Program Director, Master of Genetic Counseling

UT Southwestern School of Health Professions

Dallas, Texas

Job Description Summary:

This position offers a unique opportunity to lead the creation of a new Master's degree program in Genetic Counseling at The University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center located in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex. The program will be housed in the Department of Health Care Sciences (HCS) in the School of Health Professions (SHP).

The program will provide academic and clinical education capitalizing on strengths of existing relationships with UTSW School of Medicine, UTSW Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and an extensive network of providers in the DFW area including Southwestern Health Resources System, Texas Health Resources (THR) Health System, Children's Hospital, Parkland Hospital, and the active, collaborative community of genetic counselors in our region.

The Founding Program Director will have the primary responsibility to shape the Program's vision and curriculum, will lead and administer the program's application for accreditation candidacy, will be the primary liaison to the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC), and will be involved with hiring full-time additional faculty members and a dedicated staff.  The Program Director will be responsible for developing program activities contributing to the University's mission and strategic plan for teaching, research, scholarly contributions, and service.

The Program Director should possess qualifications to hold a faculty rank of Assistant Professor or higher however appointment rank will be commensurate with academic accomplishments and experience. This position is available immediately and applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Job Description:

• Provide strong and progressive leadership for the development of a new Master's level Genetic Counseling program.
• Initiate application for program candidacy with the accrediting body; receive and maintain accreditation in compliance with standards; serve as the primary contact for communication with the accrediting body regarding standards compliance and programmatic changes.
• Recruit and hire faculty and staff to support teaching, research, and service in the Master of Genetic Counseling (MCG) program; foster the development of collaborative educational and clinical research initiatives.
• Evaluate faculty and staff performance; prepare budget requests and effectively use allocated funds for the benefit of the program and its educational programs; prepare and submit reports as necessary to meet administrative and accreditation demands; provide long-term planning to ensure the programs fiscal stability; create and maintain an environment of diversity in the department and in the school.
• Develop, revise, and teach curriculum in the MGC program within standards for accreditation and the demands/changes of the profession including multi-cultural dimensions within the curriculum; foster advanced and innovative teaching methods; coaching and mentoring students; provide academic advising, as well as monitoring, evaluating, and remediating student performance.
• Provide service responsibilities as assigned within School of Health Professions (SHP) and University committees; promote the SHP and UTSW Medical Center mission and vision; participate in professional local/state/ and national committees and/or elected positions.
• Develop partnerships and connections with local and regional health systems Children’s Medical Center, Texas Health Resources, Parkland Health & Hospital System, regional educational institutions, and the DFW community; establish and maintain affiliation agreements required for clinical placement of program students; oversee coordination of clinical placements for those students; establish, maintain, and integrate an Advisory Board in compliance with accreditation standards.
• Develop a plan to recruit, interview, admit, and retain students.
• Other special projects and duties as assigned by the Department Chair.

Certification(s) and License(s):

• Board-certification in genetic counseling from the American Board of Genetic Counseling or the American Board of Medical Genetics (required)
• Genetic counseling state licensure in current clinical practice state(s), if applicable

Required Documents:

• Personal statement outlining why the applicant is interested in the position and suited for this role
• Current CV
• Documentation of degrees and ABGC certification
• Names and contact information for three individuals willing to provide a professional reference if contacted by our search committee

Preferred Documents:

• Examples of experience with program development, teaching activities, professional development

Employee Type:

Regular

Time Type:

Full time

Application Instructions:

https://jobs.utsouthwestern.edu/

Questions should be directed to SHPFacultyAffairs@utsouthwestern.edu

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. In accordance with federal and state law, the University prohibits unlawful discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of: race; color; religion; national origin; sex; including sexual harassment; age; disability; genetic information; citizenship status; and protected veteran status. In addition, it is UT Southwestern policy to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.  To learn more, please visit:  https://jobs.utsouthwestern.edu/why-work-here/diversity-inclusion/

Required Qualifications:

• A master's degree in the discipline of genetic counseling.
• A current certification in genetic counseling by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) or the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG);
• At least five years of experience as a certified genetic counselor, a minimum of three of which must be in a patient-facing role (clinic or research);
• Experience as the course instructor / instructor of record for at least six credit hours of post-secondary education, or agree to participate in instruction of courses upon hire;
• Completion of least 10 hours of training/coursework in curriculum design, assessment, evaluation, or principles of adult education within the last 10 years, or agree to pursue such training upon hire;
• Fieldwork supervision experience for at least five genetic counseling graduate students, for a minimum of 500 total contact hours in the last 10 years;
• Meet all other qualifications for the Program Director role as outlined in the Standards of Accreditation for Graduate Programs in Genetic Counseling;
• Record of scholarly activity, administrative experience, and strategic planning;
• Ability to manage human and fiscal resources;
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills;
• Ability to initiate and exercise independent judgment and decision-making and work comfortably with a diverse faculty, workforce, student body, and community partners.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree in a related discipline
• Experience administering a GC program at the Master's level
• Experience with the ACGC accreditation process
• Demonstrated record of leadership and scholarship in education, Genetic counseling, or related field
• Experience as an ACGC evaluation team member for on-site visits