What are the responsibilities and job description for the Institutional Researcher and Data Analyst position at FISK UNIVERSITY?
Essential Functions:
- Provide analytical support for accreditation activities (SACSCOC and program accreditation), academic program review, and departmental projects
- Collect, analyze, and interpret data for internal use, external surveys, government-mandated reporting, and continued accreditation
- Coordinate reporting of data to external entities, including the National Student Clearinghouse, IPEDS, THEC/TICUA, the Common Data Set, U.S. News & World Report, College Board, and NC-SARA
- Collaborate across college offices including Institutional Accreditation and Effectiveness, IT, Registrar, Enrollment Management, Financial Aid, Finance, Administration, and Human Resources
- Develop and maintain institutional dashboards and reports, including annual fact books
- Administer course evaluations, student surveys, campus surveys and similar reports, and analyze resulting data
- Conduct data quality assurance checks and reviews to ensure accuracy, consistency, integrity, confidentiality, and compliance with institutional policies
- Remain informed about emerging technologies, analytics practices, and artificial intelligence tools that can improve efficiency, reporting, and institutional effectiveness
- Assist with market research for existing academic programs and potential new programs
Specific Job Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Familiarity with higher education reporting requirements and accreditation processes
- Knowledge of student information systems such as Colleague/Banner or similar enterprise systems
- A strong understanding of research methodology in education
- Advanced spreadsheet skills, including pivot tables and data analysis functions
- A strong aptitude in using databases, query tools, SQL, etc.
- Demonstrated ability to collect/extract, clean, analyze, summarize, and visualize data
- Exceptional attention to detail and organization, strong analytical abilities, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to providing accurate and ethical information in support of the University's mission
- Strong collaborative spirit and interpersonal skills
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet strict deadlines while maintaining a high degree of accuracy
Qualifications:PhD preferred, but a Master's degree in higher education administration or in an analytical discipline such as data science, the social sciences, education research, public policy, or related field with experience in institutional research will also be evaluated. Candidates with a Bachelor's degree in data/business analytics, data science, computer science, statistics, or a related field with significant relevant experience may also be considered.
Desired Experience
- At least two years experience in higher education, institutional research, and/or academic operations.