Director of Clinical Education Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

PLNU is a Christian liberal arts university in the evangelical, Wesleyan tradition, offering quality undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. We provide higher education in a vibrant Christian environment where minds are engaged and challenged, character is modeled and formed, and service is an expression of faith. PLNU is an institution that is committed to reflecting the rich diversity of God’s kingdom. We therefore  encourage applications from culturally and academically diverse faculty of the highest caliber, skilled and/or demonstrating great potential in the practice of teaching and scholarship. 

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Point Loma Nazarene University invites applications for a full-time Director of Clinical Education (DCE) for its developing Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The DCE will serve as a core faculty leader responsible for the design, implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement of the clinical education curriculum. This position is central to building a clinical education infrastructure that is CAPTE-ready, student-centered, competency-based, and responsive to the health needs of the San Diego region and the broader communities served by PLNU graduates.
The DCE will lead all integrated and full-time clinical education experiences, ensuring that clinical learning is intentionally sequenced with the didactic curriculum and aligned with program outcomes. The DCE will support students’ development as practice-ready physical therapists who demonstrate clinical reasoning, professional accountability, compassionate care, evidence-informed decision-making, and readiness for contemporary entry-level practice.
The successful candidate will be an experienced physical therapist educator and relationship-builder who can cultivate durable clinical partnerships, support clinical instructors and site coordinators, guide students through clinical readiness and progression, and contribute to accreditation, program assessment, teaching, scholarship, and service.

Job Status:

Full time

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Job Description:

Benefits:

We are pleased to offer attractive benefits and resources. This includes benefits such as health, dental, tuition benefits for employees and dependents, and competitive retirement matching. There also may be opportunities for university assistance with the cost of housing in Southern California. In addition, we have many opportunities to engage with our community including faculty chapel, weekly faculty lunches and a robust wellness program.

Salary: 

PLNU pays its faculty using a payscale based on experience and academic rank.  Faculty salaries using this scale for a 3-semester appointment range from $112,574 - $149,319. 

The actual salary will be based on the experience, rank, and appointment term of the candidate selected to fill this position.

 

The PLNU DPT program is being designed to prepare physical therapists of character, competence, and calling through a competency-based curriculum. The DCE will play a formative role in ensuring that clinical education is not simply the completion of required clinical hours, but a developmental pathway through which students become reflective, ethical, adaptive, and practice-ready clinicians.

The ideal candidate will understand clinical education as a space of professional formation where knowledge, skill, judgment, identity, and service converge. The DCE will help students practice with excellence and compassion; engage patients, families, communities, and colleagues with dignity; use evidence responsibly; respond to feedback with humility; and serve communities through accountable, whole-person physical therapy care.

The successful candidate will demonstrate commitment to PLNU’s mission and to the formation of students for lives of service, professional excellence, ethical practice, and whole-person care.

Primary Responsibilities

Clinical Education Leadership and Program Development

The Director of Clinical Education will provide leadership for the clinical education curriculum and ensure that integrated and full-time clinical experiences are aligned with program outcomes, CAPTE expectations, and contemporary physical therapist practice.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead the planning, development, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of integrated and full-time clinical education experiences.
• Ensure clinical education is developmentally sequenced and integrated with didactic, laboratory, simulation, service, and coaching components of the curriculum.
• Collaborate with the DPT Program Director and faculty to develop clinical education policies, procedures, readiness standards, progression expectations, grading processes, and assessment systems.
• Contribute to CAPTE-related documentation, including Application for Candidacy materials, self-study evidence, program assessment, and continuous quality improvement processes.
• Ensure clinical education prepares students for entry-level practice across the lifespan, body systems, and continuum of care.

Clinical Site Development and Partnership Management

The DCE will develop and sustain a high-quality network of clinical education sites that provides sufficient variety, quality, and capacity for student learning.

Key responsibilities include:

• Recruit, develop, evaluate, and maintain clinical education sites across diverse practice settings, patient populations, geographic communities, and models of care.
• Build partnerships with hospitals, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers, pediatric settings, neurologic and orthopedic practices, community-based organizations, underserved care settings, military- or veteran-serving environments, and regional health systems as appropriate.
• Obtain, maintain, and monitor clinical affiliation agreements, memoranda of understanding, certificates of insurance, site documentation, onboarding requirements, and other compliance materials.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for clinical partners, including Site Coordinators of Clinical Education, Clinical Instructors, administrators, and community stakeholders.
• Cultivate academic-clinical partnerships grounded in clear communication, mutual accountability, educational quality, student development, patient care, and professional excellence.

Student Clinical Readiness, Placement, Progression, and Support

The DCE will guide students through clinical readiness, placement, performance monitoring, and progression within the clinical education curriculum.

Key responsibilities include:

• Coordinate student placement processes to ensure clinical assignments support curricular goals, student learning needs, site capacity, and CAPTE expectations for quality, quantity, and variety of clinical experiences.
• Oversee systems for tracking clinical readiness, onboarding requirements, immunizations, background checks, drug screens, HIPAA/OSHA training, health documentation, site-specific requirements, and related compliance elements.
• Orient students to clinical education expectations, professional behavior standards, performance assessment processes, and communication procedures.
• Monitor student performance before, during, and after clinical experiences through communication with students, faculty, Clinical Instructors, and clinical partners.
• Support student learning through advising, coaching, check-ins, conflict resolution, learning plans, supervision plans, and remediation plans when needed.
• Collaborate with faculty to determine student readiness and contribute to progression decisions using evidence from assessments of performance, clinical reasoning, professionalism, safety, communication, affective behaviors, and Clinical Instructor feedback.

Clinical Instructor and SCCE Development

The DCE will support Clinical Instructors and Site Coordinators of Clinical Education in providing high-quality, consistent, and developmentally appropriate assessment and supervision of students.

Key responsibilities include:

• Serve as the primary liaison between the DPT program and clinical education faculty, including Clinical Instructors and Site Coordinators of Clinical Education.
• Orient clinical partners to the PLNU DPT mission, curriculum design, expected student outcomes, assessment tools, progression expectations, and standards for supervision and feedback.
• Design and facilitate Clinical Instructor development activities related to student assessment, feedback, coaching, professional behavior evaluation, remediation, and use of clinical performance assessment tools.
• Support Clinical Instructors in addressing student learning needs, performance concerns, and remediation processes.
• Promote calibration across clinical sites to improve consistency, fairness, and quality of clinical assessment.

Assessment, Accreditation, and Continuous Quality Improvement

The DCE will lead the use of clinical education data to support accreditation readiness, program assessment, and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities include:

• Collect, analyze, and use clinical education data to inform program improvement and accreditation reporting.
• Track student performance outcomes, site and Clinical Instructor evaluations, student evaluations, placement capacity, practice setting distribution, patient population exposure, progression patterns, remediation outcomes, and clinical education trends.
• Contribute directly to CAPTE documentation and reporting related to clinical education, including evidence of clinical site quality, student readiness, student performance, Clinical Instructor support, and coordination between didactic and clinical education.
• Ensure integrated and full-time clinical education experiences are organized, sequential, coordinated with the didactic curriculum, and designed to support students’ achievement of expected program outcomes.
• Collaborate with the Program Director and faculty to use clinical education data for curriculum review, student progression processes, site development, and program-level decision-making.

Teaching, Scholarship, and Service

As a core faculty member, the DCE will contribute to teaching, scholarship, service, and faculty governance within the DPT program and College of Health Sciences.

Key responsibilities include:

• Teach or co-teach courses within the DPT curriculum based on area of expertise and program need.
• Contribute to learning experiences in areas such as clinical education seminars, professional formation, clinical reasoning, patient/client management, systems-based content, interprofessional education, or service-learning preparation.
• Maintain a scholarly agenda appropriate to academic rank and consistent with expectations for core faculty.
• Engage in scholarship related to clinical education, student readiness, competency-based education, clinical performance assessment, interprofessional education, community-engaged learning, health equity, workforce development, professional formation, or related areas.
• Participate in program, college, university, professional, and community service, including DPT program committees, clinical education consortia, professional organizations, community partnerships, accreditation workgroups, and College of Health Sciences initiatives.

Physical Requirements

The Director of Clinical Education position is primarily an academic and administrative faculty role. The position requires the ability to perform work in an office, classroom, laboratory, and clinical education environment.

Physical requirements include the ability to:

• Sit, stand, and walk for extended periods during meetings, teaching, advising, site visits, and program activities.
• Use a computer, keyboard, phone, and other office or instructional technology for extended periods.
• Communicate effectively in person, by phone, by video conference, and in writing.
• Travel locally and regionally to clinical education sites, professional meetings, and community partner locations as needed.
• Occasionally lift, carry, or move materials and equipment typically weighing up to 20 pounds.
• Participate in classroom, laboratory, simulation, or clinical teaching activities that may require demonstration, observation, or supervision of physical therapy-related skills within the candidate’s abilities and licensure.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Required Qualifications: 

The successful candidate must have:

• An earned Doctor of Physical Therapy degree or other doctoral preparation appropriate to the role.
• Current, active, and unencumbered physical therapist licensure in a United States jurisdiction.
• Eligibility for physical therapist licensure in California and compliance with the California Physical Therapy Practice Act.
• Commitment to PLNU’s mission and to the formation of students for lives of service, professional excellence, ethical practice, and whole-person care.
• A minimum of three years of full-time post-licensure clinical practice as a physical therapist.
• A minimum of two years of experience as a Clinical Instructor or Site Coordinator of Clinical Education, or a minimum of two years of experience in teaching, curriculum development, and administration in a physical therapist education program.
• Demonstrated understanding of clinical education in physical therapist education, including clinical site development, student placement, student assessment, Clinical Instructor support, and clinical education compliance.
• Familiarity with CAPTE standards and accreditation expectations related to clinical education.
• Evidence of effective communication, organization, collaboration, and relationship-building with students, faculty, clinical partners, and administrators.
• Demonstrated ability to support student learning, clinical performance development, professional behavior formation, and remediation when needed.
• Personal: Evidence of Christian commitment and active church involvement. In addition, faculty agree to live in agreement with PLNU’s Community Life Covenant. 
• The job offer is contingent on the successful completion of a background check. PLNU  will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local "Fair Chance" laws.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred qualifications include:

• Prior experience as a Director of Clinical Education, Assistant Director of Clinical Education, Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education, SCCE, or comparable clinical education leader.
• A post-professional academic doctorate such as a PhD, EdD, DSc, DHSc, or ScD.
• APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program certification or experience providing CI development.
• ABPTS board certification, residency or fellowship training, or other evidence of advanced clinical expertise.
• Experience developing clinical education infrastructure for a new or developing DPT program.
• Experience contributing to CAPTE candidacy, self-study, annual accreditation reporting, or site visit preparation.
• Experience with clinical education management systems such as Exxat or comparable platforms.
• Evidence of scholarship or scholarly potential in clinical education, competency-based education, student performance assessment, professional formation, interprofessional education, or health professions education.
• Established relationships with clinical partners in Southern California or experience building clinical networks across multiple practice settings.
• Demonstrated commitment to community-engaged education, service-oriented practice, health equity, belonging, and preparation of graduates to serve diverse communities.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic leadership in building clinical education systems for a developing DPT program.
• Capacity to translate mission, curriculum, and accreditation expectations into operational systems.
• Ability to cultivate clinical partnerships that are educationally meaningful, mutually beneficial, and sustainable.
• Expertise in student performance assessment, clinical readiness, remediation, and progression.
• Skill in mentoring students and clinical faculty through complex learning and performance situations.
• Strong judgment in conflict resolution, risk management, documentation, and professional communication.
• Commitment to evidence-informed physical therapist education and contemporary clinical practice.
• Ability to use data for program assessment, clinical education quality improvement, and accreditation evidence.
• Facility with technology used for clinical placement, compliance tracking, assessment, and communication.
• A collaborative leadership style grounded in humility, accountability, clarity, compassion, and service.

Application Materials

Applicants should submit:

• Letter of interest addressing qualifications for the DCE role and alignment with PLNU’s mission and the developing DPT program.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Statement of personal faith
• Statement of teaching philosophy, including approach to clinical education, student coaching, and clinical performance assessment.
• Statement of scholarly interests or current scholarly agenda.
• Names and contact information for three professional references - References will not be contacted without your permission. 
• Evidence of physical therapist licensure and eligibility for California licensure.
• Preference will be given to candidates who apply by July 31, 2026.

If you have questions about items for the application, please contact the Office of Human Resources at humanresources@pointloma.edu or the Search Committee chair at LuciePelland@pointloma.edu. 

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At PLNU, we believe in pursuing calling together. Deep and meaningful relationships between students, faculty, and staff is vital in nurturing our shared community and expressing God’s love. We are looking for enthusiastic candidates to join us in empowering our students to reach their greatest personal, spiritual and professional potential. 

Point Loma Nazarene University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures.