Academic Career & Executive Search is pleased to assist the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in its search for Associate Dean for Academic Programs.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to join one of the top tier schools of nursing in academic standing and federal research funding in the country and ranked 10th in BSN programs by the U.S. News and World Report in 2021. The College of Nursing in the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the state’s only public academic health sciences center, seeks an Associate Dean for Academic Programs.

The Associate Dean for Academic Programs is the Senior Academic Officer for the College of Nursing and has responsibility for visionary leadership of the College’s academic programs whether delivered on site or by distance technologies. The successful candidate facilitates the planning, administration, evaluation, and continuous improvement of the academic programs of the College. The Associate Dean seeks, develops, implements, and evaluates internal and external partnerships, including funding sponsors, directed toward the College’s achievement of its academic strategic plan. The Associate Dean is accountable for planning innovative, future-oriented educational programs; oversight in meeting academic accreditation standards; effective grantsmanship for educational scholarship and training support; and effective collaboration with faculty and staff in the teaching mission.

The Associate Dean for Academic Programs collaborates with the Dean, the College’s other leaders, faculty, and inter-professional colleagues in accomplishing the College’s educational mission and moving the College toward its strategic and long-range goals. S/he reports to the Dean and serves at the Dean’s request. S/he is the College’s liaison with the UNMC Dean of Graduate Studies and serves on university academic affairs committees and in inter-professional academic initiatives. The Associate Dean for Academic Programs collaborates with other members of the Executive Council, and s/he works closely with the Undergraduate and Graduate faculty committees. S/he appoints, supervises, and facilitates the work of the Academic Program Directors. The Academic Program Directors, the Director of the Learning Resource Center, and the Director of Student Services report to and are accountable for successful outcomes of their positions to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs.


Responsibilities of the Position

• Provides vision and leadership for academic excellence.
• Develops and applies measures of educational quality and quality improvement.
• Sets standards for innovative, effective, and efficient curricula and academic programming suited to tomorrow’s learner.
• Recommends budgets and other resources for meeting the teaching mission of the College.
• Assures academic program compliance with professional accreditation and regulatory bodies.
• Leads and manages systems and policies that support academic program planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement. 
• Seeks and facilitates training grants.
• Provides oversight of programs related to the teaching mission, such as faculty orientation, faculty development, faculty awards, and student organization groups.
• Collaborates with inter-professional colleagues for the advancement of the University strategic plan for education.
• Engages in an active program of scholarship. 
• Provides input as appropriate to Division Assistant Deans and Associate Deans on faculty evaluations.
• Represents the Dean at designated meetings and, as needed, at regional, national, and international professional associations.

Appointment Requirements

• A bachelors and graduate degree in nursing and an earned doctorate in nursing or a related field
• A distinguished record of academic scholarship.
• Experience in teaching and curriculum development, preferably at multiple academic levels.
• Evidence of effective inter-professional educational collaboration. 
• Demonstrated leadership qualities, including a participatory leadership style that fosters respect and collegiality; strong managerial skills; ability to be creative, to take appropriate risks, and make timely decisions; openness to the ideas of others and to constructive feedback. 
• Qualifications commensurate with appointment as Associate or Full Professor.

About the University of Nebraska Medical Center

Nebraska’s only public academic health sciences center, UNMC is committed to the education of a 21st century health care work force, to finding cures and treatments for devastating diseases, to providing the best care for patients, and to serving the state and its communities through award-winning outreach. UNMC has six colleges, two institutes and a graduate studies program, serving nearly 4,000 students in more than two dozen programs.  

• Primary care, nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant and pharmacy programs rank among the best in U.S. News & World Report rankings. U.S. News & World Report also ranked UNMC's online graduate nursing programs as among the best. 
• Online Master's Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty program was ranked second in the nation in 2019 and the public health online master's degree program was ranked sixth by Best Masters Programs, an independent online guide. 
• UNMC was named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the 2019-2020 academic year by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 
• Nearly half of Nebraska’s physicians, dental professionals, pharmacists, bachelor-prepared nurses, and allied health professionals have graduated from UNMC. 

About the College of Nursing

The UNMC College of Nursing is the largest and most far-reaching of UNMC’s six health colleges and has a major presence and impact in all areas of Nebraska and nationwide. The programs are nationally and internationally recognized for their world-class delivery of education, research, and nursing practice. UNMC is a leader in advanced, student-centered learning technologies and interdisciplinary learning. The College offers comprehensive BSN, MSN, DNP, PhD, and continuing education programs to prepare students for leadership roles in nursing practice, research, education, health policy and administration. 
Over the past ten years, the College of Nursing has benefited from donor generosity with the addition of new buildings on four of its campuses, including the Center for Nursing Science in the Omaha campus. 

Living in the Area 

Omaha, with a population of just over 460,000, is the perfect combination of down-home charm and urban chic. The area offers a stable economy, thriving arts and culture scene and a diverse choice of housing ranging from well-established homes on shaded streets to waterfront urban high rises to newer suburban developments. Rounded out by a low cost of living (10.2% below the national average), unemployment below the national average and attractions and activities for the entire family. The city has been cited as one of the best places to raise a family,  

To Apply 

Please do not email applications. 

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and should include a cover letter and curriculum vita. Ideally cover letters should not exceed two pages. All applications are treated confidentially.

Inquiries, referrals, and nominations are treated confidentially:

Inquiries and questions: Please send to UNMCassociatedean@acesrch.com 
Nominations and referrals: Please send to nominations@acesrch.com 

Institution’s EEO Statement
UNMC is committed to achieving excellence through cultural diversity. Terms of employment are in keeping with University of Nebraska and UNMC policy. UNMC is an equal opportunity employer.