The Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation at the University of North Dakota provides on campus leadership, vision, and administrative oversight for the processes related to assessing the university’s performance relative to its mission, vision, values, and strategic goals. The Director fosters, builds, and promotes a culture of comprehensive assessment at UND and provides leadership and administrative oversight to UND’s institutional accreditation efforts. The Director will be expected to (1) support the ongoing assessment of student learning outcomes at the curricular and departmental levels; (2) maintain continued compliance with all Higher Learning Commission policies and expectations; (3) lead the institution through institutional accreditation processes; (4) serve, as needed, as central support to colleges and departments in their national and/or professional accreditation initiatives; (5) oversee UND data collection processes required for the effective assessment of the Essential Studies (ES) program (UND’s general education program); and (6) coordinate and/or produce, under the direction of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Student Success, and in cooperation with University Analytics and Planning, the reports and analyses needed to fulfill the objectives above.

The Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation serves as the lead advocate for excellence in accreditation and assessment efforts at the University of North Dakota. The Director collaborates with the Assessment and Accreditation Specialist to encourage and support best practices in assessment in both Academic and Student Affairs and across the institution. The Director will work closely with the Director of Essential Studies to support and maintain high-quality and meaningful assessment protocols in support of the ES program. Additionally, the Director will work directly with faculty and staff at UND to advocate for and champion meaningful and sustainable assessment practices across Academic Affairs and to ensure compliance with all related policy, regulation, and HLC criteria.

The Director reports directly to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Student Success, assisting academic leadership throughout the university to develop, promote, and achieve strategic initiatives and innovation in assessment, and works closely with the University Assessment Committee (UAC), academic units, faculty, and staff to ensure annual assessment reporting.

Position Benefits

Benefits include single or family health care coverage (UND pays the full premium), life insurance, employee assistance program, retirement plans with generous employer contributions, annual & sick leave in addition to 10 paid holidays.

Optional benefits include supplemental life, dental, vision, flexible spending account, supplemental retirement plans.

UND also offers an employee tuition waiver and a variety of professional development opportunities.

Find out more about UND's great benefits and perks here!

Duties & Responsibilities

Oversight of all institutional assessment of student learning, including co-curricular student learning.
Refine current comprehensive assessment practices to create an efficient and effective system that makes use of current assessment applications and software (Taskstream/Planning & Self Study by Watermark), technologies and data.
Provide leadership for assessment of student learning in all institutional programs, including graduate programs, undergraduate programs, certificate programs, and academic support programs.
Ensures that meaningful, appropriate/accurate data and supporting documentation is available to meet the decision-making needs of each College.
Create an efficient and streamlined plan for co-curricular student learning assessment. Work with Assessment & Accreditation Specialist to develop ways to engage the campus in assessment and increase annual assessment reporting across campus.
Coordinates program-wide systems of academic and service area institutional effectiveness plans; provides orientation, training, and support to departments in designing institutional effectiveness processes.
Work with the leadership of University Analytics and Planning on all matters related to assessment, accreditation, and related compliance and reporting requirements, and coordinate with UAP on the development and advocacy of a framework of institutional processes tied to the assessment of institutional mission, vision, and strategic priorities;
Serve on relevant UND committees as needed and assigned including representative on North Dakota General Education Council.
Oversight for all institutional accreditation expectations.
Provide leadership for all institutional accreditation activities required by the Higher Learning Commission.
Maintain currency with evolving HLC requirements and expectations.
As needed, submit program permission requests to the HLC (e.g., for distance programs, certificate programs, new degree programs or modalities).
Ensure timely responses to HLC reports and reviews submitted to the institution.
Coordinate and oversee site visits as needed.
Act as the institution’s Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO).
Provide central support and coordination, when needed, for college, departmental, or program-specific national and professional accreditation efforts.
Work with faculty to develop appropriate student assessments/artifacts to measure Essential Studies (ES) learning outcomes.
Manage training of VALUE rubrics for each ES learning goal.
Collaborate with the Director of Essential Studies on regular collection of assessment data.
Process VALUE Rubric data through digital collection (currently Qualtrics) and reporting.
Ensure that meaningful, appropriate/accurate data and supporting documentation is available to meet the decision-making needs of the program.

Required Competencies

Ability to analyze complex problems, interpret operational needs, and develop integrated, creative, and innovative solutions
Excellent written and verbal communication
Strong leadership skills
Good interpersonal skills, patience, and the ability to guide individuals who have a wide variety of skill levels through the adoption and implementation of new assessment protocols and software deployments
Advanced verbal and written communication skills and the ability to present effectively to small and large groups
In-depth understanding of assessment and accreditation practices in higher education
Knowledge and strategies to articulate learning outcomes
Ability to report assessment data in digestible ways
Ability to quickly learn new software
Strong qualitative and quantitative skills

Minimum Requirements

Master’s degree
At least 2 years of experience with higher education accreditation
At least 2 years of experience in higher education assessment
Successful completion of criminal history records check.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the US and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Preferred Qualifications

Doctorate degree
Three or more years of higher education accreditation experience
Three or more years of higher education assessment experience
Experience preparing high-level quantitative & qualitative analyses of data that focus on critical academic metrics relevant to the higher education community
Predictive analytics experience
Experience with using and training faculty and staff on
Taskstream/Planning & Self Study by Watermark
Experience with using and training faculty and staff on Taskstream/Planning & Self Study by Watermark

To Apply

The search is being assisted by Academic Search. For additional information about this opportunity, please review the position profile, which includes a full list of required and desired characteristics for the Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation at www.academicsearch.org under the “Open Searches” tab.

Application materials should include a cover letter addressing the qualifications and leadership characteristics listed in the position profile, a current, long-form resume or curriculum vita (showing relevant administrative responsibilities and accomplishments) and the names, phone numbers and addresses of at least five professional references, with an indication of the candidate’s relationship to each reference. References will not be contacted until a later stage in the search, and only with the candidate’s foreknowledge. Nominations and application materials should be sent to UNDDirector@academicsearch.org.

Confidential discussions about this opportunity may be arranged by contacting senior consultant Jerry Israel (jerry.israel@academicsearch.org). The position is open until filled, but only applications received by February 14, 2023, can be assured full consideration.

Additional Information

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All information listed in this position announcement will be used by Human Resources, the Hiring Department, and EO/Title IX for screening, interviewing and selection purposes.

Confidentiality of Application Materials

Pursuant to NDCC 44-04-18.27, applications and any records related to the applications that identify an applicant are confidential, except records related to the finalists of the position, which are open to the public after the search committee has identified the top three or more finalists who will be invited to campus.

EEO Statement

The University of North Dakota is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or other protected characteristic. Women, minorities, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of other underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants are invited to provide information regarding their gender, race and/or ethnicity, veteran’s status and disability status as part of the application process. This information will remain confidential and separate from your application.

Veteran’s Preference

Veterans claiming preference must submit all proof of eligibility by the closing date. Proof of eligibility includes a DD-214 showing character of service or NGB 22 and if claiming disabled status, a current letter of disability from the VA dated within the last 12 months.

Clery Statement

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the University of North Dakota publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report includes the university’s policies, procedures, and programs concerning safety and security, as well as three years of crime statistics for our campus. As a prospective employee, you are entitled to a copy of this report. The report and statistical data can be found online at UND.edu. You may also request a paper copy of the report from the UND Police Department located at 3851 Campus Road, Grand Forks, ND, 58202.

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