Associate Registrar/Residency Determination Program Director I

Houston Dose; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 56,800 - 64,600; Full time

Job summary

The University of Houston System is seeking a Program Director 1 to lead the Office of the University Registrar Home Office. You will ensure efficient, accurate, and compliant processing of high-volume student record transactions and support institutional goals.

You will also serve as Residency Officer, interpreting state residency regulations and adjudicating complex cases while guiding campus stakeholders on residency policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of 3 years of progressively responsible experience in registrar operations or related higher education functions.
• Experience coordinating multi-departmental workflows in a large public university setting.
• Direct experience with residency determination and state residency policies.

Responsibilities

• Oversees daily operations of the OUR Home Office and ensures timely, accurate processing of student records.
• Serves as the residency officer and liaison to Admissions and Institutional Research.
• Establishes service level expectations and operational metrics; develops SOPs to improve efficiency.
• Supervises staff, including hiring, training, and performance management; fosters accountability.
• Ensures compliance with FERPA, state regulations, and audit requirements; maintains data integrity in the student information system.

Skills

Leadership

Organizational skills

Analytical thinking

Verbal communication

Written communication

Problem-solving

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

PeopleSoft Campus Solutions

Job description

Department: Office of the Univ Registrar

Salary: $56,800 to $64,600

Description

Directs an ongoing university program to ensure that prescribed activities are carried out in accordance with its mission and/or specified objectives. Prepares short- and long-term goals and objectives.

1. Plans, develops and administers methods, strategies and procedures for meeting program objectives; directs and oversees the daily activities of staff members.
2. Prepares and monitors the annual budget and ensures that expenditures are within budget allocation.
3. Directs and coordinates personally, or through subordinate personnel, activities concerned with carrying out the objectives of the program.
4. Directs the preparation of and reviews reports and records of activities to ensure progress is being accomplished toward specified program objectives; modifies or changes methodology as required to redirect activities and attains objectives.
5. Analyzes trends within program areas, maintaining expert awareness of program information and change needs.
6. Formulates, implements, and maintains appropriate policies and procedures concerning program administration.
7. Manages and administers grant for program, including meetings, communication coordination, scholarships and other operations.
8. May prepare or participate in the preparation of proposals to obtain grants from state and federal agencies, and private foundation sponsors.
9. Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

MQ: Education: Requires a thorough understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of an analytical, technical or professional discipline; or the basic knowledge of more than one professional discipline. Knowledge of the discipline is normally obtained through a formal, directly job-related 4 year degree from a college or university or an equivalent in-depth specialized training program that is directly related to the type of work being performed. Experience: Requires a minimum of three (3) years of directly job-related experience.

• Department is willing to accept education in lieu of experience.
• Department is willing to accept experience in lieu of education.

Job Summary

The Program Director 1 provides leadership and oversight of the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) Home Office, which serves as the university’s centralized processing hub for academic records operations. This position is responsible for ensuring the efficient, accurate, and compliant processing of high-volume student record transactions, while maintaining data integrity and supporting institutional goals.

This position also serves as the University’s Residency Officer, responsible for the interpretation and application of state residency regulations, oversight of residency classification processes, and adjudication of complex residency cases and appeals.

Home Office Duties & Responsibilities

• Oversees daily operations of the OUR Home Office, ensuring timely and accurate processing university
• Serves as the point of contact for the Cougar One Stop
• Establishes and monitors service level expectations and operational metrics
• Develops, implements, and maintains standard operating procedures to support consistency and efficiency
• Evaluates workflows and identifies opportunities for process improvement and automation
• Ensures compliance with institutional policies, state regulations, and audit requirements
• Supervises professional and support staff, including hiring, training, evaluation, and performance management
• Establishes clear expectations and promotes accountability within the team
• Supports staff development and fosters a collaborative and service-oriented work environment
• Works collaboratively with campus partners, including Office of Admissions, Scholarships and Financial Aid, Student Business Services, and Institutional Research
• Serves as a subject matter expert and escalation point for complex cases
• Communicates policy interpretations and operational updates to internal and external stakeholders
• Ensures the accuracy and integrity of student data within the student information system (e.g., PeopleSoft Campus Solutions)
• Partners with functional and technical teams to support system enhancements and process improvements
• Develop and monitors operational reports and key performance indicators
• Academic record maintenance and updates

Residency Officer Duties & Responsibilities

• Serves as the institutional authority on residency classification in accordance with applicable state statutes and university policies
• Reviews residency applications, supporting documentation, and appeals for initial classification and reclassification
• Interprets and applies complex regulatory requirements to determine residency status
• Provides guidance and training to campus stakeholders on residency policies and procedures
• Maintains documentation and reporting to support audits and compliance reviews
• Acts as the primary liaison to Admissions and Institutional Research to review initial determinations and ensure data alignment before the official census date.
• Proactively identifies residency data conflicts or mismatched data related to visa info, citizenship status, and data entry. Prepare regular reports to track and resolve these discrepancies.
• Executes "clean-up" reports provided by IR. Validates and corrects student records to ensure accurate data submission for state formula funding and THECB reports.
• Interprets and applies Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) rules and state legislative actions, including HB 232 and TAC Chapter 13, Subchapter K, for complex cases (military, non-citizen, and dependents).
• Develop formal recommendations for correcting systemic residency errors.
• Identifies and validates residency documentation (employment, property records, or visa status) to ensure accurate billing.
• Executes data entry and record updates in PeopleSoft (Campus Solutions), maintaining state-mandated documentation for all coding changes.
• Serves as a subject matter expert for students, parents, and campus partners regarding state laws and reclassification procedures.
• Requires thorough knowledge of FERPA
• Requires excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Requires strong analytical skills
• Requires proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of 3 years of progressively responsible experience in registrar operations, student records, or a related higher education function and experience in residency determination within an Office of Admissions or an Office of the University Registrar, including a proven track record of coordinating multi-departmental workflows in a large public university setting
• Experience interpreting and applying complex policies, regulations, or compliance requirements
• Demonstrated supervisory or leadership experience
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Direct experience with Texas Residency laws and the Texas Administrative Code (TAC).
• Proficiency in PeopleSoft (Campus Solutions) or similar Student Information Systems (SIS).

All positions at the University of Houston-System are security sensitive and will require a criminal history check.

The University of Houston System and its universities are Equal Opportunity Institutions. Everyone is encouraged to apply.