JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Registrar
DEPARTMENT: Academic Affairs
REPORTS TO: Vice President for Academic Affairs
PURPOSE OF POSITION: Primarily responsible for providing leadership and support for the students and faculty through the administration of academic scheduling, advising, records management, degree audit, and reporting. Ensures compliance with accreditation and federal regulations, recommends new curricular and academic policy initiatives; conducts studies for academic affairs; administers institutional academic policies.
CORE LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS:
- Be a Promoter of Christ-Centered Student Learning—have a heart for equipping students for Christ-centered renewal in all areas of life, and shown through listening, creative problem solving, and wise work on behalf of individuals and the student body overall.
- Be a Collaborator—share information liberally, engage the campus community, seek out assistance from others, catch people doing things right, be proactive and optimistic, assist others when asked—to make work fulfilling and build Dordt’s reputation as a quality university.
- Be a Culture Builder—participate in the life of the university broadly—attend concerts, arts and academic activities, and sporting events.
- Be a Team Builder—support, encourage, and hold other members of the team to be accountable for performance and excellence.
- Be a Change Leader—when exciting projects or knotty problems surface which seem “beyond” the scope of anyone’s individual organizational “silo,” be comfortable with the fuzzy lines of responsibility and put forth your best effort to lead toward mission-focused solutions.
- Be an Ambassador—both personally and through formative guidance and accountability for the registrar’s office, do outstanding work that makes waves in the broader community to make Dordt’s name known—far and wide—as a place of excellence for Christian discipleship through effective teaching & learning.
- Be a Continuous Improver—always be thinking—“How can we do this better?”—both in your own areas of responsibility and in other areas. Bring those insights forward in productive ways.
Be an Encourager of the Good—notice and name aloud what is going well at Dordt, internally and externally, so that people are encouraged in doing things well and so that others will clearly see what excellence in service looks like.
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ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Develop, publish, and maintain the academic calendar and master course schedule.
Oversee the student registration process, including prerequisite enforcement, enrollment limits, exceptions, and schedule adjustments.
Maintain the official academic record, including grades, transcripts, transfer credit, academic standing, and degree completion, in compliance with FERPA and institutional policies.
Administer the degree audit system and certify students for graduation and degree conferral.
Work with the athletic director and faculty athletic representative to determine and certify the eligibility of student athletes.
Interpret, apply, and administer institutional academic policy consistently and equitably; process academic exceptions and support the appeals process as appropriate.
Provide academic advising support and guidance on policy, procedure, and degree requirements to students, faculty, and staff.
Oversee transfer credit evaluation and maintain articulation and equivalency information in collaboration with faculty.
Prepare and submit internal and external institutional reports, including enrollment, retention, graduation, and compliance reporting (e.g. , IPEDS, accreditation, state, and federal requirements).
Serve as the functional lead for the student information system related to academic records, registration, and degree audit; collaborate with Computer Services on system configuration and data integrity.
Conduct research and analysis in collaboration with Institutional Research and Academic Affairs, including enrollment projections, course demand analysis, grade distribution studies, research related to student learning, persistence, scheduling, and academic policies, and other special studies as requested.
Recommend academic policy and procedural improvement to support student success, institutional effectiveness, and mission alignment.
Provide effective servant leadership for the registrar’s office staff by setting expectations and providing guidance, training, accountability, evaluation, and celebration; establish an efficient office workflow and ensure cross-training and continuity of operation.
Serve on appointed committees and task groups and contribute to institutional planning and decision-making.
Assist in planning and conducting annual processes for student learning assessment.
Serve as a resource for the deans and other departments, offices, and committees.
Participate in accreditation and compliance processes for the institution and accredited programs.
Perform other duties as assigned.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: Occasional travel will be required.
QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE: Master’s degree required (or bachelor’s degree with willingness to earn a relevant master’s degree), with at least three years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education, experience, and training.
OTHER QUALIFICATIONS: This position requires excellent leadership, communication, and technology skills. Must possess project management abilities along with integrity, generosity, humility, and a positive, optimistic, servant-leader attitude. Express an active Christian commitment, which shall include affiliation with a local, confessionally Reformed congregation that actively supports the mission of Dordt University. Must endorse The Task and Educational Framework of Dordt University and the university’s expectations for church membership and support of Christian day school education. Prospective members of the Dordt University community are expected to agree with its confessional standards (The Three Forms of Unity, comprised of the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, and Canons of Dordt), as well as the university’s sexuality, gender identity, and sexual conduct policy, which can be found on the Dordt University website. (Contact the Academic Affairs Office if you need additional information.)
LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read and interpret documents such as classroom usage reports, semester course schedules, federal compliance regulations and other reports. Ability to write routine reports, correspondence, recommendation letters, and grant applications. Strong o ral and written communication skills and interpersonal abilities that enable effective collaboration with students, faculty and staff, community members, and other professionals. Ability to speak effectively before groups and to present policies and data clearly and accurately.
MATHEMATICAL AND FINANCIAL SKILLS: Demonstrated analytical and mathematical skills necessary for computing student FTEs, retention and graduation rates, average class size, and other academic metrics. Ability to calculate figures and amounts for budgeting and projection purposes. Abilities in budgeting and resource allocation. Ability to ensure accuracy in written and numerical reports.
REASONING AND RESEARCH ABILITIES: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Research and data analysis skills are required for enrollment forecasting, course demand planning, and analysis of academic performance trends. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions and information furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
TECHNOLOGY SKILLS: Computer skills including database, word processing, spreadsheet, Internet, and e-mail, coupled with an ability to develop queries for statistical data gathering and to research, learn, and implement new software related to the scope of the registrar’s duties.
OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage and prioritize multiple responsibilities in a deadline-driven environment. Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and apply policies with fairness, consistency, and diplomacy. Ability to work creatively and flexibly, and delegate tasks effectively. Possess leadership, coordination, and administrative skills, including the ability to supervise staff, collaborate as a team member or leader, and guide small groups through projects. Demonstrated capacity to interact tactfully and kindly with faculty, students, staff, and constituents and to establish and maintain effective working relationships. Ability to manage workload demands, handle stress appropriately, and meet the work schedule and attendance requirements of Dordt University.
Participating in the educational task of Dordt University is to be understood as a calling. When disciples of Christ hear and accept God’s call to participate in the task of Dordt University, they occupy a variety of offices. Participating in the work of development and sharing insight is not merely an occupation or a means to gain financial security or self-esteem, but a task to which God calls us. When this sense of office consciousness is lost, we lose the essential meaning of our work. Therefore, Dordt University seeks to develop and foster an atmosphere where all office-bearers can flourish in fulfilling the calling of their office (from the Educational Task of Dordt University found at: https://www.dordt.edu/about-dordt/publications/educational-task-and-framework ).
