Registrar

WWU College of Business & Economics; Bellingham (WA); On-site; USD 116,000 - 133,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA, invites applications for the University Registrar to provide strategic direction for the Registrar’s Office and ensure the integrity and security of academic records. You’ll lead a team and collaborate with Enrollment Management and campus partners on data governance, FERPA compliance, and policy development.

The role supports graduation and enrollment goals, supervises staff, manages budgets, and drives data-enabled decision making across

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Progressive management experience in a registrar/college setting.
• Experience supervising staff.
• Experience analyzing data to support leadership decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all Registrar’s Office functions and staff.
• Establish data governance standards and ensure data quality for planning and reporting.
• Manage the Registrar’s budget and collaborate with campus partners on policy and compliance.
• Oversee course scheduling, degree progress, transcripts, and FERPA compliance.
• Coordinate calendar publication, catalog updates, and academic scheduling.

Skills

Leadership

Supervising staff

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Position Title Registrar About the University

Western Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master's-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.

Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.

About The Department

The mission of Enrollment Management is to build a diverse, vibrant, and inclusive campus community. We are committed to providing access, affordability, and essential services that support all students in their quest to succeed at Western Washington University and beyond. We strive to serve our community with excellence, integrity, innovation, and compassion. We work on behalf of prospective students, current students, and their families through each phase of the enrollment process: the college search, admission, financial aid and scholarships, orientation, registration, and on to graduation.

Enrollment Management includes Undergraduate Admission, Financial Aid, Orientation and Transition, the Registrar’s Office, and Veteran’s Services.

About the Position Reporting to the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, the University Registrar provides strategic direction for the Registrar’s Office and oversees the integrity, accuracy, security, and regulatory compliance of the university’s academic records. This position provides oversight for all Registrar’s Office functions and the effective administration of the student information system. Responsibilities include registration; student academic records; degree evaluation and conferral; commencement; student certification services; transcripts; athletic eligibility and certification; residency review; transfer credit evaluation; course scheduling; publications, including the schedule of classes, catalog, and university calendar; exam scheduling; scoring services; enrollment reporting and data management; some tuition waiver programs; and residency classification.

The University Registrar serves as a member of the Enrollment Management leadership team and plays a key role in the development, implementation, and assessment of strategic enrollment initiatives while working collaboratively with colleagues across the university to advance student success and institutional priorities. The Registrar is responsible for student records administration, FERPA compliance, institutional certification processes, academic systems administration and data governance, and the development and administration of academic and administrative policies affecting students and courses. Leads and develops a dynamic team by overseeing the recruitment, supervision, professional development, and evaluation of Registrar's Office staff.

Job Duties / Responsibilities

50% Leadership and Supervision

• Provide leadership and oversight to all Registrar’s Office functions
• Foster and maintain an environment that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging
• Supervise, train, manage, evaluate, and develop staff within the office
• Serve on university committees and represent Western on state-wide committees and organizations in support of inter-institutional policies, agreements, and data management and reporting
• Manage the budget of the Registrar’s Office, which includes both funding from the state and from revenue generating sources
• Serves as the institutional steward for student academic data and collaborates with Institutional Effectiveness, Information Technology, Enrollment Management, and Academic Affairs to establish data governance standards, ensure data quality, and support institutional planning, compliance reporting, accreditation, and decision-making.
• Lead continuous process improvement initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, service delivery, data accuracy, compliance, and the student experience.

25% Policy Setting and Records Oversight

• Oversee the review and validation of student academic records to ensure their accuracy, integrity, and compliance with university policies and regulatory requirements. Establish and maintain effective relationships with faculty and academic partners across campus, collaborating on issues relating to curriculum, university policies, and other areas of Registrar responsibility
• Ensure the accurate awarding of academic credit in accordance with university policy
• Work closely with partners on campus to ensure appropriate security of data and protection of sensitive and personally identifiable information
• Administer all functions relating to confidential student data, including FERPA training and FERPA compliance. Issue official transcripts and certifications, ensuring compliance with FERPA
• Advise and consult on academic policies, curriculum data management, and other academic matters on a regular basis, including with colleges and departments, the Provost’s Office, the Graduate School, the Faculty Senate, Academic Coordinating Commission, and the Academic Advising and Student Success Center
• Oversee the collection, validation, analysis, and reporting of student and academic data to support institutional planning, compliance, accreditation, and external reporting requirements.

10% Systems Coordination

• Oversee the effective use of systems for student information, document imaging, academic planning and degree progress, course scheduling, university catalog, and other systems
• Devise proactive initiatives, using data and systems, to assist in the overall effort to address challenges in retention and graduation rates, including the achievement gap.
• Lead the strategic evaluation, implementation, optimization, and governance of student information systems, degree audit technologies, curriculum management applications, scheduling systems, transcript services, and related technologies that support academic operations and student success.

10% Scheduling and Calendar

• Oversee course scheduling and exam scheduling;
• In coordination with the Faculty Senate and the Academic Coordinating Commission, maintain and publish the university catalog;
• Coordinate the publishing of the academic calendar and related calendars.

5% Other Duties as Assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Progressive management experience in operational management, preferably in a higher education registrar’s office
• Demonstrated experience with supervising staff.
• Experience analyzing and interpreting data to support decision making for leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or terminal degree
• Prior experience serving as a University Registrar in a public, master’s granting institution
• Demonstrated strong focus on the student experience and student success
• Strong record of successful team building and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Demonstrated professional record of collaboration and partnering with faculty and leadership.

Conditions of Employment

All employees must comply with our Immunization policies, including Proof of Rubeola Measles Immunity within 60-days of hire. Please reach out to [e-mail] if you need information regarding medical or religious exemption and applicable accommodations.

Salary Hiring range is $115,776 - $133,144 depending on qualifications and experience. Through longevity this position tops out at $150,510

Benefits Information

Benefits Overview For Administrative Professional Position.

Closing Date Notes Position closes 09/05/2026

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with applicable laws, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, citizenship or immigration status, pregnancy, use of protective leave, genetic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, creed, religion, veteran or military status, disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU’s Policies on Prohibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sex. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); [e-mail]

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3751 or 711 (Washington Relay).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of Student Life at [e-mail]. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.