Director of Assessment and Institutional Research

Southern Oregon University • Ashland, OR

15d • $90,000 - $115,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Assessment and Institutional Research is a pivotal leadership role responsible for advancing the university's strategic priorities through robust institutional assessment, comprehensive accreditation oversight, and strategic institutional research. This position serves as the primary architect and steward of the university's continuous improvement efforts, ensuring that data informs decision-making, supports mission alignment, and demonstrates institutional effectiveness to internal and external stakeholders, including the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The Director will lead the collection, analysis, and dissemination of critical institutional data, providing actionable insights to support enrollment management, academic program review, strategic planning, and operational efficiency.

Requirements

• Master's degree from an accredited institution in a relevant field such as Higher Education Administration, Educational Leadership, Public Policy, Statistics, Social Sciences, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research, institutional effectiveness, or assessment within a higher education setting.
• Demonstrated experience with regional accreditation processes, preferably with NWCCU, including direct involvement in self-study preparation and reporting.
• Proven experience in collecting, managing, analyzing, and reporting complex institutional data, including enrollment, student success, and operational metrics.
• Experience with IPEDS reporting and other federal/state compliance reporting.
• Experience supervising and developing professional staff.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build collaborative relationships with faculty, staff, and students across all levels of the institution.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist.
• Expressed ability to work with frequent changes in policies and procedures while under pressure of deadlines.
• Strong analytical and research skills; demonstrated ability to gather, evaluate, and to develop well-reasoned conclusions and recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems.
• Great ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information.
• Must be able to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
• Takes initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters
• Demonstrated ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the demonstrated ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments and meet deadlines in a fast paced time-sensitive environment.
• Excellent computer skills and proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, online systems, social media platforms, Internet as well as online calendaring and email.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere in and outside the University with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to work effectively in a heavily bureaucratic environment which requires regular interaction with a number of levels within the organization and multiple outside agencies.
• Working knowledge or ability to quickly learn, university infrastructure, policies, and procedures.
• Demonstrated skills in an institutional/educational environment utilizing a customer-oriented and service-centered attitude.
• Deep understanding of higher education trends, institutional effectiveness principles, accreditation standards (NWCCU), and best practices in institutional research.
• Analytical Thinking: Ability to interpret complex data, identify patterns, draw logical conclusions, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Communication: Exceptional ability to communicate data and analytical insights effectively through written reports, presentations, and verbal discussions.
• Project Management: Strong organizational skills to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines.
• Collaboration and Influence: Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, build consensus, and influence data-informed decision-making.
• Problem-Solving: Proactive and creative approach to identifying and solving complex institutional challenges.
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced skills in data manipulation, statistical analysis, and reporting tools.
• Ethical Conduct: Commitment to data integrity, confidentiality, and ethical research practices.
• Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
• Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs.
• May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.
• Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check.

Nice To Haves

• Doctorate (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) in a relevant field.
• Experience as an Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) for NWCCU.
• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI).
• Familiarity with the unique characteristics and challenges of regional public universities.
• Proficiency with SPSS, R, SAS and/or advanced Excel for data analysis.
• Proficiency with Banner or Workday systems and business intelligence tools.

Responsibilities

• Leads, manages, and coordinates all aspects of the university's institutional assessment processes for academic programs, administrative units, and co-curricular activities, ensuring alignment with the university's mission and strategic goals.
• Serves as the Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), overseeing all aspects of the accreditation cycle, including preparing and submitting comprehensive self-study reports, interim reports, and substantive change proposals.
• Ensures ongoing compliance with NWCCU standards and policies, proactively identifying areas for improvement and developing strategies to address them.
• Develops and implements a systematic, cyclical assessment plan that integrates institutional planning, resource allocation, and continuous improvement.
• Provides training, guidance, and support to academic and administrative units on assessment methodologies, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Facilitates the use of assessment results for program review, curriculum enhancement, and evidence-based decision-making across the university.
• Manages and maintains institutional assessment data and documentation to demonstrate effectiveness and support accreditation requirements.
• Serve as ex-officio member of relevant university committees related to institutional effectiveness and assessment.
• Directs and manages the university's Institutional Research (IR) function, including the collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of institutional data to support strategic planning, operational effectiveness, and external reporting.
• Oversees the comprehensive collection and analysis of all enrollment data, including applications, admissions, matriculation, retention, progression, and graduation rates, providing timely reports and predictive models to inform enrollment management strategies.
• Manages all federal, state, and other external reporting requirements, including WICHE, SARA, NWCCU, HECC and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) surveys, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Develops and maintains a robust data infrastructure, including data definitions, data dictionaries, and data governance policies, in collaboration with IT and other relevant departments.
• Responds to ad-hoc data requests from university leadership, academic departments, administrative units, and external agencies, providing accurate and insightful analyses.
• Conducts institutional studies and analyses on key topics such as student success, faculty workload, resource utilization, and peer comparisons to support decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Utilizes advanced analytical and statistical methods to identify trends, forecast outcomes, and provide actionable recommendations.
• Presents complex data and analytical findings clearly and effectively to diverse audiences, including executive leadership, faculty, and staff.
• Collaborates closely with the Provost, Provost’s Leadership Council, President's Cabinet and other university leaders to align assessment and IR activities with institutional priorities.
• Stays current with best practices in institutional effectiveness, assessment, accreditation, and institutional research in higher education.
• Contributes to the university's strategic planning processes by providing data-driven insights and analytical support.
• Fosters a culture of data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement across the institution.
• Supervise and mentor IR staff and student workers, fostering their professional development.

Benefits

• SOU’s very generous benefits and pension programs available to eligible positions, please visit https://inside.sou.edu/assets/hrs/Benefits/Benefit_Flyer/2024_Prospective_Candidate_Benefit_Overview_012024.pdf
• Our benefits package is an important complement to the offered salary and our Total Compensation Calculator, https://inside.sou.edu/hrs/comp-calc.html, demonstrates our value and commitment to our employees.

What This Job Offers

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