Director of Institutional Effectiveness

Virginia Commonwealth University and the Office of the Provost invites applicants and nominations for the Director of Institutional Effectiveness, who will report to the Assistant Vice Provost for Assessment & Institutional Effectiveness within Academic Programs.

Primary Purpose:

This position will coordinate a comprehensive institutional assessment program to support the university’s mission, vision, and strategic initiatives. Provides leadership for and coordinates activities related to planning, evaluation, assessment, and continuous improvement initiatives in academic and administrative units.

Responsibilities (may be modified from time to time as needed to support the office and team):

Academic Program Assessment:

• Provide expertise and support for faculty on the design, implementation, and analysis of student learning, including best practices in the assessment of student learning in higher education, reporting practices, and interpreting assessment results to guide improvements.

• Develop assessment initiatives that align with accreditation requirements and continuous improvement efforts including working with QEP initiatives and other Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) compliance requirements
• Establish collaborative working relationships with academic programs, assessment committees, assessment fellows, and other units to develop effective strategies for the academic assessment of student learning outcomes at general education and program levels

• Coordinate workshops, seminars, conversations, and other activities for faculty and academic programs in support of furthering a culture of assessment and increasing understanding of how assessment information can inform instruction and guide classroom teaching

• Develop and promote strategies to use program assessment results to foster improvement in student learning and success
• Assess the quality of academic assessment plans and reports to ensure they meet stated requirements and provide frequent reporting of assessment metrics

Institutional Effectiveness:

• Assist administrative units with developing relevant outcomes measures and performance targets and with documenting, tracking, and implementing recommendations for continuous improvement
• Develop resources for institutional effectiveness activities for staff and administrators (e.g., workshops, trainings, handbooks, procedures, etc)
• Contribute substantially to self-study efforts and reporting for accreditation
• Coordinates the compilation, analysis, and dissemination of institutional effectiveness data
• Communicate effectively to ensure that institutional planning, assessment, accreditation, and compliance operations are understood
• Support efforts in building an organizational culture of quality assurance activities in planning, evaluation, and continuous improvement

Accreditation and Compliance:

• Share responsibility with the Assistance Vice Provost for Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness for improving the effectiveness processes and services related to accreditation, including adherence to accreditation standards, academic policies, external regulatory agencies, and state and federal higher education regulations
• Develop and maintain publicly accessible information on student achievement in compliance with accreditation and/or state requirements
• Prepare results and findings for annual SACSCOC institutional progress reports
• Draft and/or complete relevant internal and external reports (e.g., SACSCOC annual institutional report, etc.)

Minimum Requirements:

• Master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with 3-5 years of professional experience in assessment, accreditation, program evaluation, and/or institutional research, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, administrators and students to provide support and consultation to individuals with a wide array of abilities and knowledge of assessment and institutional effectiveness principles and practices.
• Experience handling student data and maintaining security and confidentiality, and compliance with FERPA
• Must have a pleasant, positive, professional attitude and abide by the VCU Code of Conduct
• Experience with assessment software (Watermark Taskstream preferred)
• Ability to work independently on complex projects and make judgments about priorities
• Knowledge of best practice, current trends, and directions in assessment in higher education
• Ability to generate and/or recognize imaginative or creative solutions that generate successful outcomes
• Demonstrate experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU
• Prior experience or professional training in regional accreditation, preferably SACSCOC, and/or academic program accreditation (e.g., ABET, AACSB, CAEP, CACREP, ACEN, etc.)
• Quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis, data presentation, and reporting

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal communication (written and verbal) skills. Ability to facilitate collaborative interactions, negotiate, seek consensus, and achieve cooperation
• Strong analytical ability
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to handle multiple and competing priorities simultaneously, which may require frequent shifting of priorities but nonetheless requires completion of all projects
• Ability to execute transactions with tact and diplomacy
• Ability to function effectively as an integral part of a team
• Ability to understand the organizational and interpersonal impact of individual actions. Successful candidates will be self-aware and self-reflective, able to learn through observation and reflection, without having to rely on direct instruction
• Cultural competency: ability to work and communicate effectively with diverse community of students, faculty, and colleagues
• Ability to produce highly accurate reports, sometimes with little advance notice
• Ability to identify, analyze, and evaluate issues and devise appropriate solutions
• Ability to adapt to changing departmental or institutional needs
• Ability to plan and manage complex processes with multiple deadlines, contributors, and stakeholders
• Ability to coordinate activities that may include survey administration, data analysis, and use of assessment results
• Ability and willingness to learn new technologies for supporting assessment and institutional effectiveness including Watermark’s Outcomes Assessment Projects, Taskstream LAT, and Taskstream AMS

Preferred Requirements:

PhD in education, social sciences, or a related discipline and 5+ years of experience of increasing complexity in higher education assessment, accreditation, or institutional effectiveness.

Application Information:

All applicants should submit a CV/Resume, Cover Letter, Diversity Statement, & List of Professional References

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s generous benefits package that includes: competitive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, retirement planning, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, Virginia Retirement System (VRS), professional development, tuition waiver, parental leave, caregiving leave and community service leave. Explore our benefits further here: https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/benefits/university-and-academic-professional-benefits/