Department Chair / Faculty - Associate Degree Nursing Program

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Austin Community College is a public two-year institution that serves a multicultural population of approximately 41,000 credit students each Fall and Spring semester.  We embrace our identity as a community college, as reflected in our mission statement.  We promote student success and community development by providing affordable access, through traditional and distance learning modes, to higher education and workforce training, including appropriate applied baccalaureate degrees, in our service area.

As a community college committed to our mission, we seek to recruit and retain a workforce that:

• Values intellectual curiosity and innovative teaching

• Is attracted by the college's mission to promote equitable access to educational opportunities

• Cares about student success and collaborates on strategies to facilitate success for populations including; first generation college students, low-income students, and students from underserved communities.

• Focused on student academic achievement and postgraduate outcomes

• Welcomes difference and models respectful interaction with others

• Engages with the community both within and outside of ACC

Job Posting Title:

Department Chair / Faculty, Associate Degree Nursing Program

Department-Specific Recruitment Details:

Provides academic, operational, and people leadership within the Professional Nursing Department across multiple campuses and program pathways, specifically the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program. Supports faculty and staff in delivering rigorous, accessible nursing education that advances student learning, safety, progression, completion, and preparation for professional practice.

The Department Chair builds trust through clear communication, fair and consistent expectations, meaningful consultation, and reliable follow-through. The position advocates for faculty, staff, students, and program resources while aligning departmental decisions with the priorities of the School of Nursing and Austin Community College.

Working with the Dean of Nursing, the Vocational Nursing Department Chair, the RN-to-BSN Department Chair, Assistant Department Chairs, faculty, staff, and College and healthcare partners, the Chair coordinates curriculum, faculty and staff development, scheduling, budget stewardship, clinical education, program outcomes, and continuous improvement. The Chair carries out assigned accreditation and regulatory responsibilities in coordination with the Dean of Nursing, who serves as the nurse administrator for the nursing education unit.

Job Description Summary:

In support of the college’s mission of student success and strategic vision of 70% completion, the faculty member who serves as department chair provides academic leadership that aligns with Academic Affairs objectives and the School Dean’s guidance, translating broad college goals into actionable department-level strategies. In consultation with the School Dean and in accordance with Academic Affairs’ priorities, the Chair is accountable for implementing, monitoring, and refining departmental activities that advance the college’s strategic goals.

The Chair provides administrative and curricular oversight, managing departmental operations to guarantee that instructional quality and student success reflect the standards of the college, division, and school. The Chair serves as the budget authority for the department; engages in external partnerships to align curriculum; represents the department on college councils, committees, and in college processes, as appropriate; uses collegial processes to facilitate departmental decision making and shared governance; and provides a collegewide instructional leadership environment conducive to student success.

Job Description:

Austin Community College's Professional Nursing Department prepares students to become safe, competent, compassionate registered nurses and baccalaureate graduates who are prepared to meet the evolving healthcare needs of Central Texas and beyond.

The ADN program provides rigorous classroom, simulation, laboratory, and clinical learning experiences and maintains strong partnerships with healthcare and community organizations throughout the region. The Department Chair serves a critical leadership role in maintaining the program's legacy of excellence while supporting innovation, workforce responsiveness, student success, and sustainable growth.

The Department Chair works collaboratively with the Dean of Nursing, the Vocational Nursing Department Chair, the RN-to-BSN Department Chair, Assistant Department Chairs, faculty, staff, students, and other internal College stakeholders, as well as external stakeholders, including clinical partners, healthcare organizations, regulatory and accrediting bodies, and community partners, to ensure the continued quality, effectiveness, alignment, and regulatory compliance of the Professional Nursing Program. 

Principal Responsibilities and Duties

Curriculum

• Provides leadership in developing, assessing, evaluating, and maintaining a curriculum that responds to community and labor market needs, prepares students for success, and meets the stated requirements of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and where appropriate, other accrediting bodies. 
• Ensures instructional programs maintain a high-quality curriculum at both the course and award level by empowering and supporting faculty to regularly review and update curriculum.  Ensures that learning outcomes reflect current standards and practices and, where appropriate, state or accrediting body expectations.  Provides administrative support for faculty leadership in this area and, as appropriate, works with external advisory boards, independent school districts, and/or transfer partners.
• Ensures curriculum is updated, developed and implemented in accordance with the College’s strategic plan and completion goals.  Ensures curricular compliance with regulatory requirements from the state, federal government, and accreditors and in alignment with college-wide processes.
• Leads curriculum development, assessment, and continuous improvement in collaboration with faculty, using program outcomes and stakeholder feedback to address student and workforce needs.
• Provides academic leadership to advance student learning, safety, progression, completion, and licensure success while maintaining rigorous academic, clinical, and professional standards.
• Collaborates with clinical and simulation leadership and external partners to strengthen instructional quality, clinical learning experiences, clinical placements, and nursing education pathways.
• Coordinates assigned accreditation, regulatory compliance, and academic reporting activities in collaboration with the Dean of Nursing as nurse administrator; maintains current knowledge of applicable requirements and ensures timely documentation and follow-through.
• Promotes continuous improvement in teaching and learning through systematic evaluation of student outcomes, instructional effectiveness, and program performance.

Leadership

• Ensures that departmental decision-making in support of the strategic plan and college policies and procedures is informed by college-wide and departmental data and reflects collaboration with key stakeholders within the department, collegewide, and through external partnerships as necessary.
• Leads and supports division and department goals through active and collegial engagement in decision-making, program review, and unit-level planning.
• Engages in effective communication in managing interactions with faculty, staff, and students and in addressing conflicts, complaints, and concerns.
• Supports strategic, efficient, and student-centered use of instructional and specialized spaces while adhering to districtwide processes for space assignment and stewardship.
• Participates in the collaborative development and approval of a strategic course schedule.
• Provides strategic, academic, and operational leadership across Professional Nursing programs and campuses in alignment with College and School of Nursing priorities.
• Champions and actively supports the College's vision, strategic priorities, and leadership decisions, demonstrating a commitment to institutional alignment, collaboration, and successful implementation of college-wide initiatives.
• Communicates priorities, expectations, and decisions clearly; engages faculty and staff in meaningful shared governance and ensures accountability and follow-through on commitments.
• Delegates responsibilities and authority appropriately, empowers others to exercise initiative within their areas of expertise, and maintains accountability within established reporting and approval structures.
• Demonstrates ethical and accountable leadership through sound judgment, integrity, transparency, responsible stewardship of institutional resources, and adherence to professional standards and College policies.
• Fosters collaboration across campuses, nursing programs, and College units to advance institutional priorities and strengthen organizational effectiveness.
• Leads evidence-based innovation and organizational change through stakeholder consultation, assessment of resources and readiness, achievable timelines, and ongoing evaluation.
• Models professional accountability and continuous improvement by maintaining accessibility and responsiveness, welcoming feedback, addressing challenges proactively, and fostering psychological safety.
• Upholds institutional values and professional responsibilities through confidentiality, discretion, ethical decision-making, and modeling Austin Community College's values of Courage, Compassion, Joy, and Yes.

Operations, Planning, and Budgets

• Directs the budget development process in consultation with departmental stakeholders, reflecting college-wide priorities and processes.  Stewards the departmental budget effectively throughout the year.
• Coordinates the preparation of required reports (including budget recommendations, student complaint follow-up, release time/stipend reports, faculty LEH, purchasing card reports, hourly time sheets, and accreditation reports). Delegates the data collection and drafting as appropriate.
• Serves as the first point of contact to oversee and support resolution of both informal and formal concerns and complaints related to curriculum and instruction, including on-site student and faculty issues, student complaints against faculty, employee complaints and concerns, and complaints related to grades.  Ensures relevant college policies are followed and that complaints and concerns are appropriately documented in college systems.
• Actively supports prior learning assessment in all its forms as appropriate to the learning outcomes of the department’s curriculum. Approves grade change requests, and processes incomplete grade changes.
• May, in conjunction with another level of authority, approve course substitutions and waivers, serve as contact for registration/add-drop issues, and approve class limit overrides in exceptional circumstances.
• Collaborates with School deans and the Office of Strategic Scheduling to support the development, refinement, and ongoing evaluation of course schedules that align departmental offerings with college wide strategic scheduling goals, student progression needs, program requirements, and institutional priorities related to predictability, responsiveness, and optimization.
• For departments with dedicated or specialized facilities, collaborates with staff and provides oversight for the appropriate operational coordination, upkeep, and maintenance of those spaces in accordance with institutional standards and programmatic needs. 
• Oversees daily departmental operations to ensure effective, efficient, and consistent implementation of academic and administrative processes across programs and campuses.
• Coordinates course schedules, faculty assignments, staffing plans, and instructional workloads to support academic quality, operational efficiency, and compliance with college requirements.
• Develops, manages, and monitors the departmental budget, ensuring responsible resource allocation and advocating for resources needed to support faculty, staff, students, clinical education, and sustainable program growth.
• Establishes clear operational processes, communication practices, and effective handoffs to promote consistency, transparency, accountability, and timely decision-making.
• Anticipates operational challenges and risks, implements appropriate mitigation strategies, and promptly escalates significant concerns with relevant information and recommendations.
• Ensures regulatory, accreditation, and institutional compliance by fulfilling assigned responsibilities, meeting established deadlines, maintaining accurate records, and collaborating with the Dean and appropriate College stakeholders.
• Ensures fair and timely review of student concerns, supports faculty in resolving academic and professional issues, and facilitates connections to appropriate College resources.

Talent Management

• In accordance with guidance from the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, facilitates the selection of assistant department chairs through established processes; supervises and evaluates their performance on an annual basis.
• Directs the faculty recruitment, onboarding, mentoring, and evaluation process (both full-time and adjunct faculty) in alignment with College policies and employment laws.
• Conducts faculty staffing assignments in accordance with applicable statutes and policies, and maintains records for faculty course eligibility. 
• Supports professional development and research-related activities to remain current in the field and within education.  Ensures that faculty and staff in the department complete required college training.
• Coordinates departmental representation on collegewide and departmental committees, councils, work groups, and task forces to ensure broad faculty participation, expand leadership capacity, and support professional growth and development across the department.
• In accordance with college policies and expectations, supervises departmental personnel, including administrative assistants, instructional associates, lab technicians, and others as appropriate to the departmental context.  With guidance from the dean, ensures that departmental personnel interface efficiently and successfully with the office of the dean of the School.
• As needed, develops performance improvement plans and monitors performance improvement of full-time and adjunct faculty and non-faculty personnel in the department.
• Promotes faculty and staff retention, professional development, scholarship, and leadership growth through mentorship, coaching, constructive feedback, and opportunities for continued learning.
• Fosters a respectful, supportive, and collaborative work environment through fair and consistent practices, meaningful recognition of contributions, and open communication.
• Builds trust and promotes collaboration by engaging faculty and staff in decision-making, encouraging shared responsibility, and maintaining clear expectations and accountability.
• Addresses employee concerns, conflicts, and performance issues promptly, consistently, and constructively in accordance with established College policies and procedures.
• Supports faculty and staff effectiveness by identifying developmental needs, providing appropriate resources, and promoting continuous improvement in individual and team performance.

Additional Duties

• Responsible for preparing and delivering Department coursework in engaging, innovative, and discipline-appropriate ways that reflect a commitment to student success, respect for strengths-minded pedagogy, an understanding of potentially culturally biased teaching, and knowledge of the teaching field. Meets professional standards for faculty in accordance with college policies and procedures. 
• Participates in College, School of Nursing, and departmental committees, initiatives, and activities as assigned.
• Represents the Professional Nursing programs in institutional and external meetings, professional organizations, and community partnerships, as appropriate.
• Maintains professional knowledge and competencies relevant to nursing education, academic leadership, regulatory requirements, and institutional priorities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Technology

• Demonstrates the ability to learn, navigate, and effectively utilize a wide range of college systems, technologies and enterprise platforms.
• Demonstrates the ability to adapt to new and impactful technologies, model their use with departmental faculty and staff and, where appropriate, support integration with curriculum to the benefit of students.
• Utilizes appropriate technology to support departmental operations, scheduling, staffing, budgeting, reporting, communication, and student success efforts.
• Demonstrated proficiency using computer applications, online resources, data systems, and other technologies necessary for instructional and administrative leadership.
• Demonstrated proficiency with a learning management system such as Blackboard for instructional and administrative responsibilities.
• Ability to effectively use College systems related to scheduling, faculty workload, budgeting, student information, assessment, communication, and reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to use data dashboards, spreadsheets, reports, and other analytic tools to inform decision-making and evaluate outcomes.
• Ability to support and advance the effective use of simulation, instructional technology, and emerging technologies within nursing education.

Principal Professional Standards

• As required of all faculty, models engaging use of the college's learning management system (LMS) and ensures effective use of the LMS across the department.
• As required of all faculty, meets deadlines for attendance certification and submission of final course grades and supports timely submission of attendance certifications and grades across the department.
• As required of all full-time faculty, participates in graduation, General Assembly, and other official college functions, and supports participation across the department.
• As required of all faculty, maintains regular office hours to assist students and improve student retention and success, and ensures that departmental faculty meet this standard.
• Models standards of civility and collegiality in all interactions.
• Complies with published college policies and procedures and meets all professional standards for teaching in a community college.
• Demonstrates a commitment to ACC’s core values by integrating Courage, Compassion, Joy, and Yes into daily work practices and decision-making. 

Required Education

• Earned Master’s degree in Nursing from a regionally accredited institution.
• Current, unencumbered license or privilege to practice as a Registered Nurse in Texas.
• Meets applicable Texas Board of Nursing, SACSCOC, and Austin Community College requirements for the position.

 
Required Work Experience

• Minimum of three years of professional nursing experience, including experience in nursing education relevant to prelicensure registered nursing programs.
• Demonstrated experience in nursing education.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in an academic, healthcare, or similarly complex professional environment.
• Experience working with faculty, staff, students, and multiple organizational stakeholders.
• In accordance with Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requirements.

Qualities of a Successful Candidate

• Demonstrated leadership experience at a community college.
• Ethics, integrity, and sound professional judgment.
• A commitment to establishing and maintaining positive working relationships with students, colleagues, and staff representing multicultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Demonstrates ethical leadership, integrity, accountability, and sound professional judgment.
• Communicates clearly and transparently, explains the rationale for decisions, and follows through reliably.
• Advocates effectively for faculty, staff, students, and program resources while considering School of Nursing and College priorities.
• Builds trust through fairness, consistency, approachability, respectful listening, and constructive responses to feedback.
• Engages those closest to the work in meaningful consultation and shared governance; makes timely decisions and communicates responsibility for final outcomes.
• Empowers colleagues through clear delegation and appropriate autonomy within established responsibilities and institutional requirements.
• Supports faculty and staff success through mentoring, recognition, professional development, equitable assignments, and attention to sustainable workloads.
• Addresses conflict, concerns, and performance issues promptly and respectfully using an impartial assessment of relevant information.
• Leads with a student-centered approach that combines access and appropriate support with rigorous academic, clinical, and professional expectations.
• Understands the complexity of nursing education, including curriculum, clinical education, simulation, faculty qualifications, accreditation, regulatory compliance, and licensure outcomes.
• Uses data and evidence to identify concerns, establish priorities, evaluate results, and guide continuous improvement.
• Demonstrates strong organization, strategic planning, budget stewardship, and timely follow-through; anticipates concerns and develops practical responses.
• Leads change and innovation through consultation, assessment of readiness and resources, achievable implementation plans, and evaluation of outcomes.
• Builds productive relationships across campuses, nursing pathways, College divisions, and external partners while recognizing appropriate differences among programs.
• Receives difficult feedback, acknowledges impact, learns from mistakes, and adjusts leadership practices when warranted.
• Maintains professional boundaries, confidentiality, and appropriate discretion.
• Demonstrates a commitment to the community college mission and to serving students from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and educational pathways.
• Promotes a culture of care for students, faculty, staff, and partners consistent with College values.
• Maintains an established schedule that may include evenings, weekends, and responsibilities at multiple campuses and clinical locations.
  

Application Requirements

Document Requirements
 
1. Upload the following documents to your application: 

• Unofficial/copy of transcripts
• Updated Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) or Résumé
• Cover letter - Explaining interest in the position
• Include the following as part of your C.V. or Resume upload: Statement of leadership philosophy in a community college context.

2. If you get selected for the position then only request official electronic transcripts to be sent directly from the institution to [email protected]. This email address must be entered as the recipient. Please do not select “Austin Community College” from a menu. It will not be received by ACC Human Resources. If you need assistance, please contact your university’s registrar’s office. If official electronic transcripts are not an option, a hardcopy can be mailed to the following address:
              
ACC Human Resources
Attention: Prisca M. Baker

6101 Highland Campus Drive

Bldg 3000, Suite 3.2224

Austin, TX  78752

 
Photocopies of transcripts and transcripts stamped "issued to student" are not accepted.
 
Reference Requirements

• Three (3) professional references required (contact information only).

Working Conditions

• Work is routinely performed in a classroom or laboratory setting.
• Subject to standing, walking, sitting, and reaching for extended periods of time.
• Work safely and follow safety rules. Report unsafe working conditions and behavior.
• Take reasonable and prudent actions to prevent others from engaging in unsafe practices.

Salary Range

$74,047 - $110,395 (Based on a 12-month Contract to start Spring 2027)

Additional Allowance will be provided for the Department Chair Role.

FY28 full DC Allowance of $10,050 annually, paid in equal monthly installments.

Number of Openings:

1

Job Posting Close Date:

December 22, 2026

Clery Act

As required by the US Department of Education, employees are required to report violations under Title IX and, under the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), select individuals are required to report crimes. If this position is identified as a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified, trained, and provided resources for reporting.

Austin Community College produces an Annual Security Report as required by the Clery Act. This report includes statistics from the previous three years concerning reported crime that occurred on campus; public property adjacent to and accessible from campus; and in certain non-campus buildings/property owned or controlled by ACC. The report includes institutional policies concerning campus security and other safety information.

For direct access to the current Annual Security Report, visit www.austincc.edu/asr . You may obtain a hard copy by contacting the Clery Compliance Officer ( [email protected] ). For an overview, see ACC's Clery Act website.

Disclaimer

The above description is an overview of the job. It is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities of the job, nor is it an all-inclusive list of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Duties and responsibilities may change with business needs. ACC reserves the right to add, change, amend, or delete portions of this job description at any time, with or without notice. Employees may be required to perform other duties as requested, directed, or assigned. In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made by ACC at its discretion to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job.