Senior Director of Institutional Research, Planning & Effectiveness

Senior Director of Institutional Research, Planning & Effectiveness

The Director of Institutional Research, Planning & Effectiveness position typically oversees institutional effectiveness, assessment, accreditation, and data-driven decision-making across the university. The core responsibilities are:

1. Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment

Develop and maintain the institution's comprehensive effectiveness framework

Coordinate assessment of student learning outcomes (SLOs) across all academic programs

Oversee program-level assessment plans and results

Aggregate assessment data and report findings to leadership and accreditors

Help faculty and departments use assessment results for continuous improvement

Ensure alignment between institutional mission, goals, and assessment activities

2. Accreditation & Compliance

Serve as liaison to regional and specialized accreditors

Prepare self-study reports and accreditation documentation

Coordinate institutional response to accreditation recommendations

Track compliance with accreditation standards

Manage accreditation timelines and evidence collection

Prepare for accreditation visits

3. Strategic Planning

Develop and maintain the institution's strategic plan

Align strategic goals with mission and accreditation standards

Coordinate strategic planning process with all stakeholders

Monitor progress on strategic initiatives

Publish annual strategic plan updates and progress reports

Connect strategic goals to budget and resource allocation

4. Institutional Research & Analytics

Collect, analyze, and report institutional data

Produce regular dashboards and reports (enrollment, retention, graduation, demographics, financial, etc.)

Conduct ad hoc research and analysis for decision-makers

Maintain data integrity and institutional databases

Benchmark against peer institutions

Publish fact books and data summaries

5. Program Review & Evaluation

Develop and oversee program review process (academic and administrative)

Coordinate annual or periodic reviews of all programs

Ensure reviews include student learning outcomes, enrollment, retention, costs

Help programs develop improvement plans based on review findings

Track implementation of improvement recommendations

Report program review results to leadership

6. Learning Outcomes & Curriculum Alignment

Develop institution-wide general education learning outcomes

Map program-level outcomes to institutional outcomes

Coordinate assessment of general education across disciplines

Work with faculty on outcomes development and rubric creation

Help departments document student achievement of learning outcomes

Use outcome data to inform curriculum improvements

7. Data & Reporting Systems

Oversee institutional data warehouse or systems

Ensure accurate, timely data collection and reporting

Provide training on data tools and dashboards

Maintain institutional research databases

Coordinate with IT on data systems and security

Publish regular reports (enrollment, retention, graduation, demographics, etc.)

8. Stakeholder Communication

Present data and findings to Board of Trustees

Brief senior leadership on institutional performance

Support department chairs with assessment and program review

Communicate effectiveness results to faculty and staff

Respond to data requests from various departments

Publish annual effectiveness reports

9. Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs)

Identify trends and areas for improvement

Support departments in implementing evidence-based changes

Track whether improvement initiatives are working

Conduct surveys (student satisfaction, employee engagement, etc.)

Use data to support institutional decision-making

10. Budget & Resource Alignment

Analyze resource allocation in relation to outcomes

Support evidence-based budgeting

Help justify resource requests with assessment data

Track ROI on institutional investments

Coordinate with CFO on budget decisions informed by effectiveness data

11. Staff Leadership & Team Management

Supervise IR/Assessment staff

Manage IRPE office budget and operations

Provide professional development for team

Coordinate with other departments (Registrar, Admissions, Finance, etc.)

Build collaborative relationships across campus

12. Professional Development & Best Practices

Stay current on institutional effectiveness trends and standards

Attend professional conferences (AIR, ACUHO, regional associations)

Share best practices with peers

Implement new assessment methods and tools

Mentor faculty and staff on assessment design

Key Competencies for the Director

Data analysis and interpretation

Strong writing and presentation skills

Leadership and collaboration

Knowledge of accreditation standards

Project management

Educational assessment expertise

Strategic thinking

Attention to detail

Minimum Qualifications
- Master's degree from an accredited university in a field requiring extensive use of statistics (e.g., statistics, data science, research methods, social science research, or related field). Minimum of five to seven years of experience…