation.
• Experience operating under external regulatory, accreditation, or survey oversight (e.g., state boards of nursing, programmatic accreditation, The Joint Commission, CMS conditions of participation, Magnet designation, or comparable frameworks).
• Demonstrated success building and sustaining external partnerships, affiliations, or community relationships.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, and the ability to work effectively with students, faculty, clinicians, and partners from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.
• Interest in understanding and supporting John Carroll’s Jesuit mission to inspire individuals to excel in learning, leadership, and service in the region and in the world.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong preference for a DNP or PhD in nursing already conferred.
• Prior teaching experience in a pre-licensure registered nursing education program for 24 months or more.
• Experience with CCNE or ACEN accreditation, including self-study preparation and site visits.
• Experience launching a new academic program, campus, service line, or business unit.
• Senior nurse executive experience in a hospital or health system (e.g., Director of Nursing, Nursing Professional Development, Clinical Education, or service line leadership).
• National certification in nursing administration or executive practice (NEA-BC, CENP, or equivalent).
• Familiarity with higher education systems such as Banner, Canvas, and enrollment CRM platforms; proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
• Evidence of professional contribution through publication, peer review, presentation, or professional association leadership.