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The University of Massachusetts Medical School, the state’s first and only public medical school, was founded to provide affordable, quality medical education to state residents and to increase the number of primary care physicians practicing in underserved areas of the state. Their mission is to advance the health and well-being of the people of the Commonwealth and the world through pioneering developments in education, research, and health care delivery with their clinical partner, UMass Memorial Health Care. Its network of clinical care includes community-based physician practices, home health, hospice, rehabilitation, and behavioral health services. Over the last two decades, UMMS has drawn international acclaim as a research institution with a significant and dynamic capability in translational medicine, as recognized by its receipt of a prestigious, NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Sciences Award (CTSA). UMMS researchers are at the epicenter of the development of RNAi – the breakthrough identified by Science magazine as one of the top discoveries of the past decade and the awarding of the Nobel Prize to Dr. Craig Mello in 2006.

A local, regional and statewide health resource, UMMS shares its campus with the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Graduate School of Nursing. Beyond fulfilling its core missions of health sciences education and public service, UMMS is home to a thriving biomedical research enterprise. Federal and private research grants and contracts reached more than $240 million in fiscal year 2010, making UMMS one of the fastest-growing research institutions in the country.

Since accepting its first class in 1970, UMMS has provided students with an accessible, comprehensive and personally rewarding education, preparing them to excel as caring, competent, productive physicians in their chosen career. Accepting approximately 125 students a year, most residents of Massachusetts, UMMS has prided itself on creating a warm, collaborative environment where faculty and administrators are open to new and creative ways of serving the students and the state.

The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) School of Medicine invites applications and nominations for the position of Associate Dean for Student Affairs(ADSA).  Reporting to the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs will be expected to bring strategic vision, a commitment to student success, and strong management skills to play a major leadership role in this highly regarded public institution. The position requires a leader who will serve as a role model, bringing the ideals of medicine to the students, with a proven track record of leadership in student affairs, an understanding of the particular challenges facing medical students, and outstanding communication and organizational skills.

The Associate Dean for Student Affairs serves at a variety of interfaces between the school administration and the students. Through ongoing communication with the Learning Community mentors, the faculty, and, above all, the students, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs provides a number of critical services for the UMMS community.

• Medical Student Performance Evaluation – The MPSEs, or Dean’s Letters, are one of the more important contact points between a medical student and the Office of Student Affairs. Working within the AAMC guidelines, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs is responsible for communicating to residency programs all of a student’s assets and abilities demonstrated over four years of medical school. These letters require not only knowledge of each student in the program, but of the unique and specific challenges of the curriculum.
• Policy and Procedure – The Office of Student Affairs is responsible for producing the Student Handbook and serves as a school-wide resource and arbiter for questions on policies and procedures. Additionally, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs sits on the both the Clinical Science and Basic Science academic progress boards and is expected to be an authority on the school’s regulations regarding advancement or dismissal.
• Student Advocacy – In addition to serving as the student’s voice on the progress boards, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs also acts as an advocate for students to a variety of internal and external constituents.
• Communicating Academic Progress – The ADSA plays a crucial role in helping students understand their movement through the UMMS program. Through regular orientation sessions and a variety of communications from the Office of Student Affairs, the ADSA is responsible for conveying to students their requirements for successful academic progress. 

The ADSA also receives support from, and is responsible for the management of the Office of Student Affairs staff that includes an Administrator for Student Affairs/Director of Student Services; and an Editor, who also serves as Administrator for Evaluation Boards and Special Projects. 

In this role as Associate Dean for Student Affairs, this individual will be involved with:

• Student advocacy; creating, disseminating and implementing institutional policies and procedures
• Representing the institution and the profession to students
• Advising and counseling students as well as serving as a role model to students
• This position will create an opportunity to both build upon the reputation that has been established for this Office, as well as address the other emerging challenges in student affairs at UMMS and nationally
• Advocate for students to both internal and external constituencies. With a unique insight into each student and the challenges that may arise, the ADSA is expected to provide the student perspective to faculty and UMMS review boards. In clinical settings the ADSA will also ensure that students are treated with respect and their academic needs are being met
• Assist in the process of matching students with their desired and clinical residencies. For those students anticipating a career in clinical medicine, attaining the residency of their choice is often the culmination of their medical school experience.
• Play a key role in helping to prepare students so that they feel confident that they will be selected by their desired institution or program. By using his or her knowledge of the student and of the specialty into which the student plans to enter
• Being a resource to help students select the appropriate institutions at which they would likely be “matched”, write letters of support for the students, and advocate for their selection in their desired program
• Oversight and Management of the Integrated Learning Communities program. Working with Learning Community Mentors and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education, the new ADSA will be involved in a review of, as well as establishing priorities and new initiatives for the Learning Community Program. This will also entail working to more fully integrate the role of Learning Communities mentors in student professional development and help the Learning Community mentors attain a more consistent level of support to better address student needs
• Proactively address issues around student wellness, including work-life balance, mental health, and stress management. There are a variety of resources on campus to ensure that students are as healthy and happy outside of class as they are successful inside the classroom. In concert with other providers of these services, and student-driven initiatives, the successful candidate will work to marshal available resources to address student health and wellness by creating a coordinated program. It is anticipated that this resource will become a proactive one, rather than just available when a student is confronted with a problem
• Enhance diversity and address the needs of a more diverse student body. Though most/all traditional UMMS students are residents of the State of Massachusetts, increasingly they are coming from a widening array of undergraduate education experiences and socio-economic backgrounds. The Medical School has an ambitious plan to continue this trend through outreach to undergraduate institutions throughout the state and the ADSA will play an active role in their transitions to the rigors of a medical education. As diversity increases, a broader array of support services will likely be necessary
• Manage student data and information so that it is accessible and actionable for other campus partners. Currently, the Office of Student Affairs manages its own database of student information that is used within the Office for tracking student progress and for writing the MSPEs. However, there is a strong desire that this database be converted into a shared entity from which other offices may extract or input student information when necessary. The successful leader will be able to balance the flow of information that comes into the Office of Student Affairs with the need to share timely information with a range of other constituent offices, such as Financial Aid, Registrar, Academic Support, and Mental Health Services
• Serve as a resource for faculty and students to answer questions and solve unique problems. The Office of Student Affairs at UMMS has evolved into a reliable point of contact for students, faculty and staff. The new Associate Dean for Student Affairs will be expected to know students personally and provide support, guidance, and encouragement when needed. The next ADSA should be able to continue this function by providing a welcoming and safe space for students to air concerns, as well as to provide timely and accurate responses to faculty and staff questions

The ideal candidate will possess most, if not all, of the following:

• 5 years of experience working in a medical school student affairs environment, or equivalent role that requires close contact with medical students as learners, trainees, advisees, or other related student affairs-related functions
• Progressive leadership responsibilities and advancement in an appointed leadership role in medical education
• A completed terminal degree, preferably an MD/DO; PhD considered
• Demonstrated ability to manage staff and execute programs
• Outstanding communication skills to represent UMMS to external audiences, including potential partners
• An understanding of the future of medicine and medical education that will help UMMS become a leader in preparing students for practice
• A vision for how an Office of Student Affairs can advance the goals and stature of a school of medicine
• An orientation towards listening to student concerns and advocating on their behalf
• Outstanding organizational skills to manage a busy office during times of increased needs, such as the preparation of the MSPEs 
• Technological savvy to manage and augment a vast student database
• Adept relationship building; the ability to work collaboratively within the Worcester campus and to connect with all members of the UMass community; a tendency to be inclusive rather than exclusive 
• A personal commitment to and the requisite skills to advance diversity
• Demonstrated trustworthiness, integrity, and exceptional character
• A UMMS faculty appointment is required and will be awarded commensurate with applicant qualifications

PLEASE DO NOT APPLY VIA THE UMMS CAREER WEBSITE - Please ONLY apply to this position via the link below via Academic Jobs Online: 

https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/5169