Director of Accreditation, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness

Marymount University • Lexington, MA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Sr. Director of Academic Financial Affairs, the Director of Accreditation, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness provides leadership and oversight for institutional accreditation, strategic planning, assessment, and continuous improvement. This position serves as the official institutional liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and ensures institutional compliance with all accreditation standards, policies, and reporting requirements. The Director plays a critical role in fostering a culture of evidence, effectiveness, and continuous quality improvement across the institution.

Requirements

• Master’s degree required; doctorate preferred, in higher education, educational leadership, assessment, or related field.
• Demonstrated experience with SACSCOC accreditation, including direct involvement in reaffirmation, interim reporting, or substantive change.
• Strong knowledge of institutional effectiveness, assessment methodologies, and continuous improvement practices.
• Excellent written, verbal, organizational, and project management skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience serving as an institutional SACSCOC liaison or accreditation lead.
• Experience coordinating accreditation site visits or peer review processes.
• Familiarity with accreditation management or assessment software systems.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary institutional liaison to SACSCOC, maintaining regular communication with assigned SACSCOC staff and peer evaluators.
• Interpret, monitor, and disseminate SACSCOC principles, standards, policies, and substantive change requirements to campus stakeholders.
• Lead planning, coordination, and preparation of all SACSCOC-related reports, including but not limited to: Fifth-Year Interim Reports Decennial Reaffirmation of Accreditation reports Monitoring reports and follow-up documentation Substantive Change prospectuses and notifications
• Coordinate on-site, virtual, or off-site SACSCOC review visits, including logistics, documentation, and institutional response.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of all accreditation materials and correspondence.
• Advise senior leadership on accreditation risks, compliance issues, and regulatory implications.
• Lead the Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (PIE), whose work includes institutional research and decision support, program review, review of administrative units, student learning outcomes assessment, accreditation, and strategic plan evaluation and support.
• Direct the institution’s planning, institutional effectiveness framework, including assessment of: Student learning outcomes Administrative and academic unit effectiveness Program-level and institutional-level outcomes Enrollment data and reporting
• Ensure assessment practices align with SACSCOC expectations for ongoing, systematic, and documented improvement.
• Oversee leadership, training, and guidance to faculty and staff on assessment design, data collection, analysis, and use of results.
• Review assessment reports and ensure evidence of data-informed decision-making and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Providing oversight of institutional information and data resources to ensure integrity, accuracy, usability, and compliance with widely understood and accepted best practices
• Oversee accurate reporting of institutional data and information to federal, state, and local governments, nonprofit organizations, publications, and other requestors
• Oversee the development of innovative resources and data visualizations to effectively communicate data and information with internal and external stakeholders
• Plan and coordinate new strategic initiatives and provide support for university-wide strategic planning efforts, including development and reporting of key performance indicators and progress toward goals
• Align strategic planning, budgeting, assessment, and accreditation activities to support institutional goals and mission fulfillment.
• Track progress on strategic initiatives and prepare reports for executive leadership, governing boards, and accrediting bodies.
• Promote a culture of accountability, transparency, and evidence-based planning.
• Collaborate with institutional research, academic affairs, student affairs, and administrative units to ensure accurate and consistent data reporting.
• Support compliance with state, federal, and system-level reporting requirements as they relate to accreditation and effectiveness.
• Oversee the maintenance of organized and accessible accreditation and assessment documentation repositories.
• Serve on institutional committees related to accreditation, assessment, strategic planning, and compliance.
• Act as a resource and advisor to senior leadership, deans, department chairs, and program directors.
• Supervise staff or coordinate cross-functional teams as assigned.

Benefits

• Marymount offers a comprehensive and flexible benefits program designed to support the health, well-being, and work-life balance of our benefit-eligible faculty, staff, and their eligible dependents.
• The University’s retirement plan includes a diversified portfolio of investment options, with a University match of up to 3% of employee pretax contributions for full-time employees.
• In addition to competitive health and welfare benefits, Marymount offers flexible and hybrid work arrangements for eligible positions, allowing up to two remote workdays per week.

What This Job Offers

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