Registrar

Job Description Summary

The Wake Forest University School of Professional Studies (SPS) seeks an experienced and dynamic Registrar. As part of an innovative, student-facing team, this role is responsible for full operational efficiency and accuracy of SPS record maintenance, provides leadership to key aspects of the academic and enrollment services operation for graduate programs, and oversees implementation of academic policies and processes related to registration of SPS students and the scheduling of courses. Innovation and creativity in developing and implementing processes is essential. In conjunction with other team members, this role is responsible for all SPS registration process operations, from beginning to end of term processing and including academic record keeping and reporting.

 

Job Description

An ideal candidate will have

• Bachelor’s degree plus at least five years of related experience in a Registrar’s Office working with student information systems and institutional records or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Working knowledge and experience with the Ellucian Banner and Workday Student information systems.

• Ability to effectively work with a broad spectrum of student populations, staff colleagues, and faculty members.

• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of academic cultures, rules, and regulations; including knowledge of the FERPA.

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision on a variety of complex tasks concurrently, exercise independent judgement in resolving novel or unprecedented student record challenges, and prioritize tasks against key goals.

• Commitment to the value of multicultural environments, and the ability to build inclusive and respectful communities where differences are appreciated and engaged.

• Working knowledge of effective record maintenance and retention procedures.

• Demonstrated ability to think proactively, critically, and creatively to problem-solve.

• Ability to analyze data and implement controls to support policies and maintain data integrity.

• Ability to demonstrate excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing.

• Excellent organizational skills, with accuracy and attention to details.

• Ability to generate timely and accurate reports from a variety of data sets and/or databases.  

 

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Advanced degree and/or additional experience in a related field.

• Experience working with adult learners and/or programs for working professionals (i.e., accelerated, online programs).

• Experience with Workday Student and/or technical ability working with similar software packages.

• Experience in Cognos 8 or above.

• Demonstrated commitment to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment, as well as upholding the University’s and school's mission, vision, and values.

• Demonstrated proficiency in using cloud-based office tools, including Microsoft Office, Google platforms, and other relevant software.

 

Job Role

 

Wake Forest University has a strong sense of community with faculty and staff who are dedicated to the mission of educating the whole person. SPS focuses on accelerating the professional growth of adult students in the Charlotte community and beyond by providing accessible, flexible, affordable, and leading-edge educational experiences by leveraging our academic areas of excellence and external strategic partnerships.

 

To support this work, the Registrar will:

• Forecast census projections to assist with long-range plans, establish and maintain the academic calendar, and develop and maintain the SPS course schedule in collaboration with SPS and campus colleagues.

• Spearhead the identification, evaluation, and implementation of innovative academic program structures and delivery methods specifically tailored for the working professional population, including proactively researching and implementing forward-thinking strategies, networking with campus colleagues and external peers within graduate and professional education, and leveraging Workday SIS capabilities to support agile program modifications and creative registration strategies.

• Within the context of the Workday Student Information System (SIS) and under the provision of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), make decisions, problem solve, and provide leadership, initiative, innovation, and expertise to impact and improve current SPS processes, practices, and policies related to:

  • registration (including transfer credit, course substitutions/waivers, prior learning credit, troubleshooting registration issues, and course audits); 

  • solving complex cross-registration issues between graduate/professional schools;

  • course scheduling and academic period date controls; 

  • student record keeping, maintenance, and resolution of student record discrepancies (including updating name, address, and program of study changes); 

  • policy compliance (e.g. immunizations, health insurance requirements, honor and conduct procedures); and 

  • academic course/program creation and maintenance. 

• Create, maintain, and enhance data reports as appropriate and leverage data analytics to identify and proactively address systematic registration bottlenecks. Examples of reports include Census Data for Institutional Research, National Student Clearinghouse data sets, Workday SIS reports associated with registration, conferrals, grades, academic progress reports, academic distinction, and to guide modeling for course schedule and budget projections.

• Oversee grade changes, verifications for external agencies/stakeholders as appropriate with FERPA compliance, and distributions, as well as grade code maintenance and reminders to faculty for grade deadlines. 

• Issue earned academic credentials related to SPS degree and graduate certificate offerings and support operations related to conferrals and annual hooding ceremony including:

  • ordering of diploma covers; 

  • processing and providing student access to degree audit, transcripts, diplomas, and commencement information, including management of Parchment and Paradigm (i.e. transcript and diploma software);

  • regular audits and evaluation of student progress in meeting degree requirements.

• Serve as the Workday SIS’s Student Records expert and provide training to Student Success Managers and other SPS colleagues as it relates to strategy, data integrity, execution, and system updates.

Other Functions:

• Interpret, implement, and administer academic, financial aid, and refund policies as prescribed by SPS leadership and update SPS student handbooks, operational manuals, and related forms as needed. 

• Assist with program-specific initiatives and key annual events (e.g., orientation webinars, immersion weekend, hooding ceremonies, etc) and collaborates with SPS colleagues to ensure a high-quality student-centered experience.

• Collaborate with other University colleagues and/or external partners to ensure effective and efficient student registration including leading multi-stakeholder discussions to streamline registration processes across various schools (e.g., Registrar Roundtable group, University websites and document updates).

• Proactively identify areas for process improvement within the registrar's functions, leading the design and implementation of solutions to enhance efficiency and student experience.