Competencies for directors of allied health programs in academia

In this three-round Delphi study, a panel of allied health educators and administrators in academia validated 114 competency statements for directors of academic allied health programs. The statements were grouped into six administrator role categories and rated on a five-position scale, ranging from essential to not important. Statements were ranked according to their mean and median. High importance and consensus (means = greater than 4.00, SD = 0.75) were reached on 42 statements. Results showed that program directors must be competent fiscal officers, teachers, and faculty leaders. As resource developers, they should be competent managers of people, and they should be competent evaluators of their programs, faculty, and staff. Program directors should demonstrate competent organizational and interpersonal skills and should be receptive to both internal and external constituencies. This study was a first step in determining generic competencies appropriate for hiring, developing, and promoting directors of academic allied health programs.