Founding Program Director and Faculty, Physician Assistant/Associate Studies

Job Description

Job Description

The opportunity

Beloit College invites applications for a founding Program Director for its new Master of Science in Physician Assistant/Associate (PA) Studies program. This is an opportunity to build a program from the ground up, and to shape its identity, curriculum, and culture at a liberal arts institution that genuinely values faculty expertise and intellectual vision.

The founding director will have significant latitude to develop a program that is both rigorously ARC-PA-compliant and distinctively Beloit. We are seeking a physician assistant leader who understands that PA education at its best prepares clinicians who are not only technically excellent but broadly educated, ethically grounded, and committed to serving communities in need.

The program's animating commitments include: attention to the primary care and health-workforce needs of south-central Wisconsin and the broader region; interprofessional and interdisciplinary education, consistent with Beloit's institution-wide pedagogical identity; community-based clinical partnerships and experiential learning as core program features; and a commitment to serving diverse communities.

About Beloit College

Beloit College is a selective liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Nationally recognized for intellectual rigor and innovation, Beloit was ranked #18 among the nation's most innovative schools by U.S. News & World Report in 2026. Its graduates are known for their capacity to think across disciplines, engage with complexity, and connect knowledge to real-world impact.

The School of Health Sciences, established in 2023, reflects Beloit's commitment to preparing health professionals who are not only clinically excellent but broadly educated and community-minded. Interdisciplinary collaboration, experiential learning, and community-based practice are foundational to everything we do. The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies will pursue accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), joining the School's growing portfolio of graduate programs.

Role and Responsibilities

The Program Director is the physician assistant faculty leader responsible for the organization, administration, and continuous review and improvement of the PA program, as required under the ARC-PA Accreditation Standards for PA Education, Sixth Edition. This is a full-time, 12-month position, hired at 1.0 FTE, with at least 50% of that time devoted to administrative responsibilities for the program. The Program Director reports to the Director of the School of Health Sciences.

Duties include but are not limited to:

Program Development and ARC-PA Accreditation

• Lead all aspects of the ARC-PA provisional and ongoing accreditation process, including the self-study, application, and site visit, and ongoing compliance with the Sixth Edition Standards
• Maintain compliance with ARC-PA standards and establish continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop and implement the program mission and learning outcomes, curriculum, program policies, student assessment and evaluation systems, and a comprehensive self-assessment and program evaluation plan
• Establish and cultivate clinical site partnerships across the region to ensure sufficient, high quality supervised clinical practice experiences
• Pursue state authorization and institutional approvals in coordination with institutional leadership and campus governance structures
• Support student recruitment and admissions, especially for the first cohorts
• Assist Communications and Marketing with the development and maintenance of high-quality, accurate internet content for the program's web site
• Recommend instructional resources, including equipment, software, periodicals and textbooks to support instruction and learning

Faculty and Program Leadership

• Recruit, hire, onboard, mentor, and evaluate principal faculty and staff, and coordinate with the Medical Director
• Provide program leadership through effective program organization, administration, communication, fiscal management, and continuous review and analysis
• Develop the student handbook, clinical handbook, and other program policies and infrastructure from the ground up
• Oversee student advising, assessment, progression, and remediation consistent with professional and ethical standards
• Develop admissions policies and procedures consistent with Beloit's mission and core values as well current PA educational practices.
• Evaluate faculty performance and provide adequate support for faculty development.

Service and Scholarship

• Establish an active, sustained program of scholarship in PA education, clinical practice, health workforce development or other area, including dissemination of scholarly work through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, or funded research.
• Serve on School of Health Sciences and college-wide committees and participate actively in shared governance.
• Mentor junior faculty and support their professional and scholarly development
• Provide service to the profession through leadership, peer review, or volunteer roles with state or national PA organizations

Community, Institutional Engagement, and Teaching

• Build and sustain relationships with clinical partners, preceptors, and community organizations
• Collaborate with faculty across the School of Health Sciences and the broader College to advance interprofessional programming
• Represent the program in professional state and national PA organizations and within the institution
• Teach in areas of professional expertise as needed by the program
• Assist College leadership with securing external funding for program support

Required Qualifications

Candidates must meet the ARC-PA program director requirements under the Accreditation Standards for PA Education, Sixth Edition. Specifically, the successful candidate must:

• Be a physician assistant who holds at least a Master's degree and current or emeritus NCCPA certification status
• Hold current licensure, or be eligible for licensure, as a physician assistant in Wisconsin
• Have at least three years of full-time higher education experience at the time of appointment
• Be able to hold an academic appointment and privileges comparable to other faculty with similar responsibilities within the institution
• Be available to serve at 1.0 FTE on a 12-month, full-time basis, with at least 50% of that time devoted to administrative responsibilities

Beyond ARC-PA requirements, Beloit College requires:

• Demonstrated leadership, administrative, and organizational skills, including budgeting and personnel management
• Demonstrated commitment to serving diverse communities
• Capacity to function effectively in a startup environment: the program does not yet exist, and the Director will build its infrastructure from the ground up

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral degree
• Experience founding, directing, or leading accreditation for a PA program, including direct involvement in ARC-PA processes
• Prior PA program administrative experience (program director, associate/assistant director, or academic/clinical coordinator)
• Experience with primary care, rural health, or health disparities
• Background in interprofessional education or community-based training models
• Scholarly activity aligned with the program's mission

Appointment and Compensation

This is a full-time, 12-month administrative faculty position hired at 1.0 FTE, with at least 50% of that time devoted to program administration. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Per ARC-PA Standard D1.01(a), the Program Director must be hired on a permanent basis at least 15 months prior to the first day of the scheduled accreditation site visit; the anticipated start date is June 1, 2027.

Application Materials

Applicants should submit the following materials through Beloit College's online application system:

• Cover letter addressing qualifications and vision for the program
• Current curriculum vitae, including administrative, teaching, and clinical experience
• Leadership statement (2–3 pages) describing experience with program development, accreditation, and faculty leadership
• Teaching philosophy statement
• Names and contact information for three professional references (references will not be contacted without candidate permission)

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. We strongly encourage applications from candidates whose backgrounds, identities, and experiences reflect the communities our program aspires to serve.

The intent of this job description is to provide the general nature and level of work required of employees who are assigned to this classification and shall not be construed as an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities. Employees may be instructed to perform job-related duties and responsibilities other than those specifically presented in this description.

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