Fast Facts

The Manager of the Office of Academic & Community Standards (OACS) leads efforts to maintain a fair academic environment, oversee student conduct reviews, handle appeals, and improve institutional processes.

Responsibilities: Oversee academic and conduct reviews, lead departmental management, implement process improvements, and promote learner success while fostering a collaborative environment among various stakeholders.

Skills: Experience in higher education policy, excellent organizational and technology skills, conflict resolution, and proficiency in data analysis and team management.

Qualifications: Master's degree and 5+ years of progressive experience in higher education administration with prior staff management responsibilities are required; a Doctorate is preferred.

Location: Minneapolis, MN

Compensation: $82800 - $124200 / Annually

The Office of Academic & Community Standards (OACS) is a subdivision of the Registrar's Office and plays a vital role in fostering a fair and ethical academic environment for our students. The OACS manager leads this critical function, overseeing a dedicated team responsible for facilitating academic and conduct reviews, handling grade, max time to degree and other learner appeals, ensuring adherence to institutional policies, and ultimately promoting learner success. Through strategic leadership, the OACS manager, reporting to the registrar, drives continuous improvement in processes and efficiency, while also acting as a champion for learners, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Institutional Leadership:
• Support team in delivering final decisions on escalated appeals, representing the Office of the President.
• Identify and address potential consumer action vulnerabilities, researching root cause and implementing corrective actions.
• Identify, research, propose and champion improvements to institutional processes and policies, in alignment with the OACS mission.
• Oversee responses to executive-level and third-party complaints, ensuring consistent and appropriate handling.
• Lead root cause analysis to identify and address operational gaps, optimizing learner experience and reducing costs.
• Function as a key manager within the Registrar's Office, participating in cross-functional committees and workstreams as appropriate.
• Identify needs and spearhead projects that ultimately improve communication with learner and staff, clarify processes and policies or improve workflow efficiency and effectiveness.
• Strategic Guidance:
• Collaborate across the organization to establish best practices in risk mitigation and appeals resolution.
• Recommend process improvements based on data analysis and stakeholder needs.
• Champion learner success by advocating for fair and effective processes.
• Ensure communications and records of OACS actions are confidential and appropriately stored in the learner record.
• Foster a culture of conflict resolution within the organization.
• Departmental Management:
• Support OACS team members by providing clear direction, fostering professional growth, and establishing individual development goals and plans.
• Conduct performance evaluations, manage talent, and cultivate a skilled, collaborative, cohesive and high functioning team.
• Exhibit ability to understand complex and sensitive student situations and provide staff guidance on best path forward.
• Empower direct reports to provide consistent and superior leadership across the organization.
• Process Improvement & Project Management:
• Oversee and streamline workflows within the OACS team, implementing regular check-ins and ensuring effective reporting mechanisms.
• Cultivate a data-driven culture by fostering the use of dashboards and tracking tools.
• Manage and support university and team projects, including those related to academic integrity, Code of Conduct, crisis protocols, student loan repayment, public relations, and Higher Learning Commission compliance.
• Champion continuous improvement through ongoing analysis and process optimization.
• Lead the implementation and on-going management of strategic initiatives to improve learner experience and mitigate risk, including:
• Empowering frontline staff to efficiently resolve complaints and reduce resolution time.
• Establishing and leading a dedicated Learner Relations Team (LRT) to address escalated issues, provide departmental consultation, and conduct root cause analysis.
• Streamline complaint intake and resolution processes, improve identification of escalated issues, and ensure consistent documentation and resolution tracking.
• Team Health & Well-being:
• Analyze team climate surveys and implement strategies to enhance morale and well-being.
• Monitor and refine team health metrics, ensuring alignment with university goals.
• Facilitate conversations about team mission, culture, and navigate challenges through support circles and effective communication.
• Conduct SWOT analyses to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the team and departmental workflows.
• Engage with other Registrar's Office staff to integrate team members as a cohesive department.
• Manage hiring, onboarding, training, and offboarding processes for team members.
• Address individual and team needs related to IT support, system's access, time off requests, recognition programs, workload balance, and team dynamics.
• Cross-functional Collaboration:
• Develop and strengthen relationships with internal partners (e.g., FAST, Residency, Advising) to streamline processes.
• Engage staff in team-building activities to enhance collaboration and communication.
• Facilitate information sharing and collaboration with other teams to ensure efficient problem-solving.
• Professional Development:
• Support staff in identifying and engaging in professional development opportunities.
• Pursue and engage in personal professional development opportunities through training, conferences, and online courses, particularly those that have direct connection to student conduct and higher education administration work.

Job Skills:

·      Experience in higher education, particularly work with student conduct,

policy and/or exceptions

·       Highly organized, detail-oriented, and adept with technology

·       Background with remote work and managing remote employees

Strong business acumen and sound decision-making ability.

·       Self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment with minimal supervision

·       Proven ability to manage employee performance and influence organizational change

·       Understanding of legal aspects associated with higher education decision-making.

·       Adept at negotiation, conflict resolution, and de-escalation

·       Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with diverse stakeholders.

·       Proven ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines while balancing organizational and learner needs

Familiarity with best practices and common procedures in the higher education industry

·    Ability to create vision, navigate change, embody trust and motivate staff   

Evidence of exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to create clear presentations for various audiences

·       Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Visio), Outlook, PeopleSoft or other student information, CRM and Learning Management systems and tools.

·       Demonstrates a sense of urgency and employs strong critical reasoning skills

Stays informed of external market trends and identify potential challenges and opportunities

Work Experience:

·       At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in a related field, such as higher education administration, student affairs, or regulatory compliance.

·       Demonstrated experience in successfully leading and directly managing staff, including conducting performance management, merit pay, coaching, and professional development conversations

·       Experience developing and implementing process improvement projects and leading teams through change

·       Prior experience in resolving complex complaints or inquiries, preferably within an academic setting

·       Experience working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders across departments to achieve common goals

·       Proven ability to analyze data and identify root causes of problems.

Education: 

• Master's degree from an accredited university and 5+ years of experience in a relevant field (Doctorate preferred).
• All degrees must be conferred from an institution accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Other:

·       Ability to work a hybrid schedule including both working from home and on-site. The selected applicant for this position may be required to occasionally work onsite and attend onsite or offsite meetings and events.  

·       When on site, typical office setting. 

·       Mobility within the office including movement from floor to floor. 

·       Access information using a computer. 

·       Must be able to work more than 40 hours per week when business needs warrant 

·       Must be able to travel 0-10% of time. 

·       Travel via plane, car, and metro may be required to perform this job. 

·       Strong mental acuity. 

·       Effectively cope with stressful situations. 

·       Effectively communicate, both up and down the management chain. 

·       Regular, dependable attendance and punctuality are essential functions of this job. 

·       Other essential functions and marginal job functions are subject to modification. 

·       Must be able to lift 20 lbs. 

SEI offers a comprehensive package of benefits to employees scheduled 30 hours or more per week. In addition to medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans, SEI employees may take advantage of well-being incentives, parental leave, paid time off, certain paid holidays, tax saving accounts (FSA, HSA), 401(k) retirement benefit, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, tuition assistance as well as entertainment and retail discounts. Non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime pay, if applicable.

Careers - Our Benefits, Strategic Education, Inc

SEI is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative culture where individuals can grow their careers and contribute fully. We strive to attract talent with broad experiences, skills and perspectives. We welcome applications from all. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top end of the pay range at SEI, we offer a competitive salary. The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate may vary depending on multiple factors including, but not limited to, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, geographical location, and internal pay equity. Our Talent Acquisition Team is ready to discuss your interest in joining SEI. The expected salary range for this position is below.

$82,800.00 - $124,200.00 - Salary

If you require reasonable accommodations to complete our application process, please contact our Human Resources Department at Careers@strategiced.com.