Assistant Dean for Accreditation Compliance and Institutional Effectiveness

Southwestern Law Schools is seeking an Assistant Dean for Accreditation Compliance and Institutional Effectiveness (ACiE). The Assistant Dean oversees the planning, development, and execution of institutional effectiveness priorities at Southwestern Law School. The Assistant Dean establishes and maintains a strategy and plan for Southwestern’s institutional research function, cultivates a culture of data-informed decision-making, stays abreast of cutting-edge trends and policy decisions that impact higher education accreditation in general, and legal education in particular, and coordinates multiple IE priorities related to data reporting and accreditation. The Assistant Dean serves as a member of Southwestern Law School’s leadership team and supervises the Assistant Director of Accreditation Reporting and Compliance. The Assistant Dean reports to Southwestern’s President & Dean, with strong collaboration with the Associate Dean for Learning Outcomes. Following a successful 90-day probationary period, this exempt position will have a hybrid work modality that allows for telecommuting at least two days per week. The start date for this position is July 2025.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Oversee the planning, development, and execution of institutional effectiveness (IE) priorities at Southwestern by:

Leading the development and implementation of a coordinated, institution-wide institutional research plan, including standardized procedures for data governance, quality control, and dissemination.
Collaborating with Southwestern leadership to foster a culture of data-informed decision-making across all operational units.
Collaborating with leadership to ensure all planning processes are grounded in evidence and aligned with institutional priorities.
Working with leadership to identify and understand emerging internal and external issues and significant environmental changes, constituting both opportunities and challenges to the institution.
Performing research and policy analyses in support of strategic, budgetary, academic, and operational planning.

2. Serve as a resource for the assessment of institutional effectiveness and facilitate processes for continual improvement by:

Leading the design and implementation of cyclical academic and co-curricular program reviews, including the use of external feedback and application of findings to strategic priorities.
Engaging with non-academic units to establish accountability measures and key performance indicators.
Fostering evidence-based planning and “closing the loop” practices by supporting data-informed decision-making at the committee and unit levels.
Building processes to engage key internal and external stakeholders—such as faculty, alumni, and board members—in ongoing assessment and improvement cycles.
Recommending and conducting cyclical institutional surveys that examine the extent to which the institution’s climate supports student success.

3. Ensure compliance with accreditation standards and other federal, state, and local regulatory requirements for Southwestern by:

Supporting the institution’s current WSCUC accreditation review through ongoing coordination, data support, and capacity-building.
Following a probationary period, serving as Southwestern’s Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) or equivalent, responsible for future accreditation cycles, mid-cycle reviews, and reaffirmation planning.
Ensuring the alignment of Southwestern’s institutional effectiveness strategy with accreditation and reporting requirements.
Ensuring faculty and staff understand their roles in institutional accreditation and continuous improvement.
Supervising the Assistant Director of Accreditation Reporting and Compliance to ensure effective integration of data and reporting strategies.

4. Collect, analyze, manage, and disseminate data for Southwestern by:

Overseeing the development of institutional dashboards and public-facing key indicators (e.g., retention, bar passage, employment), ensuring alignment with accreditor expectations.
Providing leadership in the development and maintenance of a data warehouse, as well as accessible, relational dashboards that can be used internally at all levels.
Establishing and enforcing data governance policies and procedures to ensure data accuracy, security, and compliance with standards and regulations.
Promoting data literacy and awareness through training, consultation, and support for academic and non-academic units.
Collaborating with IT and other stakeholders at Southwestern to optimize the quality, availability, and flow of relevant data and information throughout the institution.
Exploring and leveraging emerging tools and technologies for institutional research and planning.

Minimum Job Requirements

Master's degree in higher education, organizational or educational research, assessment, evaluation, or related field, and at least five years of progressively responsible experience in higher education or an equivalent setting.

Preferred Qualifications

Ph.D. or Ed.D. in higher education, organizational or educational research, assessment, evaluation, or related field.
Experience in legal education.
Familiarity with Ellucian Student SIS (Colleague).
Experience with WASC Senior College & University Commission (WSCUC) or another major institutional accrediting commission.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Strong leadership skills to build and guide an emerging IE function.
Ability to collaborate with teams and their leaders to build and maintain strong relationships.
Ability to analyze and interpret data, within the context of the institution and the larger environment, and to apply that data in institutional decision-making.
Advanced study and work experience in assessment, institutional research, institutional effectiveness, research design, and implementation in a higher education setting.
Excellent communication skills, including the ability to effectively communicate complex data needs to a variety of stakeholders.
Knowledge of relevant statistical analyses, predictive modeling, and data visualization techniques used in data analytics, including the use of tools such as Tableau or Power BI.

To apply: For full consideration, submit a cover letter and resume to jobs8@swlaw.edu.

Salary: $100,000 to $110,000/yr., depending on credentials and experience.