Director of Admissions School of Dental Medicine

The School of Dental Medicine is composed of ten administrative offices and four academic departments. The Administrative units include the Offices of the Dean, Vice Dean, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Associate Dean for Research, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Associate Dean for Extramural Clinical Practices, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Assistant Dean for Dental Education and Informatics, Assistant Dean for Academic Success and the Assistant Dean for Business Operations and Financial Affairs. The four academic departments are Surgical Sciences, Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, General Dentistry and Foundational Sciences.

Included in the mission of the School of Dental Medicine is to educate dental care providers (both dental students and dental residents) and to address the oral health care needs in rural populations of North Carolina. The School of Dental Medicine meets these missions by operating dental clinics that provide both educational experiences for the dental students and residents and provides dental care to the residents of North Carolina. These clinics occur in both Ross Hall in Greenville, North Carolina, as well as Community Service-Learning Centers located throughout North Carolina. To operate these clinics, appropriate dental auxiliaries and clinical staff are needed.

The Director of Admissions oversees and manages all aspects of the student admissions operations for the School of Dental Medicine, with an emphasis on recruiting, admitting and enrolling academically qualified students from rural areas who aspire to be primary care dentists, serving as leaders in rural communities across the State of North Carolina.

The Director Is the primary individual responsible for the admissions process, reporting directly to the Assistant/Associate Dean. The Director has substantial autonomy and continuing involvement in development and implementing admissions policies and procedures.

Although the admissions activities technically end when students matriculate, the Director of Admissions maintains a strong supportive relationship with admitted students throughout their time of enrollment in the School and as they go on to become alumni of the School. The Director also plays a vital leadership role within the SoDM's Office of Student Affairs.

Job Knowledge: (20%)

Maintains a broad knowledge of the context of dental education, as well as a general understanding of the various educational models implemented within dental education; an overall understanding of the SoDM's DMD curriculum and the challenges and opportunities faced by dental students on a daily basis; and the similarities and differences between the SoDM's curriculum and the curricula offered at other US dental schools.

Maintains knowledge of pre-dental course requirements and feeder institution-specific course nuances, subject content and format of the Dental Admission Test ( DAT), and the wide range of preparatory materials and review courses available for individuals who take the DAT.

Maintains knowledge of processes and phases of the AADSAS application.

Data Analysis and Reporting: (15%)

Designs and prepares internal reports for the Admissions Committee, the SoDM faculty, the Dean and the Provost.

Prepares and submits reports, as required, to such agencies and organizations as the American Dental Association ( ADA), the American Dental Education Association ( ADEA), the Commission on Dental Accreditation ( CODA), Institutional Planning and Research ( IPAR).

Compliance: (5%)

Ensures that all recruitment and admissions processes and practices fully comply with appropriate legal, regulatory (federal, state and institutional) and accreditation standards (e.g., Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, HIPAA, Commission on Dental Accreditation).

Admissions Operations: (40%)

Directs all aspects of admissions operations, including interfaces with the Associated American Dental Schools' Application Service ( AADSAS, the national application service for dentistry), Web Admit (national software for managing dental admissions data), the UNC System Residency Determination Services, and Certiphi (for criminal background checks).

Provides training for support staff and oversees support staff as they process and preliminarily review applications.

Conducts final review of applications before they are sent to the Associate/Assistant Dean for review.

Analyzes admissions data, and prepares reports for Admissions Committee, the Dean, the University and external stakeholders (e.g., ADEA, AADSAS, American Dental Association).

Develops programs to support ongoing development training for Admissions Committee members.

Fluently uses all digital technology in current operations and develops innovations to further leverage technology for managing admissions operations and in communicating with prospective students and other stakeholders.

Benchmarks SoDM admissions operations, makes comparison with peer institutions, and develops and implements program modifications to enhance the SoDM's systems.

Ensures that all admissions operations are in fully alignment with, and support the achievement of, the SoDM vision and mission.

Communication: (10%)

Manages interactions and communications with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including: the Office of the Chancellor, Board of Trustees' members, other state agencies, pre-dental students, program applicants and their pre-health professions advisors, and enrolled students and their families.

Provides guidance for support staff who responds to inquiries from prospective students regarding admissions requirements; directly responds to more complex questions and unprecedented requests that support staff cannot address.

Authorizes exceptions to standard protocols (e.g., specific admissions requirements) where appropriate.

Counsels prospective students and unsuccessful applicants, analyzing individual students' needs and backgrounds for individual course selection, guiding them in developing plans for future successful admission.

Outreach and Recruitment: 10%

Develops goals and implements plans for outreach and recruitment activities for the SoDM, particularly with respect to the School's goal of enrolling students from varied groups.

Directs the SoDM's Preparing Tomorrow's Dentists pathway program and expands current pathway program offerings.

Implements use of customer relationship management ( CRM) system to track prospective students and recruitment outcomes.

Explores additional funding resources to support recruitment efforts.
Travel to schools, colleges, events, and other programs.

Contingent upon the availability of funding.

Master's degree in education, communications, student services or related field with at least two years of leadership experience in recruitment or admissions; or a Bachelor's degree with four years of progressive experience in college admissions or recruitment.

Demonstrated experience collaborating with a wide array of individuals to include students, faculty, staff, administrators, and the community.

Excellent oral and written communication skills; effective interpersonal skills.

Demonstrated experience supervising staff, meeting deadlines, and solving problems independently.

Demonstrated experience managing a wide range of tasks and requests simultaneously in a short period of time.

Demonstrated experience independently managing highly confidential and sensitive matters on a daily basis.

Position requires a valid driver's license or the ability to obtain one within 30 days of the date of hire. A valid driver's license must be maintained as a condition of employment.

Demonstrated experience in dental or health professions education setting, preferably in professional school admissions or student affairs.

Technological fluency

East Carolina University requires applicants to submit a candidate profile online in order to be considered for the position. In addition to submitting a candidate profile online, please submit online the required applicant documents:

Curriculum Vitae
Letter of Interest
List of Three References (noting contact information)

Questions can be directed to:

Deb Himmelfarb, himmelfarbd@ecu.edu, search committee chair

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

In order to be considered for this position, applicants must complete a candidate profile online via the PeopleAdmin system and submit any requested documents. Additionally, applicants that possess the preferred education and experience must also possess the minimum education/experience, if applicable.

East Carolina University is committed to workforce success and cultivating a culture of care for our employees. ECU prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment based on race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation, and veteran status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their protected veteran status or disability.

Individuals requesting accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act ( ADAAA) should contact the ADA Coordinator at (252) 737-1018 (Voice/ TTY) or ADA-Coordinator@ecu.edu.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. ECU participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Department for People Operations, Success, and Opportunity at (252) 328-9847 or toll free at 1-866-489-1740 or send an email to employment@ecu.edu. Our office is available to provide assistance Monday-Friday from 8:00-5:00 EST.