What are the responsibilities and job description for the Program Chair (PMHNP) position at American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)?
Description
Western Governors University is seeking a Program Chair (PMHNP) to lead a high-impact program within the School of Health. This is an opportunity to influence how we prepare the next generation of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners by combining academic rigor, workforce relevance, and a student-first model.
As Program Chair, you will serve as the academic and strategic leader for the PMHNP program. You will own program quality, student outcomes, curriculum direction, and continuous improvement while partnering across faculty, design, analytics, and academic leadership to deliver a modern, outcomes driven learning experience.
This role is ideal for a leader who thrives in a data informed, highly collaborative environment and is passionate about advancing mental health education at scale.
What you will do
This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posted On 5/30/2026 Job Type Nursing School Staff/Administrators School/Institution Western Governors University Job Location Salt Lake City, UT
Western Governors University is seeking a Program Chair (PMHNP) to lead a high-impact program within the School of Health. This is an opportunity to influence how we prepare the next generation of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners by combining academic rigor, workforce relevance, and a student-first model.
As Program Chair, you will serve as the academic and strategic leader for the PMHNP program. You will own program quality, student outcomes, curriculum direction, and continuous improvement while partnering across faculty, design, analytics, and academic leadership to deliver a modern, outcomes driven learning experience.
This role is ideal for a leader who thrives in a data informed, highly collaborative environment and is passionate about advancing mental health education at scale.
What you will do
- Lead the vision, strategy, and continuous improvement of the PMHNP program
- Own student success metrics, course performance, and program outcomes
- Partner with cross-functional teams to evolve curriculum aligned to workforce needs
- Guide faculty readiness, development, and quality standards
- Use data and insights to identify trends, improve outcomes, and drive innovation
- Support accreditation, compliance, and program quality initiatives
- Represent the program with industry partners, advisory boards, and external stakeholders
- Ensure a consistent, high quality student experience across courses and learning interactions
- Master of Science in Nursing degree, or a Post-Master's Certificate, or in place of a master's degree, a PhD in Nursing or DNP
- Active national certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
- Active unencumbered RN license
- Proven track record of successful faculty development and program leadership within program curriculum as well as general practices across higher education
- 5 years of demonstrated teaching excellence in a variety of courses at the post-secondary level in an online context.
- 2 years of leadership or supervisory experience. Leadership and supervisory experience in a post-secondary institution preferred.
- Experience in curriculum design, implementation, and oversight.
- Comfort with data, analysis, and reporting both verbally and in documented formats
- Doctoral degree in Nursing preferred in programmatically appropriate/related field
- Industry certification and credentials preferred.
This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posted On 5/30/2026 Job Type Nursing School Staff/Administrators School/Institution Western Governors University Job Location Salt Lake City, UT