Job description

The College of Our Lady of the Elms (Elms College) seeks its next Dean of the School of Nursing. The Dean will provide strateg¡c direction and oversight of academic programs, faculty, accreditation and compliance, student outcomes, operational effectiveness, and external partnerships. As Dean of the School of Nursing (SON), the position ensures the strength of all academic programs within the School. The Dean monitors trends in nursing education, participates in scholarship, and ensures adherence to federal, state and accreditation regulations. In addition, the Dean oversees the hiring and development of a diverse faculty, the assignment of faculty workloads, and the management of resources allocated to the School. The Dean reports directly to the vice president for academic affairs and works collaboratively with other deans and department heads under the VPAA’s leadership.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and support for teaching and learning of the highest quality and excellence, and promoting a high-quality learning environment for diverse students.
• Maintain the quality of the School and provides visionary leadership in the development of new programs.
• Work with the VPAA, and other institutional leaders to set annual goals for the SON aligned with the institution’s goals and mission; implements the College’s strategic initiatives directly related to the School, integrating benchmarking and assessment into ongoing planning and vision.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and accrediting bodies for nursing programs (CCNE, MA BORN, NONPF); Develop and maintain a systematic evaluation plan to ensure congruence with national standards, professional guidelines, or expected competencies and to evaluate program outcomes.
• Serve as the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (Board) Program Administrator for the Elms College Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing.
• Committed to the College’s Mission and Core Values, and to promoting, supporting, and extending the mission’s values of inclusion, access, and diversity.
• Possess leadership experience overseeing faculty, academic programs, curriculum, and accreditation and compliance.
• Ability to oversee the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty, staff, and students.
• Promote and support faculty teaching effectiveness, scholarship, research, and service.
• Ensure that faculty and staff work to implement student recruiting and retention plans.
• Responsible for all aspects of the SON operating and capital budget, consistent with the College’s financial guideline; recommends priorities to the vice president for academic affairs, and oversees expenditures during the budget year.
• Play a critical role in representing the college and the SON to external constituents-regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Qualifications:

• An earned doctorate; and a record of academic achievement in a discipline meriting appointment as a tenured Associate or Full Professor of Nursing.
• Minimum of five years of progressive academic or administrative experience and leadership in a division or School of Nursing; teaching experience complemented by a scholarly record.
• Understanding of the instructional, research, and creative needs of undergraduate and graduate programs of nursing.
• Demonstrated success in obtaining federal, state, and/or private grants.
• Experience with budget management, faculty and staff development, and promoting college and community relations.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, students, and the broader educational and professional communities, including health service providers and community-based organizations.

Standards of performance:

• Leadership and management.
• Sound judgement and decision making.
• Collaboration with senior management, staff, faculty, division heads, and students.
• Ability to meet deadlines.
• Appropriate stewardship of the School of Nursing’s financial and administrative resources.
• Effective representation of Elms College.

Work Location:

This is an on-campus position as employees are essential in order to provide a residential college experience for our students and the community.

Compensation: The expected 12-month base salary range for the Dean of the School of Nursing is S145,000- $155,000. The actual pay offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as, but not limited to, candidate qualifications and prior experience, scope of responsibilities, internal equity, and market considerations.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Use of general office equipment in an office setting. Requires an equal amount of standing, sitting, walking, bending, stooping, reaching, and climbing multiple levels of stairs, light lifting, near vision and manual dexterity to perform essential job functions. Requires the ability to travel between buildings on campus with exposure to inclement weather conditions.
• May require driving or traveling to locations in the local and outside the local area on official college business.
• A background check will be conducted upon hire and on a routine basis thereafter. Valid driver’s license and good driving record required.

Elms College (also known as College of Our Lady of the Elms), a private, Catholic, co-educational liberal arts institution in Chicopee, Massachusetts, was founded in 1928 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield. The institution offers Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctor of Nursing practice degrees. Dedicated to non-discriminatory educational practices, the College aims to eliminate barriers to equal access and treatment for its community. Elms College provides rigorous academic challenges and fosters a supportive community for students to thrive. Graduates leave Elms College richer, rooted in faith, educated, compassionate, responsive to civic and social obligations, and capable of adjusting to change without compromising principle.
Elms College’s mission embodies the charism of the founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph, including embracing “the love of neighbor without distinction” and whose Catholic heritage guides our intellectual, social, educational, and community endeavors.
Elms College is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.

Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the U.S.. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

How to apply

Applications include 1.) a letter of interest that shares a philosophy of teaching and leadership, and demonstrates a commitment to non-discrimination, inclusion, and the mission of the College, 2.) a full resume/CV, and 3.) contact information for five professional references, submitted in separate documents, via email to: Cheryl Smith, Director of Human Resources, at [email protected]. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made in January 2027. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications be submitted before October 1, 2026.