Senior Director of Institutional Research, Planning & Effectiveness

Posting Details

Posting Number: SF2583P

Position Title: Senior Director of Institutional Research, Planning & Effectiveness

Position Type: Professional/Salaried

Department: Institutional Research Planning and Effectiveness - Troy

Division: Finance and Administration

Campus: Troy

Work Status: Full-Time (FT)

Temporary: No

Location: Troy - T01

Job Summary: 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…