JOB DESCRIPTION
POSITION TITLE: Associate Director of Educational Research and Assessment
REPORTS TO:
Registrar / Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
PRIMARY FUNCTION:
The Associate Director of Educational Research & Assessment (ER&A) provides research and data
analysis for assessment and evaluation activities across the college. The Associate Director of ER&A
leads assessment and evaluation projects initiated by faculty and staff, and guides educational
assessment and evaluation activities from commencement to completion and beyond. The Associate
Director of ER&A works in close collaboration with IR&E staff and leadership.
AREAS OF RESPONSBILITY:
1. Design, conduct, and report on studies of student learning at St. Olaf College, including the
nature and quality of learning experiences in curricular and co-curricular programs, the
achievement of learning outcomes, and the impact of learning initiatives.
2. Provide research-informed recommendations regarding methods of assessing student learning,
and serve on work groups, research teams, and committees that guide evaluation and
assessment activities across the college, such as the Assessment Subcommittee of the faculty
Curriculum Committee.
3. Clean, code, summarize, and analyze quantitative and qualitative data to facilitate
interpretation.
4. Interpret study data, writing and sharing reports with faculty, staff, and leadership. Identify
possible actions based on assessment findings.
5. Collaborate with IR&E and appropriate staff and leadership for co-curricular outcomes
assessment and evaluation of programs.
6. Provide on-campus workshops and other brief training on topics related to assessment and
evaluation research, including ethical research and IRB guidelines.
7. Administer and prepare reports for student reviews of teaching for faculty reappointment,
tenure, promotion, and post-tenure review, and provide information and resources to assist
with other aspects of faculty reviews.
8. Collaborate with faculty and academic leadership to develop and implement an effective
program of course and instructional evaluation.
9. Provide advice and support to faculty and staff engaged in assessment, program review,
project evaluation for grant-funded activities involving teaching and learning, and other
domains of data collection.
10. Work in a collaborative environment, where projects may be shared or delegated across units
and positions, depending on subject matter and current project workloads.
11. Guide and supervise the work of IR&E student research assistants for projects related to
educational research and assessment.
12. Serve on the institutional Higher Learning Commission (HLC) reaffirmation of accreditation
team.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: None.
CONTACTS:
Internal: Communicates with the Provost, the Vice President for Mission, the Director of
IR&E, leaders of academic departments and administrative offices, faculty committees,
individual faculty members, and students.
External: Professionals in other higher education institutions, consortia, and professional
associations.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
Essential:

Master’s Degree in social or behavioral sciences, public policy, statistics, applied research,
education, or related field; and a minimum of 3+ years of work experience in learning
outcomes assessment, program evaluation, applied statistical research, or related areas.
OR

Bachelor’s Degree in social or behavioral sciences, public policy, statistics, applied research,
education, or related field; and a minimum of 5-7 years of direct experience in learning
outcomes assessment, program evaluation, applied statistical research, or related areas.
Desirable:


Doctorate in related field.
Work experience in higher education environment, higher education teaching experience.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:
● Ability to organize, analyze, summarize, interpret, and report data and information for
multiple audiences.
● Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills with attention to detail and accuracy.
● Strong technological and computer skills in order to manage and report information, including
appropriate experience with statistics packages (e.g., SPSS), relational databases and data
retrieval, presentation graphics and spreadsheets.
● Ability to work both collaboratively and independently.
● Ability to represent the office and the institution effectively to internal and external audiences
through excellent oral and written communication.
● Ability to handle confidential materials discreetly and professionally.
● Ability to work on multiple projects, to organize workflow, and to meet deadlines.
PREREQUISITE(S):
Background check
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Typical office demands
WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
Office environment
WORK SCHEDULE:
FTE:
Term:
Shift:
APPROVAL:
Registrar / Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
DATE:
October 1, 2015
(Full-time Equivalent): 1.0
12 months
Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.