Manager, Office of Academic & Community Standards

The Office of Academic & Community Standards (OACS) is a subdivision of the Registrar's Office and plays a vital role in fostering a fair and ethical academic environment for our students. The OACS manager leads this critical function, overseeing a dedicated team responsible for facilitating academic and conduct reviews, handling grade, max time to degree and other learner appeals, ensuring adherence to institutional policies, and ultimately promoting learner success. Through strategic leadership, the OACS manager, reporting to the registrar, drives continuous improvement in processes and efficiency, while also acting as a champion for learners, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Institutional Leadership:
  • Support team in delivering final decisions on escalated appeals, representing the Office of the President.
  • Identify and address potential consumer action vulnerabilities, researching root cause and implementing corrective actions.
  • Identify, research, propose and champion improvements to institutional processes and policies, in alignment with the OACS mission.
  • Oversee responses to executive-level and third-party complaints, ensuring consistent and appropriate handling.
  • Lead root cause analysis to identify and address operational gaps, optimizing learner experience and reducing costs.
  • Function as a key manager within the Registrar's Office, participating in cross-functional committees and workstreams as appropriate.
  • Identify needs and spearhead projects that ultimately improve communication with learner and staff, clarify processes and policies or improve workflow efficiency and effectiveness.
• Strategic Guidance:
  • Collaborate across the organization to establish best practices in risk mitigation and appeals resolution.
  • Recommend process improvements based on data analysis and stakeholder needs.
  • Champion learner success by advocating for fair and effective processes.
  • Ensure communications and records of OACS actions are confidential and appropriately stored in the learner record.
  • Foster a culture of conflict resolution within the organization.
• Departmental Management:
  • Support OACS team members by providing clear direction, fostering professional growth, and establishing individual development goals and plans.
  • Conduct performance evaluations, manage talent, and cultivate a skilled, collaborative, cohesive and high functioning team.
  • Exhibit ability to understand complex and sensitive student situations and provide staff guidance on best path forward.
  • Empower direct reports to provide consistent and superior leadership across the organization.
• Process Improvement & Project Management:
  • Oversee and streamline workflows within the OACS team, implementing regular check-ins and ensuring effective reporting mechanisms.
  • Cultivate a data-driven culture by fostering the use of dashboards and tracking tools.
  • Manage and support university and team projects, including those related to academic integrity, Code of Conduct, crisis protocols, student loan repayment, public relations, and Higher Learning Commission compliance.
  • Champion continuous improvement through ongoing analysis and process optimization.
• Lead the implementation and on-going management of strategic initiatives to improve learner experience and mitigate risk, including:
  • Empowering frontline staff to efficiently resolve complaints and reduce resolution time.
  • Establishing and leading a dedicated Learner Relations Team (LRT) to address escalated issues, provide departmental consultation, and conduct root cause analysis.
  • Streamline complaint intake and resolution processes, improve identification of escalated issues, and ensure consistent documentation and resolution tracking.
• Team Health & Well-being:
  • Analyze team climate surveys and implement strategies to enhance morale and well-being.
  • Monitor and refine team health metrics, ensuring alignment with university goals.
  • Facilitate conversations about team mission, culture, and navigate challenges through support circles and effective communication.
  • Conduct SWOT analyses to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the team and departmental workflows.
  • Engage with other Registrar's Office staff to integrate team members as a cohesive department.
  • Manage hiring, onboarding, training, and offboarding processes for team members.
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