Dental Hygiene Program Director

Summary:

The Program Director of Dental Hygiene serves as the chief academic leader and administrator of the program. Responsible for the program’s curriculum and instruction and the overall operations, the Program Director assures that qualified faculty and staff are hired, developed, and managed to properly carry out the teaching, patient care, research, and service components of the program. The Program Director works closely with faculty to promote continuous improvement of program effectiveness and to achieve the program goals and student outcomes. The Program Director also manages the programmatic accreditation process and ensures that CODA accreditation is obtained and maintained.

Key Functions and Responsibilities:

Curriculum and Instruction

Leads the efforts to ensure that the curriculum for the Dental Hygiene program is properly developed, and appropriate for achieving the program goals and outcomes.

Manages an ongoing process and related practices for curriculum development, review, evaluation, updates, and revisions.

Develops and maintains a Curriculum Management Plan to ensure that input from faculty, students, and industry professionals is obtained to maintain the effectiveness and currency of the program curriculum.

Applies a consistent process to textbook selection and changes.

Assures that the delivery of the curriculum is effective and efficient.

Faculty and Staff

Hires qualified faculty members through active recruitment, effective interviews, and careful selection.

Organizes and manages various training and development activities to enable faculty members to teach effectively.

Manages faculty and staff to ensure that they hold the ethical and professional standards of the Dental Hygienist occupation and model for their students.

Budgets appropriate funds to ensure that goals in individual faculty development plans are achieved through internal and external learning opportunities.

Assures faculty members receive not only training in instructional methods but also continuing education in their teaching discipline.

Involves faculty members in developing and updating program policies and procedures and in the processes of program effectiveness planning and evaluation.

Conducts classroom observations, regular evaluations, and annual performance appraisals of faculty and staff for growth and development.

Student Affairs

Adheres to the established admissions standards and procedures to assure the integrity of the admissions process.

Ensures that only qualified students are admitted into the program by interviewing every applicant, chairing the Dental Hygiene Admissions Committee, and conducting comprehensive assessments for final recommendation.

Communicates program policies, procedures, and expectations in didactic and clinical settings to all students enrolled in the Dental Hygiene program.

Provides student advising on academic, behavioral, and other school-related matters so that they can make satisfactory progress toward their educational and professional goals.

Program Administration

Ensures that the goals and competencies of the Dental Hygiene program are properly established and periodically reviewed for continued appropriateness.

Implements a program effectiveness planning and evaluation process to pursue continuous improvement.

Develops and updates program policies, procedures, and operational manuals to ensure that the program meets all regulatory and accreditation standards.

Creates current and long-range academic schedules to ensure that adequate staffing, sufficient facility and equipment, and other learning resources are budgeted proactively to support quality education in the program.

Reviews, analyzes, and reports program outcomes to assess strengths, weaknesses, and enhancement opportunities.

Organizes Program Advisory Committee activities to seek input from industry professionals in the local community on the program curriculum, effectiveness, and performances of graduates.

Promotes the program in the local community by organizing community services carried out by students and faculty and by participating in various professional and business events.

Models for faculty, staff, and students in life-long learning, continuing education, and professional development.

Programmatic Accreditation

Leads efforts in obtaining and maintaining Dental Hygiene programmatic accreditation by CODA for quality and excellence.

Remains well-informed of current and revised CODA standards and evaluation practices.

Ensures that the curriculum of the program and all other operational policies, procedures, processes, and practices are in full compliance with CODA standards as well as the standards of the institutional accrediting body.

Ensures that the program outcomes meet and exceed the outcome requirements of both programmatic and institutional accrediting bodies.

Position Requirements:

Education:

· Dental hygienist who is a graduate of a program accredited by CODA and possesses a master or higher degree.

· Or a licensed Dentist who has experience working in a Dental Hygiene program.

Professional:

· Must have a current state Dental Hygiene or Dental License

· Must have current CPR certification for healthcare providers.

· Excellent in oral and written communication and critical thinking

· Teaching and/or management experience in a dental program.

· Documentation of course background in educational methodology