Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Data Analytics

Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Data Analytics

Middle Georgia State University (MGA), a multi-campus, baccalaureate and graduate degree-granting public institution, is the most affordable public state university in Georgia. MGA has five campuses-Macon, Cochran, Dublin, Eastman, and Warner Robins, all located in central Georgia-and global outreach through its fully-online campus. Its enrollment of 8,400 students is largely comprised of students from most of Georgia's 159 counties. The University has six academic schools, including Georgia's flagship aviation program, that support its mission to educate and graduate inspired, lifelong learners whose scholarship and careers enhance the state.

The Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Data Analytics provides leadership for institutional effectiveness (IE) functions across the enterprise, while also overseeing the Office of Institutional Research (IR). Reporting directly to the Chief Planning Officer/Vice President for Institutional Strategy, this position serves as a critical partner in integrated strategic planning, accreditation, and evidence-based decision-making.

The Executive Director is responsible for building a comprehensive IE framework that establishes consistent divisional-level assessment practices aligned with the university’s strategic priorities. Concurrently, this position will lead the restructuring and modernization of the IR function to encompass traditional reporting, national and institutional survey implementation and development, and the emerging area of predictive analytics.

• Develop and implement a university-wide institutional effectiveness framework that integrates assessment, program review, and continuous improvement processes across all divisions.
• Establish divisional IE practices and assessment protocols that align with institutional strategic priorities and accreditation standards.
• Partner with academic and administrative units to build a culture of evidence-based decision-making and continuous quality improvement.
• Serve as a key contributor to institutional and programmatic accreditation processes.
• Design and deliver professional development opportunities to build institutional capacity for assessment, planning, and data-informed practice.
• Develop and deliver regular reports and briefings to the President's Cabinet on institutional effectiveness outcomes, survey findings, and analytics insights, in coordination with the Vice President for Institutional Strategy, to inform strategic decision-making and institutional priorities.

• Provide strategic direction and supervisory oversight for the Office of Institutional Research.
• Lead the restructuring of the IR function into three core areas: (1) traditional/compliance reporting, (2) national and institutional survey implementation and development, and (3) predictive analytics.
• Ensure timely, accurate completion of all federal, state, and system-level mandatory reporting requirements (e.g., IPEDS, state accountability reports, system data submissions).
• Oversee the administration, analysis, and dissemination of national surveys (e.g., NSSE, CCSSE, HERI) and develop institution-specific survey instruments to support strategic planning and assessment.
• Champion the development of a predictive analytics capability, including early-stage modeling for student success, enrollment forecasting, and resource optimization.
• Serve as a key participant in institutional data governance efforts, contributing to the development and enforcement of data policies, standards, and stewardship practices.

• Serve as a key member of the institutional strategy team, contributing directly to the development, implementation, and monitoring of the university’s integrated strategic plan.
• Collaborate with the Vice President for Institutional Strategy to align IE and IR activities with strategic goals, performance metrics, and accountability structures.
• Develop dashboards, scorecards, and data visualizations that communicate institutional performance and strategic plan progress to internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide analytical support for key strategic initiatives, including enrollment management, student success, academic program development, and resource allocation.
• Represent the institution on system-level committees, consortia, and professional organizations as appropriate.

• Master's degree in higher education administration, institutional research, data analytics, public administration, or a closely related field from a regionally accredited institution.

• Demonstrated expertise in accreditation processes, preferably with SACSCOC or a comparable regional accreditor.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state reporting requirements in higher education (e.g.,…