Director of Accreditation and Assessment

Hiring Department: Office of Strategic Academic Initiatives · Full-time (40 hrs/week) · Exempt · Location: UT Main Campus · Expected start: Nov 23, 2026 · Position duration: Expected to continue · Must be eligible to work in the US without sponsorship.

About the role

The Director of Accreditation and Assessment oversees institutional effectiveness efforts including unit and student learning outcomes assessment, functions as the primary campus contact on matters related to institutional accreditation by The Commission on Colleges and Universities (The Commission, formerly SACSCOC), and coordinates campus engagement with specialized accreditors. The Director leads the implementation of academic program assessment, unit assessment, and general education assessment, and has primary responsibility for ensuring and documenting UT Austin’s compliance with accreditation requirements. The position advances institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement by ensuring the university maintains compliance with accreditation requirements and that assessment practices produce reliable evidence used to improve academic programs and administrative units. The Director advises leadership on accreditation implications of institutional and academic changes and follows approved university decision and submission processes. Reports to the Associate Vice Provost for Academic Effectiveness.

Responsibilities

Institutional accreditation leadership

• Serve as the primary campus resource for matters related to The Commission’s accreditation requirements, policies, procedures, and reporting.
• Serve as the university’s designated accreditation liaison to The Commission and primary institutional contact for accreditation matters.
• Lead university-wide planning, coordination, and documentation for reaffirmation, the fifth-year interim review, annual reporting, substantive change processes, and other reporting requirements.
• Draft, review, and edit accreditation narratives, reports, and related institutional documentation.
• Coordinate with campus partners to develop and implement internal procedures that ensure continued compliance with accreditation expectations.
• Maintain an accreditation calendar and organized evidence repository.
• Monitor changes in accreditation requirements and advise leadership on implications for policy, process, institutional planning, and operations.
• Coordinate accreditation committees, reviewer visits, and follow-up activities.
• Communicate requirements to campus units; route institutional commitments and official submissions through authorized university leadership.

University assessment and improvement

• Provide leadership for academic program assessment, unit assessment, and administrative reviews.
• Oversee the implementation and management of an integrated assessment system for educational programs and academic, student support, and administrative units within the assigned institutional scope.
• Work with faculty, deans, unit leaders, and university partners to maintain reliable evidence, strengthen assessment practices, and prepare timely institutional reports.
• Manage assessment data systems, including implementation, evidence collection, access, and user support.
• Analyze and communicate findings for planning and improvement.
• Provide faculty and staff training on assessment design, curriculum mapping, rubrics, data analysis, and system use.
• Coordinate evidence retention with technology and records partners.
• Lead the evaluation, selection, and vendor management of accreditation and assessment platforms and tools, and plan and manage their campus launch, training, and ongoing support in partnership with technology and procurement offices.
• Partner with the Office of Curriculum and Academic Administration (CAA) on core curriculum assessment, institutional expectations, evidence quality, and accreditation reporting.
• Coordinate with Institutional Research and other data owners to obtain validated data and avoid duplicate reporting.

Substantive change and academic coordination

• Maintain a process for identifying and evaluating potential substantive changes affecting accreditation with The Commission.
• Coordinate required notifications, prospectuses, supporting evidence, deadlines, and approval tracking before implementation when applicable.
• Partner with CAA, the Registrar, colleges and schools, the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and other units to evaluate accreditation implications of new or modified programs, delivery methods, instructional locations, academic agreements, and program closures.
• Collaborate with the Director of CAA, who leads state authorization and NC-SARA coordination, on changes affecting both authorization and accreditation.
• Coordinate accreditation review of teach-out plans and agreements with responsible colleges and schools, CAA, and legal counsel.
• Track external review status and communicate implementation conditions to responsible units.
• Advise on institutional requirements, maintain an inventory of specialized and programmatic accreditations and their review cycles, and coordinate with specialized accreditation leads in the colleges and schools.
• Support applicable UT System and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) assessment and accreditation reporting with the university offices responsible for those submissions.

Office leadership and institutional advising

• Supervise assigned staff, establish priorities, manage assigned resources, and evaluate performance.
• Identify staffing and technology needs and maintain procedures that support continuity of operations.
• Advise the Associate Vice Provost for Academic Effectiveness and other leaders on accreditation and assessment policies, priorities, and updates; communicate risks promptly and recommend practical solutions.
• Represent the office on assigned committees and external professional groups.

Perform other related duties as assigned in support of accreditation, assessment, and institutional effectiveness.

Requirements

Required qualifications

• Master’s degree in higher education, educational research, assessment and evaluation, public administration, or a related field.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in higher education accreditation, assessment, institutional effectiveness, or closely related work, including leadership of complex projects involving multiple units.
• Demonstrated experience preparing accreditation narratives or reports and organizing supporting evidence; thorough working knowledge of The Commission’s Principles of Accreditation, reporting processes, and substantive change requirements.
• Experience developing or reviewing assessment plans, analyzing qualitative and quantitative evidence, and helping faculty or staff use findings to improve programs or services.
• Demonstrated project management skills and ability to write, edit, and format professional documents; meet deadlines; manage multiple, complex priorities; and work both independently and as part of team. Must be detail-oriented.
• Ability to work effectively with faculty, senior leaders, and external agencies; exercise sound judgment; and handle confidential information appropriately.
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred qualifications

• Doctorate in a relevant field.
• Experience at a large research university.
• Leadership of an institutional reaffirmation or interim reporting cycle.
• Institutional accreditation liaison experience.
• Supervisory experience.
• Experience with assessment management systems (including vendor management and campus launch) and Texas public higher education processes.

Pay

Salary range: $120,000+ depending on qualifications.

Working conditions

Work to be performed in typical office environment.

Required materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest