Associate Dean, School of Nursing

Thompson Rivers University School of Nursing is seeking candidates for the position of Associate Dean. The start date is July 1, 2018, or as negotiated by both parties.

As a flagship program for Thompson Rivers University (TRU), the School of Nursing prepares knowledgeable and competent graduates who are ready to deliver high quality and safe care to the public. British Columbia will require over 25,000 registered nurses by the year 2022. TRU’s School of Nursing has received international recognition for its authentic and genuine response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report (2015) and its efforts to embed Aboriginal ways of knowing across the curriculum. Indigenous nursing research, innovation and education continues to seek ways to improve the quality of Indigenous healthcare across Canada.

Currently, the School of Nursing at TRU offers the Master of Nursing (MN), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) and the Health Care Assistant (HCA) programs on the Kamloops campus as well as; the first two years of the BScN program, Practical Nursing (PN) and HCA programs at the Williams Lake campus. Additionally, the School of Nursing Open Learning Division offers certification programs through online education. We are exceptionally proud of reaching full accreditation status for all our programs through provincial and/or national licensing bodies. The Master of Nursing program launched September 2017 reflects flexible delivery, diversity of student focus (including Indigenous Health Leadership, Nursing Education or specific area of Nursing Practice), a choice of thesis, major project/paper and an option for RN to Master Degree entry.

The School of Nursing thrives on growth and development of new opportunities and will explore new programs such as post-baccalaureate certificates, a Nurse Practitioner stream for the Master of Nursing program and future planning for a PhD in Nursing and Interdisciplinary Studies. The new Nursing and Population Health building (September 2019) will provide students and faculty with state of the art low, medium and high quality simulation labs, innovative learning spaces, research centers, and classroom spaces that will serve our students and faculty into the future.

The School of Nursing has over 70 faculty and staff members and over 1,240 student enrolments in the MN, BScN, PN, HCA and Open Learning Division programs.
The faculty has a strong focus on inter-professional and interdisciplinary teaching and learning, excellence in research and scholarship and has a strong commitment to the indigenization of the curriculum that will inform health systems. Our programs focus on learning outcomes that students achieve to be successful as health professionals.

TRU is a uniquely comprehensive, student-focused institution built on over 40 years of excellence in post-secondary education and training. TRU offers a broad range of programs, including undergraduate and graduate degrees, career diplomas and certificates, trades training and university preparation. TRU aspires to be the university of choice for Indigenous peoples.

The spectacular main campus is located in Kamloops (Population 85,000), a prosperous city located just a four-hour drive from Vancouver, centrally located in the heart of British Columbia’s interior. Kamloops offers world-class tourism and recreation, over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually, and excellent cultural, social, economic opportunities. TRU also operates regional campuses in Williams Lake, Lillooet, 100 Mile House, Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Barriere and Clearwater. Almost 24,000 students attend TRU, 13,000 on campus students (including 1,600 international students from more than 80 countries), and another 10,000 students enrolled in online courses through TRU’s Open Learning Division.

Position Overview
TRU seeks an experienced, confident, innovative candidate to join the leadership team in the School of Nursing. Reporting to the Dean, the Associate Dean will support teaching, research and scholarship. The Associate Dean will support administration, leadership, clinical practice, student success, service activities and development of domestic and international research opportunities.

TRU School of Nursing is committed to research and scholarship in nursing and health care.

Our Mission is to create an environment that facilitates collaborative nursing and health-related scholarship and research to benefit the health of individuals, families, communities and populations.

The TRU School of Nursing Strategic Plan 2017-2020 identifies four core priorities 1) Enhancing Capacity for Research and Scholarship; 2) Student Success; 3) Increasing Sustainability; and 4) Increasing Intercultural Understanding. Our scholarship and research plan “Making a Difference: Scholarship and Research in the School of Nursing 2016-2021”, identifies six strategic directions and four core themes. Our faculty scholars are building exceptional programs of research and teaching that impact our society.

Position Description
The Associate Dean will play a key role in support of the strategic priorities of increasing student success, promoting excellence in practice, enhancing intercultural understanding, research capacity, and sustainability. The Associate Dean is responsible for management and supervisory functions as assigned by the Dean, including the academic coordination of existing nursing programs, curriculum renewal, program reviews and the development of new programs on campus and through the Open
Learning Division. The Associate Dean participates in all governance meetings of the School of Nursing such as the Faculty Council, meetings with the Chairpersons, and relevant meetings and committees in the Open Learning Division. The Associate Dean also ensures that students and applicants for all programs receive appropriate academic counseling and advising. The Associate Dean assumes the role of Acting Dean in the Dean’s absence, and may also be responsible for representing the faculty regionally, provincially, nationally and internationally.


DETAILED POSITION DESCRIPTION

Program Management
The Associate Dean is responsible for administrative support to the Dean.

Duties include the following:

  • Demonstrate and lead with passion, energy and commitment to nursing education;
  • Ensure that academic standards of excellence in teaching, practice and research are maintained in departments, programs and courses of the School of Nursing;
  • Coordinate and facilitate with faculty the development of new programs;
  • Assume responsibility for formal program reports and course evaluations as required by the university and accrediting bodies;
  • Facilitate planning and priority setting with the School of Nursing on proposed courses and programs;
  • Ensure adherence to the academic policies established by TRU;
  • Liaise with TRU staff and partner institutions regarding degrees, certificates, other credentials, programs and courses (as per Dean delegation);
  • Support articulation and partnerships for all programs;
  • Develop and support a program of scholarship within the School of Nursing;
  • Oversee strategic recruitment, marketing and promotional efforts for all programs;
  • Support the Open Learning Division in awarding academic credit and completion of qualifications for distance education credentials;
  • Support the hiring processes of Open Learning Division course developers and Open Learning Faculty Members;
  • Oversee and monitor student performance in programs and courses;
  • Advance Open Learning offerings in the faculty;
  • Work in conjunction with relevant offices on academic integrity issues, student appeals, accommodation requests, PLAR and credit banks;
  • Assist the Dean in other duties as assigned;
  • Oversees and manage the day-to-day operations for the School of Nursing;
  • Work with the administrative team within the school;
  • Teach within area of expertise/experience;
  • Lead faculty through passion and commitment to excellence; and
  • Work collaboratively with Chairpersons of each department.

Financial and Operational Management
The Associate Dean is responsible for financial and operational management within the School of Nursing through the following duties:

  • Ensure appropriate policies and regulations are followed in all aspects of the School of Nursing activities, including: workload, appointments, evaluations, promotion and tenure committee and other related faculty matters;
  • Assist the Dean in preparing the annual operating and capital budgets of the School and monitoring expenditures associated with programs, courses and departmental budgets;
  • Contribute to the development of administrative policies and regulations, ensuring their effective implementation;
  • Work with the Dean on the development and ongoing review of the School’s strategic plan and on setting goals and objectives for the School of Nursing ; and
  • Assist the Dean to determine internal and external performance benchmarks, and develop processes to collect and analyze data to measure the achievement of School’s goals and objectives.

Public Relations and Information
At the request of the Dean, the Associate Dean from time to time may be asked to:

  • Represent the School of Nursing to the University, external agencies and the community in general; and
  • Coordinate the drafting of text and documents, e.g., brochures, press releases, annual reports and confidential correspondence.


Requirements:

  • Must be a Registered Nurse
  • Professional profile suitable for appointment as a tenured Associate Professor or Full Professor
  • Terminal degree of relevance to the School of Nursing discipline (PhD preferred)
  • A minimum of one (1) degree in nursing or equivalent qualification
  • A minimum of five (5) years' teaching in baccalaureate nursing education
  • CRNBC registration in good standing without limits or conditions, or eligibility for registration with CRNBC

Experience

  • Record of excellence in teaching, scholarship and service activity, including involvement in the development, delivery and/or administration of online learning
  • Substantial track record in research and teaching pedagogy
  • Demonstrated leadership, experience and commitment to excellence in practice
  • Experience in curriculum, policy development and the academic approval process
  • Strong commitment to the development of student-centered online and blended learning opportunities
  • Superior record of service including significant administrative contributions
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • Highly effective leadership and team building skills
  • Strong commitment to collegiality and consensus building across organizational, disciplinary, and program boundaries
  • Strong commitment to working in responsive and meaningful ways in support of indigenizing higher education, and supporting Indigenous Peoples’ successful outcomes in postsecondary education
  • Ability to handle situations that require diplomacy and confidentiality
  • Experience in making difficult decisions, communicating these effectively, and taking action
  • Experience relevant to managing in a unionized environment, including employee recruitment and selection, evaluation, and conflict resolution
  • Financial management skills including market research, project management, and budget





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PI101283477