Director of Institutional Effectiveness, Institutional Research

Company: Wake Forest University
Location: Winston Salem
Posted on: January 25, 2025

Job Description:

Application Instructions:External Applicants: Please upload your resume on the Apply screen. Your application will automatically populate your resume details, and you may verify and update data on the My Information page. Please add your cover letter and any other documents required for the position to the Resume/CV document upload section at the bottom of the My Experience application page. Use the Select Files button to add multiple documents including your cover letter and supporting documents. The My Experience page is the only opportunity to add your cover letter and supporting document attachments. You will not be able to modify your application after you submit it. Current Employees: Apply from your existing Workday account. Do not apply from the website. Log in to Workday. Click on the Jobs Hub and select Browse Jobs. Locate the position and click Apply. Update your Education and Job History.** Cover letter required for all positions and optional for facilities, campus services, and hospitality positions unless otherwise specified.Job Description SummaryThis full-time, 12-month position at the university, located within the provost's division and reporting to the Assistant Provost for Institutional Research, the Director of Institutional Effectiveness, provides leadership and coordination for institutional effectiveness assessment in support of the university's mission, strategic planning, student learning, and continuous improvement efforts. A new position, the Director will bring vision and creativity to institutional strategies for assessment and work collaboratively with academic and administrative offices to build culture, capacity, and integration of assessment systems and processes.

This position will also provide leadership and support for the systemic use and analysis of assessment data to inform decision-making, such as through the preparation of reports informing campus leadership of issues and trends, achievement of outcomes, the implementation and evaluation of strategic initiatives, as well as accreditation needs.

The Director forms strong partnerships with academic and administrative faculty or staff engaged in local or collaborative assessment and effectiveness projects. The Director will guide academic programs, student support, and other offices in the creation of quality assessment tools and standards, including the management and use of assessment data, to measure program effectiveness and facilitate improvement.Job DescriptionEssential Functions:

• Provide leadership and expertise in the processes of measuring, evaluating, and improving institutional effectiveness in support of the university's mission.
• Provide consultation to various departments and offices in developing, operationalizing, and processing assessment projects related to the evaluation of university programs and services, including the assessment of learning outcomes.
• Coordinate institution-wide student learning improvement efforts, including establishing expectations for the application of assessment software to learning assessment and improvement.
• Work with campus partners and university leadership to facilitate aspects of strategic planning assessment including the collection, review, and analysis of reported results.
• Provide support, encouragement, and guidance on the quality of assessment plans and reports to ensure they meet stated and accreditation requirements and the necessary frequency of assessment metrics.
• Facilitate and enhance institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement processes for administrative and educational support services.
• Serve as a central resource providing orientation and training on qualitative and quantitative assessment techniques, the use of data, analysis, and visualizations to inform decision-making and enhance institutional effectiveness.
• Contribute to evidence-based high-impact research and perform measurement studies in support of university-wide strategic plans, institutional effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and the development of policies.Other Functions:
  • Work in collaboration with Deans, faculty members, divisions, and academic units to develop and implement assessment strategies that enhance courses, curricula, and programs and improve administrative and support services.
  • Advise faculty, staff, and administrators in gathering, storing, analyzing and interpreting assessment data and maintaining process documentation for their specific units/areas.
  • Support and participate in major data management initiatives university-wide, including institutional data strategy, integration of assessment data and an assessment management system with other university data systems.
  • Develop content for Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment web pages.
  • Manage internal and external communication of assessment activities and findings.
  • Serve on relevant university committees, including the Committee on Information Technology, and chair or co-chair the Institutional Effectiveness Committee.
  • Other duties as assigned.Required Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
    • Master's Degree in assessment and measurement; higher education; educational research, social sciences; statistics; or related field.
    • Five or more years' experience in qualitative and quantitative research; statistical analysis and data visualization; and assessment and evaluation, in a higher education setting.
    • Experience with the development of assessment methods for higher education and institutional effectiveness, with specific knowledge of assessment in student learning, student support services, general education, program- and course-level learning outcomes.
    • Excellent interpersonal, communication, and listening skills.
    • Ability to communicate technical topics effectively to internal and external audiences with varied levels of assessment knowledge or experience.
    • Excellent writing skills, including writing reports, creating infographics, and communicating statistical analyses to a variety of internal and external audiences.
    • Highly organized, self-directed, with the ability to design and manage projects independently as well as part of a team.
    • Facility in manipulating, analyzing, interpreting, applying, and synthesizing complex, high-volume, high-dimensionality quantitative and qualitative data from varying sources to prepare and present information effectively.
    • Proficiency with spreadsheet, database, presentation, and visualization software and experience using technology to facilitate the assessment process.
    • Demonstrated ability to build and foster relationships with people from a wide range of backgrounds and commitment to diversity and inclusion.Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
      • Doctorate in assessment and measurement; higher education; educational research, social sciences research; statistics; or related field.
      • Experience in learning analytics.
      • Experience with experiential learning assessment.
      • Evidence of success in building assessment structures or systems across distinct projects and institutional constituencies.
      • Familiarity with change management, participatory design, and project management best practices to promote ownership and engagement in assessment practices at all organizational levels.
      • Previous leadership experience in learning assessment, institutional research and/or effectiveness.
      • Experience with software platforms including SAS, SPSS, R, PowerBI, Canvas, MAXQDA, and Qualtrics.Accountabilities:
        • Responsible for own work.Physical Requirements:
          • Sedentary work primarily involves sitting/standing; communicating with others to exchange information; repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands, and/or fingers; and assessing the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned.Environmental Conditions:
            • No environmental conditions.Disclaimer:This position profile identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform job-related duties as may be reasonably assigned by the employee's supervisor.To help provide a safe learning and living community, Wake Forest University conducts background investigations and drug screens for all final candidates being considered for employment. Wake Forest seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce and encourages qualified candidates across all group demographics to apply. Wake Forest University is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in employment for individuals with disabilities.Additional Job DescriptionAbout Wake Forest:Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational institution dedicated to academic excellence in liberal arts, graduate, and professional education. Founded in 1834, the University is ranked among the topfiftynational universities according toU.S. News & World Report.Withover5,400undergraduates and3,800graduate and professional students, the student-faculty ratio is10:1. Wake Forest is a collegiate university offering a vibrant, intellectual community with a rich cultural life, an impressive array of facilities, and a strong athletics program competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Since its founding, the University has adopted the mottoPro Humanitate, which is exemplified by a deep institutional commitment to public service and engagement with the work. .Time Type RequirementFull timeNote to Applicant:This position profile identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform job-related duties as may be reasonably assigned by his/her supervisor.In order to provide a safe and productive learning and living community, Wake Forest University conducts background investigations and drug screens for all final staff candidates being considered for employment.WakeForestseeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce while promoting an inclusive work environment committed to excellence in the spirit of Pro Humanitate.In adherence with applicable laws and as provided by University policies, the University prohibits discrimination in its employment practices on thebasis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability and veteran statusandencourages qualified candidates across all group demographics to apply.

Keywords: Wake Forest University, Durham , Director of Institutional Effectiveness, Institutional Research, Executive , Winston Salem, North Carolina