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.