SEARCH CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

THE ORGANIZATION

The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), also known as the University of Massachusetts Worcester (UMass Worcester), is co-located with our clinical partner UMass Memorial Health Care, Inc. (UMMHC), forming the  academic health sciences campus of the University of Massachusetts.   UMMS is one of the fastest growing academic health sciences centers in the country.  In addition to the Graduate School of Nursing (GSN), the campus is home to the School of Medicine (SOM) – the Commonwealth’s only public medical school, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS), and thriving biomedical research and business enterprises consisting of Mass Biologics and Commonwealth Medicine.  Together, these entities constitute a preeminent academic health sciences center that serves patients and populations statewide and beyond.

UMMS is part of the 5 campus University of Massachusetts System.   All 5 campuses have nursing programs, including UMass Amherst, UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth, and UMass Lowell. The UMMS Graduate School of Nursing (GSN) is unique because it is the only program that focuses exclusively on graduate nursing education and is located within an academic health sciences center.

UMMS brings together an extraordinary and uniquely collaborative community of faculty, students and staff to provide state-of-the-art education, conduct groundbreaking research and take the lead in public health service initiatives in Massachusetts and around the globe. Learners benefit from studying at an institution at the forefront of scientific advancement, one that attracts close to $250 million in research funding annually and that consistently produces ground-breaking advances in basic and clinical research.

In 2008, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts enacted a 10-year, $1 billion Massachusetts Life Sciences Bill that placed our institution in a pivotal role for expanding and enhancing research, discovery, development and education in Massachusetts, most notably through the construction of the Albert Sherman Center (ASC) which was completed in 2014. The 512,000 square foot, state-of-the-art research and education facility has greatly expanded our research capacity and created an ideal learning environment for our collective student body, promoting a culture of inter-professional and inter-disciplinary partnerships, education and practice. Student Learning Communities of the SOM and GSN are co-located in the ASC, as well as our 24,000 sq. foot Inter-professional Center for Experiential Learning and Simulation (iCELS) and a nationally renowned standardized patient education and training program.

The University of Massachusetts Medical School and UMass Memorial Health Care System, together the largest employer in the region, take seriously our mission to identify and attract leaders and staff at all levels of the organization who bring diversity to the workforce.  The organizations have made it a key priority to recruit and retain diverse talent to enhance the missions of patient care, education and research.

University of Massachusetts Worcester, Graduate School of Nursing
The mission of the Graduate School of Nursing (GSN) is to prepare practice-focused and research-focused doctorally prepared nurses and nursing leaders to improve the quality of life and health outcomes for the Commonwealth and beyond. The GSN is distinctive as the only publicly funded nursing school in the Commonwealth with a sole focus on graduate nursing education. It is also one of the few nursing schools in New England integrated within an academic health sciences center, sharing campus resources and facilities with UMass Memorial Medical Center, and located on the main campus of UMMHC.

Consistent with our public mission, the GSN curriculum focuses on care to the underserved. This training is accomplished in large part through close partnerships with UMMHC and Commonwealth Medicine, the consulting branch of UMMS founded to help state agencies and health care organizations enhance the value, access and delivery of care and services for at-risk populations. The GSN’s distinct focus and location generate many opportunities for inter-professional graduate education, research and practice. These integrated training opportunities create a pipeline of graduates that are well prepared to succeed in a variety of clinical and/or academic settings.

The Graduate School of Nursing offers several pathways for graduate education, including Master’s degrees, Post-Master’s Certificates and Doctoral degrees (PhD and DNP). By design, the GSN maintains a student population of approximately 150-200 graduate students enrolled in these programs.  

• The Graduate Entry Pathway (GEP) provides the opportunity for individuals with non-nursing degrees to pursue a career as a nurse with a concentration in population health or as advanced practice nurses (Adult-Geriatric -Primary Care Nurse Practitioner; Family Nurse Practitioner or Adult-Geriatric –Acute Care Nurse Practitioner).
• The Nurse Educator program prepares graduates to develop contemporary educational programs in the hospital or academic setting.
• The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program prepares advanced practice nurses for clinical practice and nurse administrator roles.
• The PhD program prepares nurse scientists and educators for academic careers.

On May 28, 2015, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) announced that the Doctor of Nursing Practice and Post-graduate APRN Certificate Programs  have received the maximum  accreditation for ten years from September 22, 2014-June 30, 2025.  The CCNE Board determined that the both programs met all four accreditation standards and noted no compliance concerns with respect to the key elements.  The Master of Science Degree in Nursing Program has ten year accreditation from 2010-2020.  The program met all four accreditation standards and no compliance concerns with respect to the key elements were noted.  The mid-cycle report for this program was submitted to CCNE on June 1, 2015.

GSN graduates are heavily recruited as clinical providers in the acute and primary care settings, and as faculty for all levels of nursing education. Doctoral graduates hold faculty, research and high level nursing executive positions locally and nationally.  Our graduates consistently earn NCLEX and certification pass rates between 90-100%, and secure employment at rates close to 100%.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The GSN seeks a Dean who will embrace the unique and inviting aspects of this Graduate School of Nursing and academic health sciences campus.  The distinctive aspects of the UMass Worcester GSN include:

• Outstanding programs to train advanced practice nurses and nurse scientists
• Strong inter-professional education and training collaborations within UMMS
• Close working relationships with our clinical partner, UMMHC, and the greater Worcester community
• Engagement  at the forefront of nursing research as it relates to clinical and translational science
•  Faculty and student partnerships with medically underserved and vulnerable communities locally and globally, as well as with state entities through Commonwealth Medicine.   

The Dean of the Graduate School of Nursing serves as the chief academic and administrative officer for the school at the University of Massachusetts Worcester, reporting directly to the Provost of the campus.  The Dean administers the overall operation and implementation of the activities of the school and has the responsibility and authority for planning the budget and allocating resources in accordance with organizational policies and procedures.

The Dean is a visionary who provides leadership in fostering a climate in which faculty engage in the tripartite mission in a manner appropriate to a University that values the integration of teaching, research and clinical care/ clinical service for the benefit of graduate nursing students as well as the citizens of Massachusetts and beyond.

Goals and Expectations

In the first two years, the Dean of the Graduate School of Nursing will be expected to show progress in the following areas:

• Strategic Planning:  prepare a plan for the GSN that advances all mission areas and that is in alignment with “UMass 2020," the UMMS/UMMHC Academic Health Sciences Center Joint Strategic Plan (2014-2020), with special emphasis on Inter-professional Education
• Financial & Operational Planning:  ensure fiscal stability and seek operational economies of scale with the SOM and GSBS
• Leadership:   establish relationships with department chairs, directors of programs, centers and institutes, administrative leaders of UMMHC as well as faculty leaders in key research and clinical areas.  Be visible and approachable and knowledgeable of all that UMass Worcester has to offer
• Faculty Recruitment:  identify and hire outstanding faculty as needed to sustain key educational programs in areas where vacancies are present.

Principal Responsibilities

The Dean of the Graduate School of Nursing will have the following responsibilities:

• Leadership
• Chart the strategic vision, mission and goals of the GSN to align and connect with those of UMMS and UMMHC
• Support the continuous engagement, growth and development of faculty, staff, students and alumnae
• Set the standard for academic excellence through participatory leadership in teaching, and/or research & scholarship, and/or clinical service
• Lead the creation of benchmarks and standards within the GSN and ensure ongoing program evaluation based on such benchmarks
• Support innovation in development of curricula and programs
• Represent the GSN with a persuasive voice for nursing in a wide variety of campus, university, and professional milieu
• Provide Dean level review and recommendation regarding faculty personnel decisions of appointment, promotion, tenure and compensation
• Lead with vision, purpose, and optimism to create an inclusive, culturally and linguistically responsive, learning environment.
• Administrative
• Provide sound fiscal management of the school
• Demonstrate transparency in matters of finance and communication of decision making with faculty and staff
• Develop strategic relationships to help broaden the fiscal support base of the GSN, e.g., state, federal and private sources, grants, etc.
• Collaborate with the UMMS Development Office to maximize philanthropic support for the GSN.
• Relationship Building
• Advance the image of the school and the profession at state, national and international levels
• Represent academic nursing internally and externally
• Establish relationships with academic colleagues and promote collaborative endeavors with other academic partners
• Promote excellence and enhance the environment of the school and the university by fostering recruitment and retention of diverse faculty, staff and students
• Garner recognition and support for the school through visibility and participation in campus and university affairs.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

The applicant must be a registered nurse (RN) with a graduate degree in nursing and hold a doctoral degree.   S/he must demonstrate scholarly distinction appropriate for the rank of Professor at UMMS.  Contributory experience in nursing leadership, education, and clinical service is required.  Appreciation of and support of scientific inquiry is expected commensurate with that expected at a research intensive university. 

Basic qualifications include:

• Registered Nurse in the Commonwealth of MA (or eligible)
• Earned Doctoral degree
• Senior level administrative experience in academic, community and/or public health service sectors (hospital/clinical setting).

A successful candidate will have:

• Strong academic credentials and significant academic administrative experience within a graduate-level nursing program in a university environment (research university preferred)
• Demonstrated skills in:
• financial management, budgetary oversight and operational leadership
• organizational, interpersonal, and networking skills with large groups and individuals building, motivating and managing a strong team
• initiating, sustaining and building relationships across traditional clinical and research disciplines, across departmental and school lines, as well as across institutions and entities
• culturally competent leadership that advances diversity and inclusion
• Ability to effectively present information to internal and external groups and audiences
• Demonstrated track record of inter-professional collaboration.

*PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDACY

Eligible candidates should forward a letter of interest and curriculum vitae to Academic Jobs Online (https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/5631) for the UMass Worcester Graduate School of Nursing.  Questions may be addressed to Associate Vice Chancellor, Ms. Patti Onorato, RN, ANP, MS or by calling 508-793-1266.