Xavier University of Louisiana invites nominations and applications for the position of Program Director for a new Genetic Counseling (GC) Program, a program developed and implemented with Ochsner Health. Xavier seeks a dynamic program leader with a passion for teaching excellence and innovation and responsible for planning, developing, implementing and overseeing this new program. This is a unique professional opportunity. Xavier's program will be the only GC program at a Historically Black University. The program will contribute to Xavier's mission of contributing to a more just and humane society by preparing students to assume roles of leadership and service.
The mission of the Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) Genetic Counseling Program is to recruit, welcome, respect, value, mentor, support and train students in an atmosphere of academic excellence using an educational framework that integrates best practices in genetics and genetic counseling with perspectives of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Our vision is to be the leading ACGC-accredited program for recruiting and training genetic counseling graduate students with diverse and varied characteristics of identity. XULA Genetic Counseling Program graduates will be prepared to provide culturally competent genetic counseling services to people of diverse backgrounds and lead efforts to reduce health disparities.
Minimum Qualifications:
Qualifications include*: · A Master's degree in Genetic Counseling, · Current certification in genetic counseling by the American Board of Genetic Counseling or the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics, · At least five years as a certified genetic counselor, with at least three in patient-facing clinical or research roles, · Willingness to ensure compliance with the ACGC program director qualifications, · Course instructor and teaching, curriculum design, clinical supervision, leadership and management experience, · Knowledge and understanding of ACGC accreditation processes and standards, · Knowledge about program organization, administration, fiscal management, continuous review and analysis, planning, and development; · Cultural competency to work with diverse students, faculty, and staff, · Ability to work highly independently, organize work with extreme attention to detail and accuracy; demonstrated skill in assessing timelines and coordinating numerous assignments and projects simultaneously under heavy and fluctuating workloads and conflicting deadlines, · Demonstrated ability and willingness to work collegially, and · Commitment to the mission of Xavier University of Louisiana. *For an outstanding candidate with passion for the mission, if needed, XULA will support an individualized plan for achieving all the required qualifications. The Program Director's primary duties and responsibilities include and are not limited to: · Represent the Genetic Counseling Program internally and externally; · Provide leadership to ensure the Genetic Counseling Program as well as all program leadership and faculty/staff remain compliant with all ACGC standards; · Develop, review, and maintain the program's strategic plan; · Provide leadership to long-term program planning that includes fiscal stability; · Recommend and oversee the program budget, including the approval of all expenditures; · Develop, implement, and continuously evaluate the program; · Ensure the effectiveness of the program's learning environment; · Teach genetic counseling courses in area/s of specialty; · Develop, maintain and implement student recruitment strategies; · Responsible for faculty recruitment, retention and development; · Conduct regular faculty evaluations and feedback activities; · Maintain and collaborate with the program advisory board, implementing appropriate recommendations; · Provide service to the college and the university; · Commitment to developing an active research program that results in publications and/or successful grant proposals; and · Support the values of the College: diversity, teaching excellence, student success, innovation, and creativity. The Program Director will report directly to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and will be responsible for ensuring the program meets expectations for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC). The GC Program Director will have a 12-month non-tenure track faculty appointment with rank commensurate with the incumbent's experience. Xavier offers faculty members a generous benefits package that also includes opportunities for faculty development and support.
Xavier University of Louisiana, founded by St. Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1925, is Catholic and historically Black. The ultimate purpose of the University is to contribute to the promotion of a more just and humane society by preparing its students to assume roles of leadership and service in a global society. The only historically Black, Catholic university in the United States, XULA is a private, liberal-arts based, co-educational institution offering 40 undergraduate majors, 5 master’s degree programs and a doctor of pharmacy program. More than one-half of its 3,100 students are from Louisiana, but it draws students from nearly all fifty states and 35 countries. Xavier is recognized as a national leader in the sciences and the liberal arts: • #1 in the nation in the number of African American graduates who go on to complete medical school (AAMC data 2019). • Among the nation’s top four colleges of pharmacy in graduating African Americans with Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) degrees. (2018) • #1 in the nation in awarding bachelor's degrees to African American students in the biological and biomedical sciences, the physical sciences, and physics. ...(2018) • #3 in the nation in the number of African American graduates who go on to earn a Ph.D. in science and engineering disciplines. (2018) • The Department of Physics is #1 in the nation for awarding African Americans baccalaureate degrees in physics and the physical sciences, according to the American Institute of Physics. (2018) Xavier is consistently ranked by the American Chemical Society as one of the top 25 universities in the nation. • The 2020 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges named Xavier among its 300 “best and most interesting” four-year colleges and universities. • Xavier was also singled out as one of the nation’s 385 best institutions for undergraduate education by The Princeton Review in the 2020 edition of its annual “The Best 385 Colleges”. • College Consensus, a unique college ratings website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews, ranks Xavier as the nation’s #3 Historically Black Colleges and Universities) (2019). It also ranks Xavier as #3 among all Louisiana colleges. • College Factual ranks both Xavier’s biology and chemistry programs as program as No. 1 in Louisiana. (2019) • Your 2018 Guide to College Transfer lists Xavier as one of only 90 colleges and universities nationwide profiled as “transfer friendly” in this guide to the college transfer process by the Kaplan Educational Foundation. • The Student Loan Report ranks #Xavier 12 out of 800 Private schools who left graduates with the least amount of private student loan debt, a form of financial aid known for higher interest rates and less forgiving repayment programs. (2018) • Zippia.com named Xavier's Psychology Program as #1 in Louisiana. (2018) • Learn.org ranks Xavier Among the Top 50 STEM schools in the U.S. (2019) • The Edvocate ranks Xavier as the nation’s No. 3 Catholic University. (2019) • Zippia.com rates Xavier #1 in Louisiana in its 2019 report, “Best College in Each State for Getting a Job”.