Director of Accreditation and Assessment

University of Texas at Austin

1d • $120,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Accreditation and Assessment oversees institutional effectiveness at UT Austin, including assessment of unit and student learning outcomes. The Director serves as the primary campus contact and designated accreditation liaison for The Commission, coordinates campus engagement with specialized accreditors, and leads academic program, unit, and general education assessment. The role has primary responsibility for ensuring and documenting the university’s compliance with accreditation requirements.

The position advances institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement by ensuring compliance and supporting assessment practices that produce reliable evidence for improving academic programs and administrative units. The Director advises leadership on accreditation implications of institutional and academic changes and follows approved university decision and submission processes. The position reports to the Associate Vice Provost for Academic Effectiveness.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in higher education, educational research, assessment and evaluation, public administration, or a related field.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in higher education accreditation, assessment, institutional effectiveness, or closely related work, including leadership of complex projects involving multiple units.
• Demonstrated experience preparing accreditation narratives or reports and organizing supporting evidence.
• Thorough working knowledge of The Commission’s Principles of Accreditation, reporting processes, and substantive change requirements.
• Experience developing or reviewing assessment plans, analyzing qualitative and quantitative evidence, and helping faculty or staff use findings to improve programs or services.
• Demonstrated project management skills and ability to write, edit, and format professional documents; meet deadlines; manage multiple, complex priorities; and work independently and as part of a team.
• Detail-oriented, with ability to work effectively with faculty, senior leaders, and external agencies, exercise sound judgment, and handle confidential information appropriately.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer without sponsorship.
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

• Doctorate in a relevant field.
• Experience at a large research university.
• Leadership of an institutional reaffirmation or interim reporting cycle.
• Institutional accreditation liaison experience.
• Supervisory experience.
• Experience with assessment management systems, including vendor management and campus launch, and Texas public higher education processes.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary campus resource and designated accreditation liaison for The Commission’s requirements, policies, procedures, reporting, and other accreditation matters.
• Lead university-wide planning, coordination, and documentation for reaffirmation, fifth-year interim review, annual reporting, substantive change processes, and other accreditation reporting requirements.
• Draft, review, and edit accreditation narratives, reports, and institutional documentation.
• Coordinate with campus partners to develop and implement internal procedures that ensure continued compliance with accreditation expectations.
• Maintain an accreditation calendar and organized evidence repository.
• Monitor changes in accreditation requirements and advise leadership on implications for policy, process, planning, and operations.
• Coordinate accreditation committees, reviewer visits, and follow-up activities; communicate requirements to campus units and route institutional commitments and official submissions through authorized university leadership.
• Lead academic program assessment, unit assessment, and administrative reviews.
• Oversee implementation and management of an integrated assessment system for educational programs and academic, student support, and administrative units within the assigned institutional scope.
• Work with faculty, deans, unit leaders, and university partners to maintain reliable evidence, strengthen assessment practices, and prepare timely institutional reports.
• Manage assessment data systems, including implementation, evidence collection, access, user support, and analysis and communication of findings for planning and improvement.
• Provide faculty and staff training on assessment design, curriculum mapping, rubrics, data analysis, and system use.
• Coordinate evidence retention with technology and records partners.
• Lead evaluation, selection, and vendor management of accreditation and assessment platforms and tools; plan and manage campus launch, training, and ongoing support in partnership with technology and procurement offices.
• Partner with the Office of Curriculum and Academic Administration on core curriculum assessment, institutional expectations, evidence quality, and accreditation reporting; coordinate with Institutional Research and other data owners to obtain validated data and avoid duplicate reporting.
• Maintain a process to identify and evaluate potential substantive changes affecting accreditation; coordinate required notifications, prospectuses, supporting evidence, deadlines, and approval tracking before implementation when applicable.
• Partner with relevant university offices, colleges, and schools to evaluate accreditation implications of new or modified programs, delivery methods, instructional locations, academic agreements, and program closures.
• Collaborate with the Director of CAA on changes affecting both state authorization and accreditation.
• Coordinate accreditation review of teach-out plans and agreements with responsible colleges and schools, CAA, and legal counsel; track external review status and communicate implementation conditions to responsible units.
• Advise on institutional requirements, maintain an inventory of specialized and programmatic accreditations and their review cycles, and coordinate with specialized accreditation leads in colleges and schools.
• Support applicable UT System and THECB assessment and accreditation reporting with the university offices responsible for those submissions.
• Supervise assigned staff, establish priorities, manage assigned resources, and evaluate performance.
• Identify staffing and technology needs and maintain procedures that support continuity of operations.
• Advise the Associate Vice Provost for Academic Effectiveness and other leaders on accreditation and assessment policies, priorities, and updates; communicate risks promptly and recommend practical solutions.
• Represent the office on assigned committees and external professional groups.
• Perform other related duties as assigned in support of accreditation, assessment, and institutional effectiveness.

Benefits

• Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) retirement plan eligibility, subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director