Director, Distributed Veterinary Teaching Program

Overview: The Department of Veterinary Clinical and Life Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Utah State University seeks applicants for the position of Clinical Director of the Distributed Veterinary Teaching Program (DVTP). The Clinical Director is the senior veterinary faculty leader and administrator responsible for the clinical, operational, and personnel functions of the DVTP. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Clinical Programs, the Director directly supervises the DVTP Program Coordinator and Clinical Relations Veterinarians and provides overall leadership for the personnel, processes, partnerships, and quality‑assurance activities required to deliver a high‑quality distributed clinical year. The Director integrates the student‑facing and partner‑facing functions of the program. The DVTP Program Coordinator leads student placement coordination, scheduling and logistical support, communications, documentation, records, database maintenance, and general program administration. Clinical Relations Veterinarians support preceptor readiness, preceptor training and development, clinical‑site monitoring and troubleshooting, and alignment of clinical learning environments with contemporary standards of veterinary practice. The Clinical Director ensures that these functions operate as a coordinated, accountable, and responsive system. This is a Logan‑based position. The Clinical Director's primary office and duty station will be in the Veterinary Medical Education (VME) Building on the Utah State University Logan campus. The position is not designed as a remote or regionally based appointment. The successful candidate will join the College at a pivotal stage in the development of Utah's first four‑year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. USU's distributed clinical education model places veterinary students in carefully selected veterinary practices, hospitals, diagnostic facilities, shelters, ambulatory services, and other clinical environments where they learn under the supervision of practicing veterinarians and USU faculty. The Clinical Director works closely with the Associate Dean for Clinical Programs, faculty instructors of record, Practice‑Ready Advisors, curriculum leaders, and other College personnel. Travel Expectations Travel is an essential function of this position. The Clinical Director is expected to travel to affiliated clinical training sites throughout Utah and the Intermountain Region, with travel anticipated to average approximately 20-30% of work time. Evaluation and monitoring of new and existing clinical training sites; Preceptor orientation, training, development, and support; Relationship development and maintenance with affiliated veterinary instructional partners; Follow‑up on clinical‑site, preceptor, or student‑learning concerns; Quality‑assurance and continuous‑improvement activities; and Representation of the College at partner and professional meetings. Travel frequency will vary according to program needs and may be greater during periods of clinical‑site development, onboarding, or program implementation. Some overnight travel is required. The position carries a primary emphasis in teaching (70%), administration (20%), and service (10%).

Provide leadership for the quality, consistency, and continued development of veterinary clinical education delivered through the Distributed Veterinary Teaching Program. Develop, implement, evaluate, and continuously improve clinical educational experiences in collaboration with College faculty, Clinical Relations Veterinarians, preceptors, and affiliated veterinary instructional partners. Lead the development and implementation of expectations for workplace‑based veterinary instruction and clinical supervision. Provide, coordinate, and evaluate initial and ongoing training for veterinary preceptors, including clinical teaching, supervision, feedback, assessment, student safety, and preceptor responsibilities. Mentor veterinarians serving as clinical preceptors and support their development as effective clinical educators. Work with Clinical Relations Veterinarians to support preceptor readiness, clinical‑site readiness, clinical teaching quality, contemporary standards of practice, and resolution of site or preceptor concerns. Foster productive relationships with affiliated veterinary instructional partners and other external stakeholders to provide high‑quality and appropriately varied clinical learning opportunities. Participate in the evaluation and monitoring of potential and existing clinical training sites and recommend improvements when needed. Collaborate with faculty instructors of record and Practice‑Ready Advisors to support consistent assessment of student clinical performance and progressive development toward practice readiness. Help establish and maintain consistent expectations for student supervision, feedback, entrustment, clinical responsibility, and professional behavior across distributed sites. Participate in the development and refinement of clinical‑year curriculum, orientation, policies, procedures, and instructional materials. Use student outcomes, preceptor feedback, site evaluations, program data, and other evidence to support continuous quality improvement. Participate in structured didactic, experiential, and clinical instruction as appropriate to the needs of the curriculum. Maintain currency in veterinary clinical practice, veterinary medical education, workplace‑based assessment, and emerging approaches to clinical teaching. Contribute to professional productivity appropriate for a clinical faculty appointment, which may include educational scholarship, presentations, continuing education, publications, grants, development of educational resources, or other contributions to veterinary education. Administration and Program Leadership - 20% Directly supervise the DVTP Program Coordinator and Clinical Relations Veterinarians and provide administrative oversight for assigned DVTP support personnel. Establish work priorities, assign responsibilities, manage performance, provide coaching and professional development, and conduct or participate in formal performance evaluations. Provide oversight of the Program Coordinator's supervision of assigned support staff. Lead regular DVTP team meetings and establish clear workflows, accountability, and communication expectations. Ensure effective coordination between student placement, scheduling, documentation, program‑administration functions and clinical partner, preceptor, site readiness, and quality‑assurance functions. Establish priorities for clinical‑site development, monitoring, and partner support in alignment with program needs. Manage and assess staffing, workflow, operational, and resource needs and recommend improvements to the Associate Dean for Clinical Programs. Address personnel, programmatic, clinical‑site, and preceptor‑related issues within the Director's area of responsibility. Ensure timely escalation of significant academic, personnel, safety, accreditation, or partner concerns through appropriate College channels. Build and sustain a team culture characterized by professionalism, responsiveness, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Ensure that responsibilities delegated across the DVTP team are clearly defined and effectively integrated. Service - 10% Provide leadership and oversight for the operational and clinical functions of the Distributed Veterinary Teaching Program. Work collaboratively with the Associate Dean for Clinical Programs to implement the strategic direction of the clinical program. Support compliance with applicable AVMA Council on Education accreditation standards, policies, and procedures related to distributed clinical education. Participate in the development, review, and implementation of standards for approval and continued monitoring of affiliated veterinary instructional partners. Support College committees responsible for oversight and approval of clinical training sites and experiences. Develop and maintain relationships with veterinarians, practice leaders, professional organizations, veterinary employers, and other stakeholders throughout Utah and the Intermountain Region. Represent the College of Veterinary Medicine in interactions with clinical partners and the broader veterinary profession. Provide veterinary leadership in addressing concerns involving clinical sites, preceptors, clinical standards, or the quality of the student learning environment. Ensure that clinical‑site requirements, agreements, training, documentation, data, and operational processes remain aligned across the DVTP. Collaborate with appropriate College and University units on clinical‑program development, curriculum, policy, and implementation. Participate in departmental, college, and university governance and other service activities appropriate to faculty rank and appointment. Contribute to efforts that strengthen the visibility, reputation, and professional network of the USU College of Veterinary Medicine. College and Program Highlights The successful candidate will join the Utah State University College of Veterinary Medicine during a defining period in its development. Utah State University is establishing the state's first four‑year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. The College welcomed its inaugural class in 2025 and is developing toward an anticipated class size of approximately 80 veterinary students in subsequent cohorts. A defining feature of the USU veterinary curriculum is its Distributed Veterinary Teaching Program, through which students complete substantial portions of their clinical education in authentic veterinary practice environments. Students learn alongside veterinarians in private practices, specialty and emergency hospitals, ambulatory services, shelters, diagnostic facilities, and other approved clinical settings. The DVTP has progressed from program design to implementation. The College has established processes for approval and monitoring of affiliated veterinary instructional partners, development and training of clinical preceptors, assessment of student clinical performance, documentation of clinical experiences, and continuous evaluation of clinical learning environments. The Clinical Director will have the opportunity not simply to administer an existing program, but to lead and shape the people, systems, partnerships, and educational practices that will define USU's distributed clinical model. The College is seeking a veterinary leader who is energized by the opportunity to connect academic veterinary education with contemporary veterinary practice, lead a multidisciplinary program team, and build strong partnerships with practicing veterinarians who play an essential role in preparing students for successful entry into the profession. Applicants should submit: Curriculum vitae; Letter of application describing qualifications for the position and interest in leading distributed veterinary clinical education at Utah State University; and Names and contact information for professional references. The letter of application should specifically address the candidate's experience in veterinary leadership, supervision and team management, clinical education or mentorship, development of professional partnerships, and improvement of clinical learning or practice environments. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.