• JOB TITLE: Project Manager, Accreditation and Academic Administration

REPORTS TO: Assistant Provost, Academic Administration

DEPARTMENT: Provost’s Office

LOCATION: Fully Remote, w/ occasional paid travel to campus as required

EXEMPT/NON-EXEMPT: Exempt

SUMMARY:

This position is responsible for supporting the Assistant Provost, Academic Administration, in their role as Accreditation Liaison Officer to WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). As such, this position has a primary responsibility to support all regional accreditation/WSCUC matters for the University. This includes, but is not limited to, staying up to date on WSCUC standards, deadlines, fees, and reporting requirements; internal monitoring and reporting of compliance with standards; submitting required applications, reports, fees, and letters in timely and accurate fashion and according to directions – often prepared in collaboration with various programs and offices; and coordinating site visits.

This position is instrumental in managing the University relationship with WSCUC – attention to detail, organizational acumen, collaboration skills, and communications savvy are paramount. In addition, this position includes a project management role in Academic Administration as directed by the Assistant Provost, Academic Administration. This role includes support of major academic initiatives, as well as assignment to items of varying scale in pursuit of our mission and vision. Some of these projects will include significant interaction and collaboration with - and in some cases direction from - the Assistant Dean of Academic Operations. Finally, this role will work closely with the Program Launch Planning (PLP) team, particularly where this involves submissions/applications to WSCUC; this will entail coordination with the Director of Academic Initiatives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manages all details of the relationship with WSCUC, supporting the Assistant Provost, Academic Administration who serves as Accreditation Liaison Officer.


• Coordinates university-wide projects related to WSCUC institutional accreditation including accreditation compliance narratives, and logistics for the off-site and on-site visits, and electronic accreditation reviews of regional accreditation teams.


• Implements effective file management system for reports, supporting documentation, data, and correspondence with accrediting bodies. Maintains official University files of accreditation, including all reports, correspondence, and letters. Maintains the same within WSCUC’s portals.


• Monitors and ensures timely compliance with all WSCUC administrative and reporting deadlines and requirements, fees, dues payment, etc.


• Remains up-to-date on standards and compliance requirements for WSCUC and other higher education regulatory bodies that impact the University as a whole.


• Initiates and coordinates the writing and editing of WSCUC applications/screening forms, reports, proposals, and self-studies. Ensures timely, accurate, and quality completion of the same. Develops follow-up action items and pursues receipt and verification of items for accreditation compliance. Note: screening forms/applications and sub-change proposals coordinated with the Director of Academic Initiatives and other University constituents such as the Program Launch Planning team.


• Maintains, monitors, and publishes the University’s Master Accreditation Report Calendar (MARC) and the associated monthly accreditation report in a timely, accurate, and quality manner. The MARC is the University’s master calendar of accreditation and regulatory dues, reports, site visits, etc. This calendar includes institutional and programmatic accreditation as well as Veterans Administration, BPPE, and other critical approvals requiring ongoing reporting and maintenance.


• Ensures institutional accreditation-related standards, policies, and procedures are appropriately adhered to across the University and works with the Director of Academic Initiatives, when applicable.


• Supports, guides, and directs University constituents to prepare for, schedule, and conduct annual academic program reviews, WSCUC campus visits, and institutional self-studies; leads special projects to ensure ongoing quality control and compliance associated with these.


• Serves on committees – especially as staff liaison to the Accreditation Coordinating Council - to ensure that ongoing institutional practices continue to satisfy compliance with WSCUC standards, as well as program requirements addressed within these councils.


• Recommends, organizes, and prepares appropriate evidence for reporting that demonstrates compliance with WSCUC requirements and the institution’s mission, vision, values, and goals. This may include formatting, editing, design, and proofreading, as well as managing occasional outsourcing of the same (such as design).


• Manages special projects, major initiatives, and tasks in Academics as assigned by the Assistant Provost, Academic Operations. This may involve collaboration with, and sometimes direction from, the Assistant Dean of Academic Operations – as well as collaboration with other members of the University.


• Reports, escalates, and follows up on items with appropriate departments. Takes ownership of the success of projects under their care.


• Maintain a positive, helpful, constructive attitude and work relationship with administrators, faculty, staff, and students.


• Collaborates with the Director of Academic Initiatives on new programs, when applicable.


• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

• Master's Degree (MA) or equivalent, JD, or four to ten years of related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.


• Three years of administrative experience in higher education, preferably with accreditation or project management experience.


• Prior experience coordinating the regional accreditation process (WSCUC preferred), or experience overseeing the management and planning of programmatic or specialized accreditation is preferred.


• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the accreditation and compliance landscape, accrediting agency standards, federal and regulatory standards, and licensure requirements within higher education.


• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications; familiarity with Weave preferred; familiarity with project management tools preferred

OTHER SKILLS, ABILITIES, AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrated ability to plan and provide structure and organization to complex and evolving systems and processes.


• Strong project management skills; strong attention to details, excellent critical thinking and decision-making skills, ability to exercise good judgement, and ability to hold others accountable to deadlines and expectations


• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple responsibilities and deadlines with the ability to foresee and resolve a wide variety of business problems and take action where answers to a problem are not readily apparent.


• Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.


• Display a high degree of discretion regarding institutional data and related information


• Good knowledge of best practices in higher education accreditation processes


• Good knowledge of accreditation and evaluation processes established by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) or similar bodies


• Strong interpersonal, verbal, research, and written communication skills.


• Highly developed ability to collaborate with different faculty, staff, and external partners; strong stakeholder/partner management skills.


• Ability to organize and prioritize multiple tasks, and produce reports under strict guidelines


• Experience with document resource management, filing, and tracking systems


• Comfort and confidence with basic data elements required for reporting to educational accrediting bodies (e.g., FTE, faculty-student ratios, etc.)


• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.


• Ability to take initiative and integrate diverse opportunities and complex viewpoints into simple program/business plans and reports/proposals.


• Ability to be creative and enjoy working within a small, entrepreneurial environment that is mission-driven, results-driven and team oriented.


• Ability to accomplish goals by working through formal and informal channels, with diplomacy and tactfulness.

ATTENDANCE:

Must be punctual and timely in meeting all requirements of performance, including, but not limited to, attendance standards and work deadlines; beginning and ending assignments on time; and scheduled work breaks; where applicable.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

SCU CORE VALUES:

1) Integrative Health: We teach, learn, collaborate, and lead by creating an open environment for multiple disciplines and professionals to bring their shared and unique skills together for the benefit of patients and students.

2) Evidence-based Practice: We value a culture of inquiry, assessment, research, scholarship, and judicious use of current best evidence to inform our decisions and work.

3) Health Equity: We value people equally. We strive to educate graduates that are prepared to improve individual and community health.

4) Inclusivity: We welcome everyone regardless of age, race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other similar or protected status. We believe inclusivity leads to more diversity in our reasoning, better representativeness in our conclusions, more ingenuity in our problem solving, and greater equity in our care

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