The Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment provides leadership for the University's assessment practices, accreditation readiness, and culture of continuous improvement, with a focus on advancing student success, retention, completion, and measurable outcomes across the institution. While academic assessment remains the central responsibility of the role, the Director also supports administrative and co-curricular assessment and strategic planning efforts to ensure institutional effectiveness extends beyond the classroom.
Reporting to the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, the Director partners closely with the Director of Institutional Research and campus leadership to align assessment and effectiveness efforts with strategic priorities, accreditation expectations, and institutional performance goals. The Director serves as the University's primary resource on assessment methodology, documentation standards, and improvement processes, helping translate evidence into action that strengthens academic quality, operational effectiveness, and student achievement. The Director plays a central role in coordinating institutional effectiveness and assessment functions within Academic Affairs, ensuring alignment between academic quality, compliance expectations, and institutional improvement efforts.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provides leadership and expertise on assessment-related policies, practices, and continuous improvement initiatives, including closing-the-loop documentation, across academic and administrative units;
- Consults with Schools, Departments, and administrative offices on the development, refinement, and assessment of student learning outcomes and program-level outcomes;
- Directs the academic program review process in collaboration with academic leadership;
- Provides leadership and coordination for accreditation standards related to assessment and institutional planning, contributing to the development, documentation, and review of required reports, including decennial, interim, and substantive change materials, in collaboration with the SACSCOC Liaison and campus stakeholders;
- Provides consultation and leadership support to academic programs pursuing or maintaining programmatic accreditation, offering guidance on assessment design, documentation, and continuous improvement alignment;
- Serves as consultant to the General Education Committee in the development and assessment of student learning outcomes for the core curriculum;
- Represents Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment on university committees, task forces, and strategic initiatives as requested, contributing assessment-informed perspectives to institutional decision-making;
- In partnership with the Director of Institutional Research, provides leadership and oversight for institutional survey administration processes, including survey design, sampling, data collection coordination, results dissemination, and reporting;
- In partnership with the Director of Institutional Research, contributes to the development, refinement, and communication of internal and external reports, key performance indicators, and effectiveness dashboards that support accreditation, planning, and institutional transparency;
- Designs and delivers training and professional development initiatives that strengthen assessment literacy, documentation quality, and continuous improvement practices across academic and administrative units;
- Contributes to evaluation and implementation of assessment or compliance software systems as needed;
- Supports alignment between assessment findings, strategic planning, and institutional improvement efforts;
- Other duties as assigned.
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, and WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Master's degree from a regionally accredited institution required; terminal degree preferred in education, assessment, higher education leadership, or related field;
- Experience in academic assessment, accreditation, or institutional effectiveness required; experience in higher education preferred;
- Demonstrated ability to advise academic and administrative units on outcomes assessment methodology and practice;
- Experience preparing written accreditation documentation and institutional reports;
- Proficiency in qualitative and quantitative assessment methods;
- Strong written and oral communication skills;
- Ability to provide training and facilitate collaborative assessment conversations across campus;
- Ability to manage multiple projects and reporting cycles simultaneously;
- Commitment to continuous improvement, compliance integrity, and academic excellence.
SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
Core Competencies
Assessment Methodology, Practices, and Leadership; Academic Program Review; Accreditation Processes; Student Learning Outcomes; Continuous Improvement; Strategic Alignment; Communication; Collaboration; Organizational Effectiveness; Professional Judgment.
Required Professional Skills
Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment Methods; Program Evaluation; Survey Design and Administration; Outcomes-Based Assessment; Accreditation Documentation; Facilitation and Training; Policy Interpretation.
Preferred
Experience with assessment management or compliance software systems; familiarity with regional accreditation standards and reporting frameworks.
Competitive Benefits:
- Retirement matching
- Tuition remission
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Short term/long term disability
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Paid sick leave
- 17 paid holidays
- Wellness opportunities
- On-campus health center
Gardner-Webb University is a Christian university committed to helping individuals become more in faith, learning, and service. Located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, GWU offers the benefits of a close-knit community with easy access to Charlotte, Asheville, and the greater Greenville-Spartanburg region. Founded in 1905 and rooted in the Baptist tradition, the University now serves approximately 3,000 students across more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs. As a Carnegie Doctoral/Professional institution, Gardner-Webb is dedicated to academic excellence, leadership development, and meaningful service to others.
Our community reflects a shared commitment to One Webb, creating an environment where people support one another, pursue their purpose, and work together to make a lasting impact. GWU attracts students from across the nation and around the world and competes in NCAA Division I athletics with 22 teams and more than 500 student-athletes.