Req #:	175327
Department:	SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Job Location:	Health Sciences Center
Posting Date:	01/27/2020
Closing Info:	Open Until Filled
Salary:	Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Shift:	First Shift
Notes:	As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs.  For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here.

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. All of which has allowed the UW to be nationally recognized as a “Great College to Work For” for six consecutive years.

The School of Medicine has an outstanding opportunity for a Foundations Phase Thread and Block Project Specialist.

The individual in this role will manage curricular content that occurs throughout the first 2 years of medical education. This position will manage three integrated curricular threads: Pathology, Pharmacology and Human Form and Function which are woven through the basic science and clinically integrated blocks for the 18-month foundations phase of the Medical School Curriculum. They will also manage one of the 7-week basic science blocks for the Foundations Phase. The Thread and Block Project Manager will also manage the consolidation and transition distance learning courses which consist of Foundations Capstone, Consolidation, and Transition to Residency. These courses are offered to medical students over a 12-week period at the end of their foundation phase before transitioning to the clinical phases of medical school.

The foundations phase is 18 months in length and consists of a total of 7 integrated blocks and other integrated content which is delivered across the five WWAMI states (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) to over 270 students annually.  The Thread Project Manager will monitor, track, and ensure congruence of curricular content for the longitudinal pathology, pharmacology and human form and function threads throughout the Foundations Phase. This position will manage curriculum congruency, implementation, delivery, operational logistics, remediation activities and continuous improvement for all threads. In addition, along with faculty this roll will manage the three consolidation and transition distance learning courses for all 270 medical students and one 7-week block across the 5 WWAMI states. This position will be a representative of the curriculum unit in Academic Affairs, managing the day-to-day operational activities of the threads, consolidation and transition and one block to ensure operational efficiency and curricular congruence. 

The Thread and Block Project Manager report directly to the Assistant Director for Curriculum and takes direction from the Director of Curriculum, Assistant Dean of Basic Sciences, and Associate Dean for Curriculum.  The Thread and Block Project Manager works closely with the Academic Affairs deans, directors, managers, and staff, and School of Medicine faculty, staff and students within the five-state WWAMI region regarding medical student curriculum related programs and serves as a resource for questions from individuals within the University and the community.  The Thread and Block Project Manager is expected to independently interpret and implement university, state and federal educational policies and procedures.  This position will exercise independent judgment, solve problems, and develop innovative approaches to the management of a wide variety of curriculum initiatives. 

The Thread and Block Project Manager will work across the Academic Affairs Office and closely interface with the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs, Associate Dean for Curriculum, and Associate Dean for Education Strategies of UW Medicine in the Office of the Dean to manage the implementation and initiate continuous improvement strategies for each of the threads (Pathology, Pharmacology and Human Form and Function), Consolidation & Transition, and one foundation block (Molecular and Cellular Biology) within the School of Medicine. The manager will provide analysis of congruent curriculum delivery across six universities, five of which offer semester schedules, and one (UW) on a quarter schedule. The Thread and Block Project Manager will advise thread directors, block directors, instructors, and deans on needed changes and improvements to the curriculum to meet school, state, and national/federal guidelines for accreditation and financial aid and implement and document these changes and improvements.

Foundations Phase Thread curricula:

Chair weekly and monthly meetings with Foundation Phase thread directors, block directors, instructors, and regional site administrators for the three integrated curricular threads: pathology, pharmacology and human form and function, consolidation and one block. These responsibilities include: develop agenda items, prioritize work packages, monitor and follow through on action items, and synthesize disparate sources of data and information to inform actions, decision making and approval pathways.

Communicate action steps, priorities and stakeholder needs to thread directors, block directors, instructors, and staff. Communicate concerns regarding foundations curriculum to School of Medicine leadership.

Manage the thread remediation activities to include maintenance of timeline, tracking and reporting student remediation status to associate dean for curriculum, assistant dean of basic sciences, associate dean for student affairs and faculty. Coordinate, track, monitor and record student remediation assignments and communication with students, instructors and deans for all threads across all the school of medicine foundation phase.

Manage the curricular change management process for the threads and blocks which includes: tracking and recording requested changes to the curriculum and independently determining when governance committee approval is required.  Advise faculty instructors of the change management process and communicate changes to all regional deans and instructors.

Foundation Phase curricular content:

Partner with block directors, instructors and regional administrators in developing, maintaining and implementing School of Medicine Foundations Phase curriculum.  Utilize project management techniques and tools to track and monitor and communicate timetables, action items, deliverables and contingency plans for the thread integration (pathology, pharmacology and human form and function) throughout all seven the foundation blocks, consolidation and transition distance courses, and one Foundation Phase block.

Independently provide curriculum guidance and expertise to the six regional assistant deans, eight foundation block leaders, instructors and administrators for the consolidation and transition distance courses and one of the 7 Foundation Phase blocks.

Advise deans, faculty and regional administrators on implementing the Foundation Phase curriculum at their site and serve as a liaison between School of Medicine curriculum staff and deans, faculty and other leaders on issues of curriculum.

Present to stakeholder groups on topics such as technology implementation, distance learning, and how to establish congruent educational activities across six campuses.

Meet with members of the School of Medicine community to ensure transparency and problem solve issues regarding curriculum implementation.

Implementation, reporting, and continuous quality improvement:

Author policy and procedure documentation for the management and administration of the curriculum.

Initiate strategic plans and assist with process for systematic review and evaluation of curricular innovation, including development and monitoring of outcomes and plans of action for improvement.

Develop Gantt charts and other project management tools to plan curricular implementation and timelines to meet deadlines.  Organize the work of all foundation block committees and retreats, including collecting and refining minutes and follow through on action items.

Author and revise the curriculum website, MS Office 365 and write and manage social media and other marketing communications.  Develop written communication materials and collaborate with faculty to draft special communications, including newsletters on the Foundations Curriculum and distribute broadly to UW Medicine faculty, regional faculty, staff, and students.

Initiate reports and participate in meetings with School of Medicine senior leadership to review the status of the Foundations Curriculum to assess effectiveness and alignment with School of Medicine curriculum initiatives; attend primary committee meetings and provide support as needed, such as, attending and scheduling highly sensitive committee meetings.

Support the activities of committee chairs, including the creation of surveys, interview comparable medical schools on best practices and conduct research on current national medical education pedagogy.

Work with the leadership of the Center for Medical Education in their activities related to faculty development and assist with the development of faculty development curriculum to teach the teachers the latest educational delivery methodologies such as active learning, modeling the flipped classroom and team based learning.


MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor’s degree with minimum 2 years administrative experience.

Excellent project management skills, including working knowledge of project management methodologies.

Working knowledge of and skill with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.

Experience with web site development, software, implementation and maintenance.

Excellent oral and written communication and organizational skills.

Strong oral and written communication skills.

Demonstrated experience working in large, highly structured environments.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except where there are legal requirements such as license/certification/registration.

DESIRED REQUIREMENTS

Master’s degree or higher.

Background in in higher education, preferably medical education.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
The position occasionally requires the employee to work beyond a normal work week (e.g. more than 40 hours a week) and intermittently requires evening and weekend time to meet project deadlines and attend meetings.

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.