Senior Assistant Registrar

James Madison University; Harrisonburg (VA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

James Madison University is seeking a Senior Assistant Registrar to oversee enrollment processes, seat allocation, and worksheets for first-year and transfer students. The role partners with academic units and analytics to ensure accurate course access and effective planning across winter and summer sessions.

The position requires a Bachelor's degree (Master’s preferred), advanced Excel skills, and experience with PeopleSoft or similar student information systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; master's degree preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work with academic advisors, unit heads, deans and leadership.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel.
• Working knowledge of Student Administration Systems, preferably PeopleSoft.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Winter/Summer session committee and Student Success Analytics to assess course demand and collaborate with departments for offerings.
• Coordinate and implement marketing strategies for winter and summer sessions with University Marketing and Branding.
• Manage and monitor the marketing budget for all winter/summer session initiatives.
• Coordinate Winter/Summer Session Committee meetings.
• Facilitate yearly review of registration worksheets and collect feedback for committee review.
• Review department-approved worksheets with advising and general education to ensure clear information for students.
• Use first-year enrollment worksheets to determine proper seat allocation for new students.
• Determine term-by-term projections of general education seats with senior leadership and analytics teams.
• Coordinate seat allocation with academic unit heads and identify override capacity.
• Program course requisites to ensure access for first-semester students.
• Monitor seat availability to allow schedule changes during summer registration.
• Create and maintain Excel spreadsheets for enrollment capacity data.
• Record time-stamped data for future reporting and analysis.
• Communicate registration information and timelines with departments and advisors.
• Serve as a member of the New Student Enrollment Group Main Committee.
• Serve as Chair of the New Student Enrollment Group Sub-Committee.
• Complete other enrollment-related duties assigned by the Associate Vice Provost / University Registrar.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Independent work

Excel

PeopleSoft

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

PeopleSoft

Job description

Working Title: Senior Assistant Registrar

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: Student Academic Success

Department: 100177 - Office Of The Registrar

Pay Band: N/A

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 10/8/2026

About JMU

Mission: We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision: To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are: Situated in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information

Reporting directly to the University Registrar, this position partners closely with academic leadership and campus colleagues to ensure a seamless and efficient registration process. The Senior Assistant Registrar is dedicated to collaborating across departments and units to deliver accurate information and facilitate student success from initial enrollment through subsequent academic terms.

Duties and Responsibilities

Winter/Summer Sessions

• Partner with Winter/Summer session committee and Student Success Analytics to assess student course demand/need and collaborate with departments to ensure appropriate course offerings during winter and summer sessions.
• Partner with University Marketing and Branding to develop and implement marketing strategies targeted at students and families.
• Manage and monitor the marketing budget for all winter and summer session initiatives.
• Coordinate and facilitate Winter/Summer Session Committee meetings.

Registration (Enrollment) Worksheets

• Facilitate yearly review of registration worksheets by sending current worksheets to academic units for updates and collecting feedback for committee review.
• Partner with University Advising and General Education to review department-approved registration worksheets to ensure accurate information is presented in a clear, student-friendly format to support informed course selection.
• Use approved first-year enrollment worksheets to determine proper seat allocation of required courses for incoming new students.

Manage General Education seats needed

• Partner with the Vice Provost for Student Academic Success, Student Success Analytics and the University Registrar to determine term-by-term projections of required general education course seats.

Manage class enrollment for new transfer and first year students:

• Coordinate available class seats with academic unit heads and identify override capacity.
• Determine and program course requisites to ensure that students who need specific classes in their first semester are given access.
• Monitor seat allocation and availability to maintain flexibility for students who may need exceptions or necessary schedule changes throughout the summer registration period.
• Create and maintain various Excel spreadsheets to capture class enrollment capacity values.
• Save periodic point in time data to be used for future reporting and analysis.
• Communicate with academic departments and advisors to ensure important first year and transfer student registration information and timelines are shared in a timely manner.

Serve as a member of the New Student Enrollment Group Main Committee

Serve as Chair of the New Student Enrollment Group Sub-Committee

Complete other enrollment-related duties and projects assigned by the Associate Vice Provost / University Registrar

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree preferred
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively work with various constituents including the following: Academic Advisors, Academic Unit Heads, College Deans, and members of the Student Academic Success Leadership Team
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Advanced proficiency in Excel
• Working knowledge of Student Administration Systems, preferably Peoplesoft

Additional Posting Information

JMU’s Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

Conditions of Employment

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice

After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: [phone].

Reasonable Accommodation

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at [phone] or [e-mail]. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.