Dean, Institutional Effectiveness, Research, Planning, and Accreditation

Antelope Valley College; Lancaster (CA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 203,000; Full time

Job summary

Antelope Valley College seeks a Dean, Institutional Effectiveness, Research, Planning, and Accreditation to lead districtwide initiatives in data analytics, program review, and accreditation. The role drives strategic planning and accountability to enhance student access, equity, retention, and success.

The position oversees data governance, dashboards, and analytic tools, advising executive leadership and governing bodies on performance, trends, risks, and opportunities.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in institutional research, statistics, data analytics, social sciences, higher education, educational leadership, public administration, or a closely related field.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research, accreditation, accountability, data analytics, or institutional effectiveness within higher education.
• Demonstrated experience leading college-wide or district-wide research, planning, accreditation, institutional effectiveness, and innovation initiatives.
• Three (3) years of supervisory or management experience.

Responsibilities

• Provides executive leadership and strategic direction for institutional research, data analytics, accreditation, accountability, integrated planning, Program Review, and innovation initiatives.
• Leads integrated planning, forecasting, and decision-support efforts, including strategic planning, educational master planning, enrollment management, institutional effectiveness reporting, and innovation initiatives with institutional priorities.
• Leads accreditation processes, including institutional self-evaluation, monitoring reports, substantive change submissions, and continuous compliance with accreditation standards and timelines.
• Ensures compliance with state, federal, system-level, and accreditation reporting requirements, including submissions to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and external agencies.
• Directs the collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of institutional data related to enrollment, student success, equity, completion, productivity, and accountability metrics.

Skills

Executive leadership

Data analytics

Institutional research

Accreditation

Strategic planning

Budget management

Education

Master’s degree in related field

Tools

Data dashboards

Statistical software

Job description

Antelope Valley College

Dean, Institutional Effectiveness, Research, Planning, and Accreditation

Salary: $162,595.85 - $203,059.94 Annually

Deadline: 12/5/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

DESCRIPTION

Under the general direction of the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President, Equity and Student Achievement, the Dean, Institutional Effectiveness, Research, Planning, and Accreditation provides executive leadership and districtwide oversight of institutional research, data analytics, accreditation, accountability, integrated planning, Program Review, and innovation initiatives. The Dean serves as the College’s chief steward of institutional data and evidence, ensuring data integrity, transparency, and strategic use to support Board policy, accreditation compliance, continuous quality improvement, innovation, and evidence-based decision-making. The position leads the collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of institutional data to advance student access, equity, retention, completion, and success, and fosters a culture of inquiry, innovation, and accountability across instructional, student services, and administrative areas.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

SUPERVISION RECEIVED (AND EXERCISED)

The incumbent works under minimal supervision from the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President, Equity and Student Achievement and exercises independent judgment in daily operations. Provides directions, leadership, and evaluation to staff.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Examples of essential functions are interpreted as being descriptive and not restrictive in nature. The description below is intended to provide a summary of the typical functions of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible responsibilities, tasks, and duties of the position.
• Essential duties are indicated by (E).
• Provides executive leadership and strategic direction for institutional research, data analytics, accreditation, accountability, integrated planning, Program Review, and innovation initiatives. (E)
• Leads integrated planning, forecasting, and decision-support efforts, including strategic planning, educational master planning, enrollment management, institutional effectiveness reporting, and innovation initiatives with institutional priorities. (E)
• Leads accreditation processes, including institutional self-evaluation, monitoring reports, substantive change submissions, and continuous compliance with accreditation standards and timelines. (E)
• Ensures compliance with state, federal, system-level, and accreditation reporting requirements, including submissions to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and external agencies. (E)
• Directs the collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of institutional data related to enrollment, student success, equity, completion, productivity, and accountability metrics. (E)
• Oversees development and maintenance of institutional dashboards, scorecards, research publications, and analytic tools to support transparency and decision-making. (E)
• Establishes and enforces data governance, data integrity, privacy, and ethical research standards across the College. (E)
• Advise the College President, executive leadership, faculty, and governance bodies on institutional performance, trends, risks, and opportunities. (E)
• Oversees quantitative and qualitative research studies, surveys, assessments, and evaluations in response to internal and external information needs. (E)
• Monitors statewide and national policy, accreditation standards, legislation, and accountability frameworks affecting community colleges; recommends responsive actions. (E)
• Prepares and presents technical analyses, accreditation narratives, and executive reports to leadership and participatory governance groups. (E)
• Supervises, mentors, and evaluates institutional research and accreditation staff; establishes priorities, workflows, and performance expectations. (E)
• Manages departmental budgets, contracts, and resources in support of institutional effectiveness priorities. (E)
• Provides leadership and coordination in support of institutional data analysis, needs assessment, and alignment of proposals with strategic plans, student equity goals, and institutional priorities. (E)
• Collaborates with administrators, faculty, and staff to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative, data-informed programs, services, and institutional practices that improve student success and organizational effectiveness. (E)
• Develops and oversees evaluation frameworks, performance metrics, outcomes reporting, and innovation initiatives to ensure accountability, effectiveness, and continuous improvement. (E)
• Promotes a culture of innovation and evidence-based improvement by integrating research, planning, and assessment processes into institutional decision-making and program development. (E)
• Represents the College in professional organizations, regional consortia, and statewide or national meetings related to institutional research and accreditation. (E)
• Participates in the rotating Administrator-on-Duty assignment. (E)
• Participates in shared governance by serving on institutional committees, task forces, and planning groups, contributing to cross-campus initiatives that advance student access, equity, retention, completion, and success.
• Participates in meetings, trainings, workshops, conferences, and/or professional development opportunities, as needed.
• Perform other related duties that support the overall objective of the position.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in institutional research, statistics, data analytics, social sciences, higher education, educational leadership, public administration, or a closely related field.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in institutional research, accreditation, accountability, data analytics, or institutional effectiveness within higher education.
• Demonstrated experience leading college-wide or district-wide research, planning, accreditation, institutional effectiveness, and innovation initiatives.
• Three (3) years of supervisory or management experience.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATION, SPECIAL AND/OR OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• May be required to hold and maintain a valid driver license 'if and when' travel is required in the course of work.
• May be required to travel for various off-site meetings, trainings, conferences, and/or events in support of the overall objective of the position.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Individuals must possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities or be able to perform the essential functions of the assigned classification, with or without reasonable accommodation(s), using some other combination of skills and abilities.

Knowledge of:

• Community college mission, governance structures, accreditation systems, and statewide and federal accountability frameworks.
• Districtwide and college-level organizational operations, decision-making structures, and applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including the California Education Code, Title 5, FERPA, and related compliance requirements.
• Accreditation standards, institutional self-evaluation processes, compliance monitoring, substantive change requirements, and continuous accreditation readiness practices.
• Strategic, integrated, and long-range planning frameworks, including institutional effectiveness models and continuous quality improvement methodologies.
• Advanced institutional research theory and practice, including quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, statistical analysis, survey design, assessment, and program evaluation at the executive decision-making level.
• Student access, equity, retention, completion, transfer, and workforce outcome frameworks used in community college accountability and performance reporting systems.
• Data governance, data integrity, privacy, security, and ethical standards governing the institutional use of data.
• Enterprise-level data systems, data warehouses, analytics platforms, dashboards, and reporting tools used to support institutional planning, policy development, and resource prioritization.
• Innovation and change management principles, including the design, implementation, and evaluation of pilot and continuous improvement initiatives.
• External funding accountability and performance measurement frameworks aligned with institutional effectiveness and student success goals.
• Fiscal and budgetary principles related to institutional planning, resource allocation, and sustainability within higher education environments.
• Change management, organizational leadership, and governance practices applicable to complex, multi-constituent institutions.
• Executive communication standards for policy briefs, accreditation narratives, Board reports, and institutional publications.

Skills:

• Executive-level analytical and critical-thinking skills to synthesize complex data, assess institutional performance, and inform strategic and policy decisions.
• Translating institutional data and needs assessments into planning documents and evaluation frameworks.
• Strategic leadership and project management skills to guide accreditation cycles, integrated planning processes, and institution-wide research and effectiveness initiatives.
• Organizational leadership skills to direct professional teams, set priorities, and align operational work with institutional goals.
• Leading cross-functional innovation initiatives and aligning emerging practices with institutional priorities and compliance requirements.
• Advanced written and oral communication skills to prepare and present technical analyses, accreditation documentation, and executive reports to governing boards, leadership teams, and participatory governance bodies.
• High-level proficiency in data visualization, institutional analytics, and research tools to support transparency and informed decision-making.
• Political acumen and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with faculty, administrators, staff, and external agencies in a shared-governance environment.

Ability to:

• Provide executive leadership and institutional authority over research, accreditation, planning, and effectiveness functions.
• Serve as a principal advisor to executive leadership on institutional performance, compliance, risk, and strategic priorities.
• Lead accreditation and accountability efforts with a high degree of accuracy, credibility, and institutional impact.
• Translate complex data, research findings, and regulatory requirements into actionable recommendations that guide policy and resource decisions.
• Establish and enforce institution-wide standards for data governance, assessment, and evidence-based decision‑making.
• Exercise broad independent judgment, discretion, and accountability in high-impact institutional matters.
• Foster institutional innovation while maintaining compliance, accountability, and alignment with strategic goals.
• Foster a culture of equity, transparency, inquiry, and continuous improvement across instructional, student services, and administrative areas.
• Build and sustain collaborative relationships across divisions and with external agencies, accreditors, and system partners.
• Manage multiple, complex, and time-sensitive initiatives while meeting accreditation, regulatory, and institutional deadlines.
• Uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, confidentiality, and ethical practice.