Associate Dean, Institutional Research - 199005

The Associate Dean for Institutional Research serves as the University's senior leader for data strategy, institutional assessment, and learning analytics-advancing the University's mission and Academic Master Plan through trusted data, coordinated assessment practice, and actionable insights. Reporting directly to the Associate Provost for Academic Strategy and Student Success and in close collaboration with the VP of Strategy, this role is positioned within the Provost's Office to align data strategy with academic priorities and ensure university-wide accountability for assessment and continuous improvement.

This position provides strategic and operational leadership for the Office of Planning, Assessment & Institutional Research (OPAIR), and serves as the University's designated point of accountability for institutional effectiveness across its full scope-assessment coordination, accreditation, data governance, and strategic analytics. The role bridges advisory and operational functions, exercising direct coordination authority over assessment infrastructure, course evaluation systems, learning analytics, cross-school assessment initiatives, and the data systems and reporting frameworks that drive evidence-based decision-making at every level of the university.

Position Duties

• Define and execute a multi-year data strategy aligned with the University's academic and operational goals, including the Academic Master Plan goals.
• Maintain and enhance the centralized data warehouse as the single institutional source of truth; champion integration of analytics into institutional planning and evaluation.
• Lead data governance in collaboration with ITS and school-based data directors; co-chair the Data Governance Committee. Develop and maintain a university-wide survey schedule and process to meet institutional, school/college, and departmental needs.
• Collaborate with schools and programs to embed assessment and analytics into continuous improvement processes.
• Advance the use of qualitative and quantitative data, including learning analytics, to improve student outcomes and institutional effectiveness.
• Evaluate and recommend integration of AI and emerging tools into OPAIR's operations and the University's data strategy.
• Serve as the primary institutional owner of course evaluation systems, including vendor account management, contract oversight, and consistency of deployment across schools (e.g., Blue and successor platforms).
• Manage a coordinated course evaluation schedule across all schools, eliminating administrative gaps and ensuring consistent feedback loops.
• Identify and remediate assessment gaps for programs that have gone unassessed in partnership with school-level partners. Coordinate assessment cycles for cross-school initiatives including First-Year Seminars, core attribute courses, civic engagement, and other general education programs.
• Design, test, and implement customized assessment instruments for core attribute courses and pilot programs in collaboration with academic leaders.
• Co-chair the Assessment Committee and provide leadership on institutional assessment governance.
• Provide guidance on external assessment and survey tools, overseeing selection, implementation, and management.
• Build and sustain a learning analytics function within OPAIR, in collaboration with the Student Success team, connecting course-level data, program outcomes, and student success metrics.
• Identify at-risk student populations and provide actionable analysis to academic leadership and advising teams.
• Serve as the institutional lead for tracking, measuring, and reporting progress on the University's Academic Master Plan.
• Develop reporting frameworks, dashboards, and analytic tools that enable senior leadership to monitor Academic Master Plan milestones.
• Align institutional research studies and assessment cycles with Academic Master Plan priorities and Enrollment Management analytic operations.
• Lead the team responsible for all institutional reporting to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), collaborating with Human Resources and other campus departments to ensure the accuracy, integrity, and timely submission of required data and reports. Lead the OPAIR team and school-based data assessment directors; set talent strategy, oversee performance management, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
• Direct and/or produce institutional research studies in peer benchmarking, policy analysis, program review, enrollment, retention, and graduation.
• Oversee completion of all external reporting and accreditation requirements, including IPEDS, Middle States, US News, and NYS Department of Education Annual Reports.
• Co-chair the Middle States Executive Committee for the Self-Study process; provide expertise on accreditation and MSCHE standards.
• Interact with external constituencies-state and federal agencies, accreditors, and national survey administrators-and support senior leadership review committees as required by the Faculty Handbook.
• Exercise functional supervision over cross-functional project teams on strategic data and assessment initiatives.

Ensure departmental adherence to the Code of Ethics and Professional Practice of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR).

• Collaborate frequently with the Provost's Office, senior academic leaders, Operations Committee, and Management Council.
• Lead vendor management and procurement for data management, analytics, and assessment platforms.
• Perform other such duties as may be assigned from time to time.

Supervision Exercised

• Oversees a unit of at least 4 full-time staff employees and up to 2 part-time staff employees and/or student workers, including setting the talent strategy for the area and oversight of the performance management process. Also exercises functional supervision over cross-functional project teams working on various strategic initiatives.
• Provides high level performance management to the OPAIR team.
• Continuously evaluates department practices and monitors trends institutional research to ensure ongoing improvement and the effective use of technology and best practices.
• Ensures that the department and all employees adhere to the Code of Ethics and Professional Practice of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR). Performs other such duties may be required from time to time.

Position Qualifications

• Master's degree in statistics, education, psychology, social sciences, higher education administration, data science, or a related field (doctorate preferred).
• At least eight years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research, assessment, or data analytics in higher education.
• Demonstrated experience with accrediting agencies (institutional and/or discipline-specific), including Middle States or equivalent regional accreditor.
• Experience managing or overseeing course evaluation systems or similar institutional assessment platforms, including vendor relationships.
• Proficiency with predictive analytics, regression analysis, and quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Experience with relational databases, student information systems, and analytics software (SPSS, SAS, R, Python, Tableau, or equivalent).
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage concurrent assessment cycles across multiple schools.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to present findings to faculty, administrators, trustees, and external agencies.
• Experience implementing or managing learning analytics programs in a higher education context.
• Familiarity with AI integration in institutional research and assessment operations.
• Experience supporting strategic planning and academic master plan monitoring; familiarity with IPEDS, US News, and NYS DOE reporting.

Work Hours

Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. with additional hours as required by business needs. This position is eligible for remote and/or hybrid work. Position may require additional mobility such as movement to other offices on campus or travel between campuses.

Work Location

Hybrid position. Travel to all campuses - NYC, Pleasantville, and White Plains as needed.

About the Institution

Ranked in the top 9% of private US colleges that provide the best return on tuition investment, Pace University transforms the lives of its diverse students-academically, professionally, and socioeconomically. Currently, the University enrolls more than 13,000 students in more than 150 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. Pace University is at the forefront of creating opportunity. Through the convergence of strong academics, experiential learning, and dedicated advising, Pace University empowers its students and positively impacts its communities.

Benefits Offered

Pace University provides a competitive benefit program designed to offer the following:

• Medical, vision and dental insurance for preventive care or diagnostic and surgical procedures as well as an incentivized medical plan waiver option for those who choose not to participate (FT Employees).
• Income protection in the event an employee is not actively at work, due to illness (FT Employees).
• 403B investment opportunity to save toward financial security in retirement (PT and FT Employees).
• Programs and services that assist in balancing work and personal life (PT and FT Employees).
• Educational opportunities for the employee and eligible members of their family to pursue a degree at Pace or another higher education institution (PT and FT Employees).
• Opportunity for faculty and staff to participate in Pace's award-winning health and wellness program, Pace Yourself to Wellness, which is designed to inspire employees to engage in healthy habits while optimizing health care resources (PT and FT Employees).
• Discount purchase plans for everything from entertainment, shopping and travel (PT and FT Employees).

AA/EEO Statement

Pace University is committed to achieving full equal opportunity in all aspects of University life. Pursuant to this commitment, the University does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived sex, gender or gender identity; race; color; national origin; religion; creed; age; disability; citizenship; marital or domestic partnership status; sexual orientation or affectional status; genetic predisposition or carrier status; military or veteran status; status as a victim of domestic violence, sex offenses or stalking; or any other characteristic protected by law federal, state or local law, rule or regulation.

Annual Security Report Notice

Pace is committed to ensuring the safety and security of the students, faculty, staff and visitors to the University. In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the University's Safety and Security department publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, which can be accessed here. The report contains information on security policies as well as crime and fire statistics for the University.