Director of Institutional Research

About Us

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 Director of Institutional Research directs MGA's institutional research, data governance, and analytics functions. The Director supports the mission of MGA by reporting institutional data to federal, state, University System of Georgia, and other education agencies; administering and analyzing national and institutional surveys; developing predictive analytics and data visualization capabilities; and providing decision-support to institutional leadership. The Director establishes and enforces data governance standards, ensures the integrity and ethical use of institutional data, and plays an integral role in advancing MGA's compliance, reporting, and evidence-based decision-making agenda.

The Director reports to the Chief Planning Officer/Vice President for Institutional Strategy.

• Maintains databases, manages data, and creates reports designed to support institutional, federal, state, and University System of Georgia reporting requirements, including IPEDS and state accountability reports.
• Manages the response to ad hoc data requests from institutional leadership and campus stakeholders by extracting, compiling, analyzing, and reporting data on students, instructional offerings, and academic operations.
• Compiles and reports data on state and national trends in higher education.
• Compiles reports, tables, drafts, memos and presentations, and edits for clarity and content.
• Coordinates with University System of Georgia and campus information technology personnel to optimize and problem-solve the submission and reporting of institutional data.

• Develops and enforces data governance policies, standards, and stewardship practices in coordination with campus data owners.
• Champions the development of predictive analytics capability, including modeling for student success, enrollment forecasting, and resource optimization.
• Develops dashboards, scorecards, and data visualizations that communicate institutional performance and strategic plan progress to internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensures data accuracy, integrity, security, and compliance with FERPA and other applicable data privacy standards.

• Oversees the administration, analysis, and dissemination of national surveys (e.g., NSSE, CCSSE, HERI) and develops institution-specific survey instruments to support strategic planning and assessment.
• Conducts institutional research studies and analyses in support of academic and administrative decision-making.
• Assists with data, research, and evaluation activities for grant applications and management.

• Provides reliable and relevant data and information to facilitate and support institutional strategic planning, budgeting, program assessment, and the development of institutional policy decisions.
• Works with institutional stakeholders to ensure valid and reliable data accessibility necessary to inform system-level decision making.
• Collaborates with the Director of Institutional Effectiveness and the Chief Planning Officer/Vice President for Institutional Strategy to align data and analytics activities with strategic goals, performance metrics, and accountability structures.
• Provides analytical support for key strategic initiatives, including enrollment management, student success, academic program development, and resource allocation.