Director, Accreditation and State Authorization

Position Summary

The Director, Accreditation and State Authorization manages accreditation and state authorization activities for National University. Provides regular strategic and financial analysis on the impact of curricular changes as part of the institution’s governance processes. Develops, maintains, and communicates cross-functional tracking for all regulatory submissions that result from curricular change. Oversees the creation and submission of accreditation and state authorization materials for institutional and curricular change. Manages annual reporting for institutional and state compliance. Oversees Senior Compliance Specialist, Accreditation and Compliance Coordinators, and temporary surge staffing as needed to support large institutional initiatives.

Essential Functions:

Accreditation and State Authorization

• Provides guidance in the development of external accreditation and state authorization and compliance documents, mock visits, and site visits for the University.
• Researches and evaluates state regulatory compliance requirements and makes informed recommendations to university administration, deans, and faculty.
• Recommends policies, procedures, and systems that align with state regulatory agencies.
• Drives project management, work-flow monitoring, and tracking of the institution’s accreditation and state regulatory initiatives across the university.
• Collaborates with deans, curriculum and assessment directors, faculty and other institutional personnel to prepare for accreditation and state regulatory activities.
• Advises deans, curriculum and assessment directors, and faculty on external standards.
• Collaborates with curriculum and assessment directors, faculty and other content and data subject matter experts to draft accreditation/state regulatory authorization report narratives.
• Edits proposals, reports, and other accreditation documents.
• In collaboration with the program point of contact, creates substantive change and structural change documents along with the supporting evidence.
• Responsible for WSCUC Annual Report, new program screening and reporting to accrediting bodies and state regulatory agencies, and program modification reporting to accrediting bodies and state regulatory agencies. 
• Provides expertise to programs seeking professional accreditation.
• Researches and collaborates with others in the development of internal policies and procedures based on external regional and programmatic accreditation standards.
• Provides recommendations for changes and improvements to existing procedures.
• Maintains current knowledge of accreditation and state regulatory compliance requirements.

Equity Lens

• Serves as a key leader in the vigilant use of an equity lens and data disaggregation by gender, race and ethnicity, and other demographic characteristics to interrogate equity gaps evident in accreditation analyses and reporting.

Technology Solutions

• Works closely with all operational departments and faculty to ensure the efficient application of existing technology and recommends potential new technological solutions to streamline and improve efficiency and effectiveness of accreditation and state regulatory approval processes.

Policy and Planning

• Collaborates with Office of the Provost, deans, councils, and faculty, to provide oversight for development and educational integrity of all undergraduate and graduate programming to ensure compliance with external regulations.
• Participates in strategic and long-range educational planning for the University that supports the mission set by the President and Provost.

Governance and Committees

• At the request of the President, Chief of Staff, or Provost, serves on committees for university change and improvement initiatives, school/program level steering committees and additional committees as needed.

Supervision

• Supervises Senior Compliance Specialist, Accreditation and Compliance Coordinators, and temporary surge staffing as needed to support large institutional initiatives.
• Reviews, approves, and conducts performance appraisals. Directs and participates in the selection, training, coaching, development and corrective action for staff.
• Assume all other reasonable professional duties and responsibilities as assigned by the AVP, Accreditation, Curriculum, and State Authorization.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Supervises two exempt-level professional staff and temporary surge staffing as needed.

• Supervisor duties to include:
  • Screens applications, interviews candidates, and recommends individuals for hiring.
  • Trains and assigns work to new and continuing employees.
  • Delegates tasks and provides effective direction to team members to produce substantial business results.
  • Independently conducts frequent performance feedback weekly, quarterly and annually, to include annual performance evaluations.
  • Makes recommendations for salary increases, merit increases and reclassifications.
  • In conjunction with HR, determines corrective action as needed for direct reports.

Requirements:

Education & Experience:

• Master’s degree in education, public administration, business, leadership or other related field required.
• Juris Doctor strongly preferred.
• Minimum of ten (10) to fifteen(15) years of related professional experience, including project management, higher learning accreditation, and education state regulatory compliance, required.
• Experience in higher education preferred.
• Experience working in a technology-driven enterprise preferred.
• All skills, abilities and education will be considered for minimum qualifications.

Competencies/Technical/Functional Skills:

• Demonstrated, direct experience managing state regulatory compliance processes in education, including development of reports.
• Demonstrated success developing and managing cross-functional tracking for large scale projects.
• Demonstrated knowledge of experience with report writing that supports informed, data-driven decision-making and recommendations.
• Requires strong research and analytical skills to evaluate issues and educational practices, develop solutions, and provide leadership in addressing complex and sensitive problems related to accreditation and state regulatory compliance matters.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to include complex business level English usage.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to maintain effective working relationships in a diverse community.
• Outstanding ability to read, interpret and apply complex rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Strong ability to gather information and data effectively present findings and employ principles of quality management and documentation.
• Ability to interpret and evaluate research and results to develop sound conclusions and recommend new or revised policies or practices.
• Ability to plan, coordinate, implement, and assign operations and activities of diverse work group to meet schedules and deadlines.
• Strong experience organizing and prioritizing objectives and managing a high-volume workflow office.
• Strong organizational, supervisory, analytical and decision-making skills.
• Knowledge of the goals of shared governance, principles and practices of administrative management.
• Strong experience planning, supervising, and evaluating the work of others, employee motivation and training.
• Strong management skills, including a strong leadership background, the ability to manage or adapt to change, make difficult decisions, encourage conflict resolution, and ensure employee and department accountability.
• Cognitive Agility: The ability to mentally change direction in an efficient and effective manner utilizing keen perception, awareness, reasoning, and judgment.
• Communication: Communicates effectively, listens sensitively, adapts communication to audience and fosters effective communication with others. Demonstrates the ability to be consistently open, honest and candid when communicating with others.
• Collaboration: Supports a collaborative work environment to ensure the best results for the team and company. Ability to reach out and ask for help or seek expertise of others when needed.

Location: Remote

Travel: Some Travel Required, as needed to support accreditation and state regulatory site visits

#LI-NK1

#LI-Remote

Candidate receiving offers will be offered a salary/pay rate commensurate with experience that vary based on a candidate’s qualifications, skills, and competencies.  Absent exceptional circumstances, candidates will be offered a salary within this range for this position. The minimum salary will be offered based on the minimum exemption threshold based on state of residency. Base pay is one component of National University’s total rewards package, as we are dedicated to supporting the needs of the “whole you” with our holistic approach to employee benefits by offering comprehensive well-being benefits for you and your family.  For full details about our benefit plan offerings, please visit benefits.nu.edu. For Part-time benefits, please click here.

Compensation Range:

National University is committed to maintaining a high-quality, diverse workforce representative of the populations we serve. National University employs more than 5,000 faculty and staff and serves over 41,000 students. We are united in our mission to meet the global education demands of the 21st Century and are dedicated to creating a supportive academic and work environment that allows students, faculty and staff to develop their interests and talents while experiencing a sense of community and a commitment to diversity. With programs available both online and at our many campus locations, National University is a leader in creating innovative solutions to education and meeting the needs of our diverse student population, including adult learners and working professionals.

National University offers an opportunity to work in an innovative environment that supports diversity.

National University (NU) is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant per applicable federal, state and local laws. At NU, a diverse mix of highly talented, innovative and creative people come together to make the impact of a lifetime for each of our student learners. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment, education, and admission at National University. We are focused on equality and believe deeply in diversity of race, color, ancestry, age, family care status, veteran status, marital status, creed, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, and other legally protected group status.