Director of Accreditation and Compliance

Director of Accreditation and Compliance

Spalding-McClure Academic Center (MAC) - Louisville, KY 40203

Position Type Full Time Education Level Master's Category Education

Spalding University seeks a detail-oriented and collaborative Director of Accreditation and Compliance to lead the institution's regional and programmatic accreditation efforts and to strengthen a culture of continuous compliance and institutional effectiveness. Reporting to the Provost and working closely with the Executive Director of Institutional Assessment and Planning. The Director serves as a central coordinator for the institution's accreditation relationship with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), manages compliance reporting and substantive change processes, and partners with faculty and administrators to ensure that institutional practices align with professional accreditor and federal requirements.

This role is well suited to a candidate who pairs strong writing and project-management skills with a working knowledge of higher education accreditation, and who can move fluidly between independent narrative work and cross-functional collaboration.

Essential Responsibilities

• Coordinate the institution's ongoing compliance with the SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation, including preparation and submission of the Compliance Certification, Fifth-Year Interim Report, and related reports.
• Serve as the principal support to the Provost as Accreditation Liaison, for communications with SACSCOC, including substantive change notifications, prospectuses, and annual institutional profile submissions.
• Manage the substantive change process — monitoring new and modified programs, instructional sites, and delivery methods to ensure timely notification and approval before implementation or financial commitment.
• Maintain institutional documentation, evidence files, and compliance narratives in an organized, audit-ready system.
• Coordinate programmatic accreditation activities across academic units, tracking standards, self-studies, site visits, and reporting deadlines.
• Support institutional effectiveness processes, including the collection, analysis, and reporting of assessment and student outcomes data.
• Monitor changes in accreditor standards and federal and state regulations (e.g., Title IV, CPE state authorization / NC-SARA) and advise leadership on implications.
• Partner with faculty, deans, and administrative offices to build accreditation literacy and embed compliance into routine operations.
• Prepare written reports, briefings, and presentations for senior leadership, faculty governance, and the Board of Trustees.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• Three or more years of experience in higher education with direct involvement in accreditation, compliance, institutional research, assessment, or a closely related area.
• Demonstrated knowledge of regional accreditation processes (SACSCOC experience strongly preferred).
• Exceptional writing, editing, and analytical skills, with the ability to translate complex requirements into clear, well-evidenced narratives.
• Strong project-management skills and the ability to manage multiple concurrent deadlines with a high degree of accuracy and discretion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Earned terminal degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent).
• Direct experience preparing a SACSCOC Compliance Certification, substantive change prospectus, or programmatic accreditation self-study.
• Familiarity with institutional research, assessment management systems, and federal data reporting (e.g., IPEDS).
• Experience working within faculty governance and across cross-functional institutional teams.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• High level of integrity and discretion in handling sensitive institutional information.
• Comfort working both independently and collaboratively across departments.
• Detail orientation balanced with the ability to recognize institutional patterns and priorities.
• Calm, organized approach to deadline-driven, high-stakes reporting cycles.