Director of Assessment

Job Description

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) invites nominations and applications for the Director of Assessment. Reporting to the Associate Provost, the Director provides leadership for University assessment efforts that support academic excellence, student success, institutional effectiveness, accreditation readiness, and continuous improvement. The Director coordinates assessment planning, data collection, analysis, reporting, evidence management, and use of results for academic programs, general education, co-curricular experiences, and administrative units. The position requires strong project management, data accuracy, timely follow-through, concise communication, and the ability to work collaboratively across multiple units, systems, deadlines, and reporting expectations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and coordinate assessment planning, reporting, and continuous improvement processes for academic programs, general education, co- curricular experiences, and administrative units in alignment with University priorities and accreditation expectations.

• Work with the Associate Provost to implement annual assessment priorities, calendars, procedures, templates, reporting cycles, and documentation standards that strengthen assessment operations.

• Consult with faculty, staff, chairs, deans, and administrative leaders to identify outcomes, measures, rubrics, benchmarks, evidence sources, and improvement actions, and provide training and written resources as needed.

• Collect, organize, validate, analyze, and report qualitative and quantitative assessment data through reports, dashboards, presentations, and recommendations that inform planning and decision-making.

• Maintain official assessment records, evidence repositories, version control, approval documentation, and supporting materials for HLC, discipline-specific accreditation, program review, academic audits, and institutional reports.

• Prepare the annual assessment report and related updates that summarize findings, quality of evidence, use of results, improvement actions, unresolved gaps, and recommendations for continuous improvement.

• Manage assessment platforms and reporting tools, including Watermark or comparable systems, survey tools, Excel, shared drives, dashboards, and related data resources.

• Track deadlines and deliverables, follow up with responsible parties, and escalate concerns early when timelines, data quality, approvals, or reporting requirements are at risk. • Communicate assessment expectations, findings, and next steps in clear, concise, and audience-appropriate formats for faculty, staff, administrators, governance bodies, accreditors, and other stakeholders.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Earned master's degree from a regionally accredited institution;

• Minimum of three to five (3 to 5) years of experience related to assessment, institutional effectiveness, accreditation, educational outcomes, academic planning, or a closely related area;

• Demonstrated knowledge of assessment design, outcomes, measures, rubrics, benchmarks, continuous improvement, and assessment reporting;

• Ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative data and prepare clear reports, dashboards, presentations, and recommendations for multiple audiences;

• Strong project management, documentation, follow-through, and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple deadlines, stakeholders, systems, and reporting cycles;

• Excellent written, oral, interpersonal, and facilitation skills, with the ability to communicate concisely and collaborate effectively with students, faculty, staff, administrators, and external stakeholders;

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel, shared file systems, survey tools, and assessment or institutional effectiveness platforms.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• An earned master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.

• Experience with HLC accreditation, discipline-specific accreditation, program review, or institutional effectiveness reporting preferred;

• Experience with Watermark or a comparable assessment management system preferred;

• Experience in a unionized higher education environment, HBCU, or mission-driven institution serving students from underrepresented communities preferred.

CORE COMPETENCIES

The successful candidate will demonstrate integrity, discretion, professionalism, resourcefulness, attention to detail, data accuracy, initiative, independent judgment, problem-solving, timely follow-through, and the ability to build productive working relationships across academic and administrative units. The Director should support a culture of evidence, accountability, continuous improvement, and student-centered institutional effectiveness.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The position requires the ability to work in a typical interior office environment at HSSU, operate standard office equipment, and perform light work that may include walking, standing, and occasionally exerting up to 10 pounds of force to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. The position involves very limited or no exposure to physical risk.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed and assigned for this position. This is not an exhaustive list, nor is it limited to all duties and responsibilities associated with the position. HSSU management reserves the right to amend and change the responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.