Registrar

The University Registrar serves as the official custodian of student records and is the academic leader responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Office of the Registrar. This position ensures the integrity, accuracy, security, and appropriate use of academic records and student data while contributing to institutional priorities related to student success, academic excellence, and compliance. The Registrar leads the implementation of academic policy, manages the curriculum and catalog, governs student data, and provides technology-enabled services that support the full student lifecycle.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership:

• Provides strategic leadership to academic policy, curriculum, student progression, and records management.
• Collaborates with various departments across campus to support institutional planning and decision-making.
• Participates in university-wide committees and initiatives related to enrollment strategy, student success, academic quality, accreditation, and institutional effectiveness.
• Partners with advising, student success, and enrollment teams to reduce administrative barriers and improve student progression, persistence, and completion.
• Keeps apprised of changes to federal and state laws and regulations, emerging trends, , and best practices related to academic records, registration, and student data.
• Represents the University and the Office of the Registrar at state, regional, and national meetings, conferences, and professional organizations.

Academic Policy & Curriculum Governance:

• Collaborates with key departments and offices to establish and publish the University's official academic calendar.
• Develops, implements, assesses and revises academic policies, ensuring fair and consistent application within the Registrar's areas of responsibilities.
• Manages curriculum workflows and systems to ensure timely, accurate, and compliant academic program updates.

Office Operations:

• Directs department operations, including registration, enrollment reporting, transcript production, grading processes, degree audit, degree conferral, honors, commencement certification, and diploma issuance.
• Leads cross-campus planning and execution of university commencement exercises.
• Oversees transfer credit evaluation, articulation processes, and the awarding of prior learning and dual enrollment credit, in consultation with Enrollment Management.
• Ensures efficient course scheduling practices that optimize instructional resources and academic facilities.
• Promotes a high-quality, student-centered, innovative service environment across all functions.

Data Governance, Reporting, and Compliance:

• Serves as an institutional steward of academic records and student data, ensuring accuracy, consistency, auditability, security, and appropriate access, while also managing risk.
• Oversees reporting to internal and external stakeholders, including enrollment statistics, IPEDS, the National Student Clearinghouse, accreditation bodies, and regulatory agencies.
• Ensures institutional compliance with FERPA and all applicable federal, state, auditing, and accreditation requirements related to academic records and enrollment reporting.
• Ensures the accuracy and integrity of the academic catalog, course inventory, degree requirements, and academic calendar.

Technology and Process Innovation:

• Optimizes office systems and platforms, including the student information system, degree audit systems, curriculum management tools, and integrated platforms.
• Leads process redesign, automation, and system integration initiatives to improve efficiency, data quality, and service delivery.
• Evaluates, selects, and implements emerging technologies to support academic and administrative functions.

Organizational Leadership:

• Serves as the subject matter expert for the office. Leads, develops, and mentors staff, fostering a culture of service excellence, accountability, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
• Oversees hiring, training, performance management, and succession planning.
• Develops and administers the departmental budget, ensuring effective stewardship of resources.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university required. Master's degree in Higher Education Administration, Educational Leadership, Information Systems, or related field
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively increasing experience in higher education academic administration, registrar operations, or a closely related area. Senior-level registrar or academic operations leadership experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with academic policy implementation, records management, and regulatory compliance; Demonstrated evidence of strong leadership, interpersonal, supervision, and management skills
• Experience working with integrated student information systems and related technologies, such as Ellucian Banner and Degreeworks, Evisions Argos, Technolutions Slate, and EAB Navigate. Experience with data governance, analytics, process automation, or institutional reporting preferred.
• Must be able to travel and work extended hours or weekends during peak times and for special programs, projects, and events.
• Must be able to be able to engage when needed evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong public relations and customer service skills with an ability to implement diplomacy and discretion at all times; an ability to work effectively with communities across the university; Highly responsive to the needs of others.
• Must have a high ethical standard and a strong sense of confidentiality; ability to prioritize and manage multiple deadlines; thrive in a complex work environment; displays solid problem-solving and interpersonal skills; works well independently and as part of a team.
• Must have the ability to demonstrate strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and be able to organize workflow, coordinate activities, balance simultaneous projects without loss of efficiency in a multi-tasked environment, and manage multiple priorities to meet deadlines
• Must clear and maintain a favorable background investigation and clearance.
• Must have a valid driver's license, motor vehicle liability insurance, and personal injury insurance, or have a self-reliant source of transportation to conduct business on a daily basis
• Must have the ability to demonstrate intermediate to advanced skills in MS Office (Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, Outlook, Teams, and Zoom or similar platforms);
• Ability to represent and communicate the university's mission to prospective students and families is preferred.
• Ability to initiate appropriate actions and make systematic changes to avoid problem situations and/or increase the probability of desired outcomes
• Knowledge of the faculty governance process and skill to work effectively with faculty and academic administration; Familiarity with accreditation processes and faculty governance structures.
• Bilingual Preferred (English/Spanish with the ability to understand and to make oneself understood to Spanish-speaking individuals).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Working conditions are in an office environment and university campus setting. Must be able to move across the university campus to conduct day-to-day business.
• While performing this role, the employee will be regularly required to sit, walk, and stand; talk and hear, both in person and by telephone; and use hands repetitively to operate standard office equipment; and occasionally required to lift up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Frequently communicates with others using approved technological resources; must be able to exchange accurate information through designated systems within a timely manner.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

St. Mary's University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Equal Opportunity Employer.