Associate Provost for Institutional Research and Effectiveness

George Mason University (Mason) is Virginia’s largest public research university and is setting the benchmark for a bold, progressive education that serves the needs of its students and communities. Located in the heart of northern Virginia’s technology corridor near Washington, D.C., Mason prepares its students to succeed in the workforce and to meet the needs of the region and the world. Enrollment is nearly 34,000, with students studying in 200 degree programs at the undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and professional levels. Mason is a distributed university with campuses in Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William counties. In addition to these three campuses, Mason operates a site in Loudoun County and has partnered with the Smithsonian Institution to offer a Global Conservation Studies Program at the Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, VA. Mason also offers programs online. Each Mason location has a distinctive academic focus that plays a critical role in the economy of its region.

Reporting to the Provost, the Associate Provost for Institutional Research and Effectiveness will lead the university’s data analytics and research, as well as institutional effectiveness and assessment activities, and provide key support for enrollment management as well as institutional resource planning and analysis. This individual will ensure that enterprise data is collected accurately, analyzed rigorously, used appropriately, and shared with key stakeholders to make data-driven or evidence-based decisions.

The Associate Provost will integrate critical functions in institutional research and institutional assessment to meet changing needs in dynamic regional and national higher education markets. The incumbent will manage institutional data for a wide range of uses: budgeting and financial planning, enrollment projections, scorecards for productivity analyses, student retention and success, federal and state reporting, regional and specialty accreditation reporting, assessment of student learning outcomes, program outcomes, salary analyses, and other projects. As co-chair of the Data Stewardship and Business Intelligence Steering Committees, the incumbent will shape the use of data as a key influencer of University planning and decision support. The Associate Provost will manage an operation that must both meet new institutional challenges for analytics and continuing responsibilities in assessment, in addition to institutional reporting to regulatory bodies.

A master’s degree in a related field of study is required and the ideal candidate will possess both the capacity to understand how data systems interact with multiple institutional functions, and the managerial expertise to collaboratively devise solutions to meet multiple needs. In addition, the incumbent will:

  • demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of effective, appropriate and rigorous institutional research and assessment in the current higher education context;
  • demonstrate leadership and management skills, a capacity to work and communicate productively with multiple stakeholders and perspectives to collaboratively address complex data and analysis needs;
  • be flexible, intellectually curious, and able to manage details and big ideas concurrently;
  • have the ability to collect and analyze data, to build effective partnerships, and collaborate across the institution to help forge the consensus needed to advance the University’s mission;
  • have proven skills in working with senior leadership, while demonstrating integrity, credibility, sound judgment, and tact;
  • have the ability to translate data analysis into usable information for decision-making and policy analysis;
  • be skilled in best practices using technology for data analysis and communicating results; and
  • maintain a strong commitment to customer service and possess the ability to prioritize.

A doctoral degree in a related field of study is preferred.

Review of applications will begin October 26, 2019 and continue until the position is filled. A resume with an accompanying cover letter may be submitted via the Spelman Johnson website at www.spelmanjohnson.com/open-positions. Nominations for this position may be emailed to Kendra E. Dane at ked@spelmanjohnson.com. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895.

Visit the George Mason University website at: www.gmu.edu

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.