Director, Office of International Students and Visiting Scholars

United States — International Student Market

1.2M inbound students (2025) +3%

1. India 363K

2. China 266K

3. South Korea 42K

4. Canada 30K

5. Vietnam 26K

9 international branch campuses in United States

ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. This position requires the employee to be a professing Christian and to be willing to support the Christian mission of ACU. Scope:
Provides leadership and day-to-day administration of ACU’s Office of International Students and Visiting Scholars (OISVS), including institutional compliance for the university’s F-1 and J-1 programs, international student and scholar immigration services, office systems and processes, and related university partnerships. This is a hands-on director role responsible for both leading the function and personally performing many of its core operational and administrative responsibilities.

Serves as ACU’s Primary Designated School Official (PDSO) and Responsible Officer (RO) and is responsible for maintaining effective institutional controls, advising university stakeholders, processing and overseeing immigration-related matters, and ensuring responsive service to ACU’s international students and scholars.

Basic Responsibilities

Lead and administer the university’s international student and visiting scholar immigration compliance function and serve as ACU’s PDSO and RO for the F-1 and J-1 programs. Provide leadership for the operations, priorities, systems, procedures, and continuous improvement of OISVS. Advise university leaders, faculty, staff, students, and scholars on complex immigration and related compliance matters and coordinate institutional responses with appropriate federal agencies.

Develop strong partnerships across Admissions, academic programs, Student Life, Research, Risk and Compliance, and other university offices to support international students and scholars from admission through completion of their ACU experience. Lead and develop office personnel and designated university officials, ensuring appropriate training, delegation, accountability, and continuity of operations.

Essential Duties

• Direct Institutional Immigration Compliance and Regulatory Oversight Serve as ACU’s Primary Designated School Official (PDSO) for the F-1 program and Responsible Officer (RO) for the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, maintaining institutional compliance with applicable U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of State requirements. Interpret and apply federal regulations and agency guidance; establish and maintain office procedures and internal controls necessary to support compliant institutional practices.
  
  Exercise appropriate institutional authority for immigration benefits and records, including I-20s and DS-2019s, extensions, reduced course loads, employment authorization recommendations, practical training, transfers, and other authorized benefits. Serve as the university’s principal resource and liaison for complex F-1 and J-1 matters, including communication with government agencies and coordination with university counsel or other compliance functions when appropriate. Monitor regulatory developments and assess their operational impact, communicating changes and recommended institutional responses to affected university stakeholders.
  
  Ensure relevant export control and research security screening processes are incorporated into onboarding and review of applicable international graduate students, scholars, researchers, and visitors in coordination with the university’s research security and export control functions. Other duties may be assigned.
• Provide Strategic and Operational Leadership for OISVS Set office priorities and translate university objectives and regulatory requirements…