Director of Institutional Effectiveness

St. Norbert College (SNC), a nationally ranked, private, Catholic, liberal arts college, in partnership with the national search firm Scott Healy & Associates, invites applications and nominations for the position of Director of Institutional Effectiveness.  This position directs the Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) which leads institutional research, accreditation compliance, and quality improvement efforts of the college. As the college’s lead data scientist, the Director facilitates the collection and analysis of institutional data to support informed, data-driven decision-making by college faculty, staff, and administrators.  In regard to accreditation, the Director leads, coordinates, and supports efforts to maintain institutional accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), including compliance monitoring and report submission.  In regard to assessment and program review, the Director provides data analysis, technical assistance and support to the Assistant Director for Assessment for the coordination, monitoring, and support of the assessment of student learning outcomes and the review process for academic programs. This position reports to the Vice President and Chief Academic Officer.

Responsibilities:

• Lead, coordinate, and support efforts to maintain institutional accreditation, including preparation of required major accreditation reports and annual updates to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Serve as a resource to the institution concerning HLC policies, procedures and requirements.

• Oversee the administration of external and locally developed higher education surveys as well as the statistical analysis, interpretation, and reporting of survey findings. Consult with stakeholders to design and implement in-house surveys, research projects, data analyses, and interactive data visualizations in service of institutional accreditation, assessment of student learning outcomes, effectiveness of strategic initiatives, institutional research, and strategic planning. Ensure adherence to college survey policy and federal ethical research standards.

• Use knowledge of institutional databases, as well as content and location of data, to produce accurate and timely information for program, division, and senior administrative College decision-making processes. Apply advanced methods of modeling and data mining to systematically identify patterns, trends, and causal relationships from data. Develop simulations based on relevant data and findings to support "What If" analyses. Conduct research with relevant college departments.

• Serve as the institution’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) keyholder and liaison to multiple campus units to collect and authenticate institutional data required by the U.S. Government; Department of Education (including Gainful Employment compliance), the Higher Learning Commission (institutional accreditors), the National Student ClearingHouse, US News and World Report, the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (WAICU), and others. Oversee the maintenance of the Common Data Set, Consumer Information Disclosures, and peer and aspirant benchmark comparison datasets.

• Work effectively with administration, faculty, staff, and students to coordinate necessary data collection. Manage department survey calendar to ensure consistent and timely collection of necessary data. Create and maintain archived institutional data files, particularly related to accreditation needs. Recommend data security and confidentiality as needed and where appropriate; maintain and create department processes to do so effectively; ensure FERPA and HIPPA requirements within the department’s work.

• Develop and maintain data queries in the campus-wide information system (BANNER). Construct and run data extraction reports (Business Objects). Collaborate with the Registrar, Financial Aid, Information Technology, Student Government Association, and other key stakeholders to ensure consistency and quality of data entry and maintenance, terminology and definitions. Monitor the department ticketing system and fulfill data requests.

• Ensure timely and effective dissemination of findings to appropriate institutional stakeholders. Translate findings into actionable insights for a variety of audiences. Create reports and presentations for college administrators, faculty, staff, and students. Create data visualizations and infographics on Tableau or Power BI. Provide data interpretation assistance when needed.

• Direct and supervise the work of assigned staff. Provide Banner and Business Objects training to department staff as needed. Maintain department budget and records; coordinate purchase of external surveys, assessment tests, and other products and tools required for department work. Serve as a member of appropriate committees.

• Monitor and participate in related professional networks such as the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS), the Association for Institutional Researchers (AIR), NCAA reporting, WAICU and others, to maintain or exceed industry standards, and enhance knowledge and skills in service of the duties and responsibilities mentioned above. Complete ongoing professional development as needed.

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in statistics, social sciences, data science, or a closely related field. Doctoral degree preferred.

• 5-7 years of experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research in an applied setting (e.g., institutional research, program assessment, and evaluation, survey research, etc.) and communicating research findings, particularly research related to higher education institutional initiatives, programs, and policies.

• Experience gathering, editing, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating statistical data and findings.

• Experience with technological tools utilized in institutional research (integrated/relational databases, data mining software, complex report writing and data extraction, statistical packages, presentation software, survey software, data visualization software, etc.).

• Experience in a leadership role, directing and supervising the work of others. Leadership at an academic institution is preferred.

• Knowledge of Accreditation policies, procedures, and contemporary higher education policy issues. Knowledge of the Higher Learning Commission’s policies and procedures is preferred.

• Knowledge of IPEDS reporting requirements and process

• Skilled in both qualitative and quantitative research design, implementation, and analysis, with the ability to translate research findings for institutional decision-making and policy analysis.

• Strong understanding of the data needs for historical archives and ability to predict and respond to institutional data requirements.

• Proficiency in working with campus information systems (e.g., Banner) and using software (like SAP Business Objects) to create and run reports, extract, and analyze data.

• Strong skills in data management, statistical analysis, and familiarity with tools like Qualtrics, R, SPSS, Python, SQL, and data visualization software (e.g., Tableau).

• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in managing, analyzing, and presenting data, identifying inconsistencies across sources.

• Expertise in gathering, synthesizing, and presenting data to diverse audiences, including creating reports and making presentations to large groups while maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information.

• Ability to multitask, prioritize, and meet deadlines.

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to present complex findings clearly and work support colleagues in using data to make informed decisions.

Application and Nomination Process:

All correspondence relating to the position should be directed in confidence to the College’s executive search consultant: Adam W. Barrett, Associate Vice President, Scott Healy & Associates ([email protected]).

A complete application should include the following:

• Cover Letter outlining your interest and qualifications for the position;

• Updated Resume;

• Three (3) professional references with contact information, title, institutional affiliation, email address, and direct phone numbers. (No references will be contacted without written permission from the candidate.)

Applications received by May 1, 2025 will receive priority consideration. The search will remain open until the position is filled.

The College offers an outstanding benefits package including health, dental, vision and life insurance; retirement plan; paid time-off and tuition waiver. For more information, please visit: https://www.snc.edu/hr/workinghere.html.

At SNC, our commitment to communio – the Norbertine ideal of a community united as one – is grounded in the principles of dignity, truth and justice. Consistent with these principles, St. Norbert is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment.