Assistant or Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Education – Doctor of Physical Therapy (Tenure Track)

Position Details

Position Summary

Northwest University - School of Physical Therapy seeks an Assistant or Associate Professor to serve as the Director of Clinical Education (DCE). The School of Physical Therapy is in the application process for accreditation and anticipates matriculating its first class in July of 2024, pending approval for Candidacy at the Spring 2024 CAPTE meeting. The program is built to be a hybrid DPT program with didactic content delivered through synchronous and asynchronous methods and immersive labs in the Seattle, Washington area. This accelerated (2-year) program has dual degree courses to provide graduates with future opportunities toward a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or an Educational Doctorate (EdD). 

This position will serve in a dual capacity as a core faculty member and as the DCE, which will collaborate with all members of the program faculty and staff. The successful candidate will help the program assess, recruit, and retain clinical internship locations and clinical instructors, course, and curriculum sequencing to align CAPTE standards and provide general leadership and oversight of the clinical internships. This includes clinical rotation scheduling, coordination, and data collection to contribute to the program's self-study element of accreditation maintenance. The DCE must track and supervise clinical internship experience, the setting, and specific patient encounters required to schedule a student during the clinicals. The DCE is a core faculty member reporting to the Dean of the DPT program.

The DCE holds a faculty appointment and has administrative, academic, university service, and scholarship responsibilities consistent with the academic program's and university's mission and philosophy. This individual demonstrates competence in clinical education, teaching, and curriculum development. In addition, the DCE's primary responsibilities are to plan, coordinate, facilitate, administer, and monitor activities on behalf of the academic program and in coordination with academic and clinical faculty. These activities include but are not limited to the following:

1. Developing, monitoring, and refining the clinical education component of the curriculum,
2. Facilitating quality learning experiences for students during clinical education,
3. Evaluating students' performance, in cooperation with other faculty, to determine their ability to integrate didactic and clinical learning experiences and to progress within the curriculum,
4. Educating students, clinical and academic faculty about clinical education,
5. Selecting clinical learning environments that demonstrate characteristics of sound patient/client management, ethical and professional behavior, and currency with physical therapy practice,
6. Maximizing available resources for the clinical education program,
7. Providing documented records and assessment of the clinical education component (includes clinical education sites, clinical educators, etc.), and
8. Actively engaging core faculty in clinical education planning, implementation, and assessment.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Candidate must hold an active, unrestricted Physical Therapist license in any United States jurisdiction and be eligible for licensure in Washington (future). 
2. Earned terminal academic doctorate in a discipline appropriate for teaching responsibilities, OR Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (or tDPT) with ABPTS specialization or other specialized experience in a discipline appropriate for teaching responsibilities. 
3. Understanding higher education and contemporary clinical practice appropriate for physical therapy clinical education leadership.
4. Knowledge of legislative, regulatory, legal, and practice issues affecting clinical education, students, and the profession of physical therapy.
5. Currently active in clinical practice or extensive previous clinical experience, especially as applicable to clinical education.
6. Active in professional activities at local, state, and/or national levels.
7. Able to travel overnight or for extended periods to Seattle for lab and other areas for student events.
8. Candidate must have a demonstrated, vibrant evangelical faith compatible with the mission of Northwest University.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Candidate has previous Director of Clinical Education (DCE) experience.
2. Candidate has previous CAPTE accreditation experience. 
3. Candidate has previous distance education/hybrid experience.
4. Candidate has previous academic appointments in education.
5. Candidate has previous leadership experience in education.
6. Candidate has established relationships with area hospitals and local clinics to foster clinical rotation agreements.
7. Candidate has established relationships with national hospitals and clinics to foster clinical rotation agreements.
8. Candidate is willing to enroll in a doctoral program related to the area of instruction (if applicable).

The faculty member must possess a meaningful commitment to Jesus Christ, the church, and the Gospel. Candidates with previous academic experience, including clinical education or teaching, are preferred. Members of underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply, along with candidates with experience mentoring diverse students, including those from underrepresented backgrounds.

Application review will be conducted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Compensation

Dependent on education and experience, based on the established faculty salary schedule.

Application Requirements

If you are interested in this position, please submit the following:

1. Letter of interest addressing the above-stated qualities and qualifications sought by the University.
2. Current curriculum vitae, including a list of courses taught (if any) and experience in distance education/hybrid education.
3. A list of three professional references with e-mail and phone contact information. The candidate will be notified prior to references being contacted.
4. A teaching philosophy statement that explains how the candidate's Christian faith shapes his or her approach to the field of physical therapy.
5. A brief narrative describing the candidate's personal Christian faith, practice, and current local church affiliation.

Applications in confidence may be submitted by e-mail to:

Dr. Matthew Vraa, PT, DPT, DSc, MBA, PhD(c)
Northwest University Dean of the School of Physical Therapy
matthew.vraa@northwestu.edu

General Application Information

Candidates must adhere to Northwest University's Evangelical Christian tradition, respect the Northwest University Statement of Faith, and agree to advocate nothing contrary to the Bible, this statement of faith, or the stated purposes of Northwest University. Faculty must also adhere to the policies outlined in the Faculty Handbook. Northwest University conducts background checks on all final candidates.

Search procedures will be closed, when a sufficient number of qualified applicants have been identified. Applicants are urged to provide sufficient information, so that the application file may be considered complete at the end of the search period.

Northwest University

Northwest University is a Christian coeducational undergraduate and graduate institution, related to the Assemblies of God, offering baccalaureate and master's, and doctoral level education. The sixty-acre campus is located in Kirkland, Washington, just ten miles from downtown Seattle. The campus is an ideal setting for study, recreation, and inspiration and is centrally located and convenient to industry, business, and commercial activities.

Mission Statement

We, the people of Northwest University, carry the call of God by continually building a learning community dedicated to spiritual vitality, academic excellence, and empowered engagement with human need.

In addition, all faculty members at Northwest University must subscribe to our Statement of Faith.

Accreditation

Northwest University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (regional). The University is endorsed by the Commission on Christian Higher Education of the Assemblies of God and the Association of Christian Schools International. The University holds membership in the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities.

Northwest University's College of Business is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The Buntain College of Nursing’s baccalaureate degree is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. In addition, the College of Nursing has received approval from the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission. The University is also approved by the Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Washington to prepare elementary and secondary education teachers and recommend for certification. It is a member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Northwest University's doctoral program in counseling psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

The University is approved by the Federal and State Governments for student aid programs and for the training of international students. Selected programs of study are approved by a Washington State Approving Agency for enrollment of those eligible for benefits under Title 38 and Title 10, U.S. Code and by Washington State for training in Vocational Rehabilitation. It is listed in the current bulletin, "Accredited Higher Education Institutions," published by the U.S. Office of Education.

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