Director of Assessment, Academic Affairs

Title: Director of Assessment, Academic Affairs

VP Area: VP for Academic Affairs

Department: Assessment & Academic Initiative

Position Compensation: $79,920 - $88,800

Location: University Campus - St. Paul, Minnesota

Who We Are: Northwestern is a faith-driven community, unwavering in our Christ-centered principles and identity as those who profess faith in Jesus. Rooted in the unshakable foundation of God’s Word and our calling to impact His world, our mission and vision flow from these core values, expressed through Christ-centered higher education at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul and through gospel outreach and faithfulness with Northwestern Media.

Position Summary: The Director of Assessment provides leadership for the University’s institutional assessment and effectiveness efforts. This position collaborates with academic and administrative units to design, implement, evaluate, and communicate comprehensive assessment processes that support student learning and development across the full student experience—including curricular, co-curricular, and support services—as well as institutional effectiveness, accreditation, and evidence-based decision-making. The Director serves as a campus leader in fostering a culture of assessment and continuous improvement, promoting the systematic use of data, assessment technologies, and best practices to evaluate student engagement, success, and outcomes both inside and outside the classroom.

• Provide strategic leadership for the university’s assessment and institutional effectiveness efforts, ensuring alignment with institutional strategic planning and priorities while fostering a culture of evidence-based decision-making and continuous improvement across academic and administrative units.
• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive assessment processes and systems related to student learning outcomes, program review, institutional effectiveness, and quality assurance.
• Oversee assessment-related data systems, tools, and data governance practices to ensure data integrity, accessibility, and effective use of data to inform decision-making across the institution.
• Partner with faculty, academic leaders, and campus stakeholders to design meaningful assessment plans, analyze results, and ensure systematic documentation and follow-up on the use of findings to drive continuous improvement in student learning and institutional performance.
• Develop, implement, and maintain institutional policies, guidelines, and standards related to assessment and institutional effectiveness to ensure consistency, compliance, and best practices.
• Support accreditation and regulatory compliance activities by coordinating the collection, analysis, documentation, and reporting of assessment evidence for regional, specialized, and state requirements.
• Provide consultation, training, and professional development to faculty and staff on assessment practices, learning outcomes, data use, continuous improvement processes, and accreditation expectations.
• Lead the communication and utilization of assessment findings through reports, presentations, dashboards, and other tools, while managing departmental operations, personnel, budget resources, and committee work in support of institutional effectiveness initiatives.
• Perform other duties as requested or assigned.

Because our community is a significant part of our mission and the development of our students and listeners, all employees serve as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ by actively partnering with the University to disciple students as they grow intellectually and spiritually, and with Northwestern Media to lead people to Christ and nurture believers to maturity in their faith.

Required:

• Master’s degree in Education, Higher Education, Educational Research, Assessment, Institutional Effectiveness, or a related field.
• Minimum seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in higher education leadership.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience leading or managing assessment initiatives and accreditation processes in a higher education setting.
• Minimum of two…