Assistant Dean, Academic Affairs & Curriculum Leadership

NCSL International; Elk Grove (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at California Northstate University, College of Dental Medicine leads curriculum development, assessment, and compliance across the DMD program. It sets curriculum strategy, evaluates program effectiveness through data and outcomes analysis, and supports faculty in instructional practice to sustain a student-centered learning environment.

As a member of the Dean's leadership team, this role guides curriculum reviews, resource selection, and innovative

Qualifications

• DDS or DMD degree from an accredited dental program.
• Eligibility for dental licensure in California.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in clinical operations, dental practice management, healthcare administration, academic dentistry, or a related field.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing a large dental clinic, group practice, academic clinical program, or comparable healthcare operation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of accreditation standards and regulatory requirements, including CODA, WSCUC, California Dental Board regulations, BPPE requirements, HIPAA, OSHA, infection control standards, and other applicable federal and state healthcare regulations.
• Experience with quality assurance, quality improvement, clinical assessment, and patient safety initiatives.
• Experience developing, implementing, and evaluating policies, procedures, and operational protocols.
• Experience with clinical management systems, electronic health records, imaging systems, and data reporting tools.
• Demonstrated experience with budget planning, financial oversight, operational analysis, and strategic planning.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with students, faculty, staff, administrators, patients, and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Oversee development, review, and implementation of the curriculum across all years of the DMD program, ensuring alignment with program competencies, institutional mission, and CODA Standards.
• Lead an ongoing curriculum review and evaluation process that incorporates faculty, student, and administrative input, and eliminates unwarranted repetition or outdated material.
• Ensure biomedical, behavioral, and clinical science instruction is integrated with sufficient depth, sequencing, and emphasis to support defined competencies.
• Support faculty in instructional design, assessment strategies, and pedagogy; partner with the Assistant Dean of Faculty Affairs on curriculum-focused professional development.
• Work with course directors to keep the curriculum integrated with clinical activity, updating learning outcomes and the curriculum map as material changes.
• Oversee selection and review of educational resources, including textbooks, e-books, and instructional technology.
• Integrate innovative teaching strategies, technology, and interdisciplinary approaches.
• Develop and manage assessment systems to measure student learning and program effectiveness, including calibration across all instructional sites to ensure comparable instruction and assessment.
• Ensure timely, appropriate evaluation and institutional due process when students do not meet published academic criteria.
• Confirm the curriculum defines outcomes-focused graduation competencies.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Dean of Clinical Affairs on clinical assessment systems.
• Analyze academic data to measure student achievement and inform curriculum adjustments.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Dean of Faculty Affairs to maintain a system for capturing faculty and student feedback on learning materials and proposed curriculum changes.
• Monitor student performance data to identify trends, implement data-driven interventions, and collaborate with student services to support at‑risk students.
• Serve on the leadership team, contributing to institutional strategic planning and community partnerships.
• Ensure curriculum and instructional policy meet regulatory standards,
• Support a humanistic, regularly evaluated learning culture.
• Lead accreditation preparation — self‑study documentation, evidence collection, and site‑visit readiness — and respond promptly to findings or recommendations.
• Collaborate with the VP of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation on curriculum effectiveness assessment; produce the annual curriculum effectiveness report and the Standard 2 student performance report.
• Conduct program review per the academic review schedule.
• Work with the Dean and accreditation team in all aspects of accreditation functions and activities, including collecting, organizing, analyzing, and presenting data to demonstrate compliance with applicable accreditation and regulatory standards including but not limited to those established by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), and Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
• Collate data as applicable, to demonstrate compliance with accreditation standards related to the curriculum and academic affairs.
• Partner with committee chairs, faculty, and student services to maintain a cohesive academic program.
• Work with the Dean and other academic leaders to articulate and communicate a shared vision for curriculum and student outcomes.
• Communicate curriculum-related university and college policy, and recommend revisions to support institutional goals.
• Maintain and report the annual academic schedule and college catalog revisions.
• Manage curriculum-related budgets responsibly and within allocated resources.
• Optimize use of learning management systems and educational technology.
• Build partnerships with faculty in other CNU colleges for interdisciplinary education and clinical experiences.
• eports to the Dean, CNU-CDM, and serves as a member of the leadership team
• Collaborates closely with the Assistant Dean of Faculty Affairs, Assistant Dean of Clinical Affairs, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs, and other academic leaders
• Subject to annual performance evaluation by the Dean, based on curriculum implementation, assessment outcomes, accreditation compliance, faculty development impact, and student learning outcomes
• Expected to meet all deadlines for reports, assessments, and accreditation submissions
• Maintains full compliance with CODA curriculum standards and keeps current on evolving standards and dental education best practices
• Maintains accurate curriculum mapping and documentation to support accreditation, and addresses curriculum gaps or deficiencies in a timely manner
• Uphold the highest standards of professional integrity and ethical conduct
• Maintain confidentiality of student records and performance data
• Model collaborative leadership and respectful communication with all stakeholders
• Support a humanistic culture and positive learning environment
• Other duties as assigned by the Dean

Skills

Leadership experience

Budget planning

Communication skills

Regulatory compliance knowledge

Clinical operations management

Teaching experience

Education

DDS or DMD degree

Master's degree in Business Administration / Healthcare Administration / Public Health

Tools

Electronic health records (EHR)

Imaging systems

Data reporting tools

Job description

The Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at California Northstate University, College of Dental Medicine leads curriculum development, assessment, and compliance across the DMD program. It sets curriculum strategy, evaluates program effectiveness through data and outcomes analysis, and supports faculty in instructional practice to sustain a student-centered learning environment.

As a member of the Dean's leadership team, this role guides curriculum reviews, resource selection, and innovative