Senior Director of Institutional Research at Stephens College – Columbia, Missouri

Description:

The Senior Director of Institutional Research (IR) serves as the College’s chief steward of data, analytics, and evidence-based decision-making and acts as the institution’s primary campus coordinator for Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation. Reporting to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Senior Director leads the collection, analysis, interpretation, and communication of institutional data to support academic quality, student success, strategic planning, accreditation, and regulatory compliance.

In addition, the Senior Director serves as the College’s primary academic liaison for our online course offerings, Stephens College’s online program partner, and provides coordination and oversight for study away programs, ensuring alignment with institutional goals, academic quality standards, and regulatory expectations.

This role plays a critical leadership function in building a culture of transparency, inquiry, and continuous improvement across the institution. The Senior Director partners closely with Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Finance, Student Life, and senior leadership to ensure institutional decisions are informed by accurate, timely, and clearly communicated data.

Key Responsibilities:

Institutional Research & Analytics

• Lead the design, execution, and dissemination of institutional research studies related to student success, retention, completion, learning outcomes, faculty workload, and academic program effectiveness.
• Develop and maintain institutional dashboards, scorecards, and key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with strategic priorities and accreditation standards.
• Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for faculty, staff, senior leadership, and governing boards.

Academic Affairs & Student Success Support

• Serve as a strategic partner to the Vice President for Academic Affairs in supporting academic planning, program review, assessment, and continuous improvement.
• Provide data analysis to support curriculum development, academic efficiency, instructional modality decisions, and faculty planning.
• Collaborate with academic leaders to align assessment of student learning outcomes with institutional effectiveness measures.

Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Accreditation Leadership

• Serve as the College’s official HLC Accreditation Liaison / Campus Coordinator, acting as the primary point of contact between Stephens College and the Higher Learning Commission.
• Lead planning, coordination, and execution of all HLC accreditation activities, including assurance reviews, comprehensive evaluations, interim monitoring, substantive change requests, and annual institutional updates.
• Coordinate the development, organization, and submission of HLC self-study materials, evidence files, and institutional narratives aligned with HLC Criteria for Accreditation.
• Convene and guide campus accreditation working groups to ensure institutional alignment with HLC standards.
• Maintain institutional readiness for accreditation through ongoing monitoring, documentation, and integration of accreditation expectations into regular institutional processes.
• Provide training and guidance to faculty and staff regarding accreditation requirements and continuous improvement practices.

Online Education Partnership Liaison

• Serve as the primary institutional liaison between Stephens College and our online course providers.
• Coordinate cross-campus communication among online course providers, Academic Affairs, faculty, students, and administrative offices regarding program development, course delivery, and student support.
• Monitor academic quality and performance metrics for our online course offerings, including enrollment, retention, and student outcomes.
• Collaborate with academic leadership and staff for our online course offerings and providers on program assessment, reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure that online programs supported through the partnership align with institutional standards, accreditation expectations, and strategic priorities.
• Support reporting and evaluation of partnership outcomes for senior leadership.

Accreditation, Compliance & External Reporting

• Lead institutional data reporting for accreditation, state, federal, and regulatory requirements (e.g., IPEDS and other mandated reports).
• Ensure consistency and alignment across accreditation, compliance, and institutional effectiveness reporting.
• Monitor emerging regulatory or accreditation requirements and advise leadership on institutional implications.

Strategic Planning & Decision Support

• Support institutional strategic planning by modeling scenarios, analyzing trends, and forecasting enrollment, persistence, and academic demand.
• Partner with senior leadership to evaluate initiatives, measure impact, and assess outcomes related to academic quality and institutional effectiveness.
• Provide ad hoc analyses and briefing materials to support executive decision-making and board discussions.

Data Governance & Institutional Culture

• Establish and uphold standards for data definitions, data governance, and institutional reporting practices.
• Promote data literacy across campus and support responsible interpretation and use of data.
• Foster a collaborative, service-oriented approach to institutional research and accreditation that builds trust and shared understanding.

Operations

• Oversee IR systems, tools, and workflows.
• Manage IR and accreditation timelines, reporting calendars, and documentation to ensure reliability and continuity.
• Recommend improvements to data systems, survey instruments, and analytics infrastructure.

Requirements:

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in a relevant field.
• Prior experience coordinating accreditation or serving as an accreditation liaison.
• Experience working closely with Academic Affairs and faculty governance structures.
• Familiarity with student information systems, business intelligence tools, and online program partnerships.

Core Competencies

• Accreditation leadership and institutional effectiveness
• Strategic and analytical thinking
• Cross-campus collaboration and facilitation
• Clear written, verbal, and visual communication
• Project management and organizational leadership
• Commitment to transparency, continuous improvement, and institutional mission

***A professional CV/resume, cover letter, and three references are required to be uploaded when applying for this position.***

Founded in 1833, Stephens College is the second-oldest women's college in the United States, dedicated to providing innovative, experiential, and career-focused education across various disciplines. Located in Columbia, Missouri, Stephens College continues to be a leader in women's education, fostering a community where students are empowered to lead, innovate, and excel. The college also provides flexible, co-educational master’s degrees and certificates for working professionals, and is home to the co-educational Conservatory for the Performing Arts at Stephens College.

Ranked (over and over again) as one of the best college towns in America, Columbia, Missouri, is home to 36,000+ college students and 118,000 residents. Columbia — conveniently located approximately 100 miles from both Kansas City and St. Louis — has it all: big-time college sports, film, music and arts festivals, a high-energy arts community, amazing recreation, and a great downtown with lots of places to eat, shop, snack and check out the latest bands. The Columbia community offers outstanding health care options, as well as excellent educational opportunities for every level of student (including our own Children’s School).

Stephens offers an attractive benefits package that includes health insurance, an Employee Assistance Program, Supplemental Retirement Annuity, Faculty/Staff Grants, tuition waivers and tuition paid undergraduate classes for dependents. Full-time staff work 36 hours and are paid for 40!!

Be a part of this amazing community of innovative thinkers, doers and dreamers.

Stephens is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will recruit and employ qualified personnel without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or status as a veteran.