Registrar

The Opportunity

The Registrar of Carleton College will be a visionary leader, effective manager, skilled communicator, strategic planner and committed to enhancing the student experience through leadership and development of effective, efficient, and innovative approaches to the management of student academic records and curricular functions. The Registrar is responsible for building strategic and collaborative working relationships with Carleton leaders and key stakeholders and serves as a partner in contributing to the creation, execution, and outcomes of the college’s undergraduate strategic enrollment plan through innovation and forward-thinking industry best practices and procedures. The Registrar is expected to provide leadership to the staff within the Registrar team to deliver a transformational environment supporting the strategic enrollment, retention and completion goals of Carleton College.

The Registrar takes an active role in engaging Carleton students with registrar-related issues and seeks their advice for continuous process improvement of registrar services.

Position Responsibilities:

The Registrar manages the operations of the Registrar’s Office and provides quality services related to the academic processes of registration, certification and documentation of student achievement, records maintenance, catalog maintenance, grading, graduation audit, and transcript evaluation. The Registrar actively participates in the College committees of the Academic Standing Committee, the Academic Standing Subcommittee, the Education and Curriculum Committee, the Classroom Planning Group, the Colleague Users’ Group, and the Enterprise System Steering Committee.  Assists in creation of the Academic Standing Subcommittee agenda and acts on exceptions to academic policies and procedures within parameters set by the Subcommittee.

Essential Job Functions/Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage staff in the Office of the Registrar.
• Manage academic policies in accordance with College guidelines.
• Oversee development and timely maintenance of student information systems and imaging systems and ensure data integrity.
• Ensure employees are trained in FERPA guidelines.
• Manage and coordinate ongoing class scheduling, class schedule production, final exam scheduling (including administration of self-scheduled exams), and catalog production.
• Develop, implement and coordinate all aspects of Web registration, with specific responsibilities for monitoring new student registrations during summer registration periods.
• Manage ongoing enrollment and athletic eligibility verifications, advising assignments, degree audits, transcript and graduation processing, teaching licensure certification, and diploma production for all students.
• Communicate directly with students, as needed, about issues related to their registration, transcripts, credits, and academic records.
• Evaluate transcripts to identify applicable transfer credit. Manage the off-campus study transcript evaluation process.
• Actively participate in College committees such as the Academic Standing Committee, and the Education and Curriculum Committee. Assist in the creation of the Academic Standing Subcommittee agenda and act on exceptions to academic policies and procedures within parameters set by the Subcommittee.
• Ensure the generation of accurate end-of-term academic review reports for all students in academic difficulty and conduct the spring-term senior review meeting.
• Work with Dean of Students and the Dean of the College offices to maintain and improve resources for academic advising.
• Manage all aspects of grading to ensure proper and timely processing in accordance with faculty guidelines.
• Works with the Institutional Research and Assessment office to ensure that data are provided in a timely and accurate manner.
• Manage curricular, registration, and academic calendar matters from knowledge of the relevant Title IV regulations and compliance reporting and the accreditation expectations of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

Education/Experience/Skills:

Required:      

• A Master’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in a registrar’s office with increasing levels of responsibility, or their equivalent.
• Familiarity with all aspects of class scheduling, academic record maintenance, data retrieval, degree auditing systems, graduation, transcript, and verification processing.
• The ability to lead with integrity and transparency, as well as to articulate a vision for strengthening service through the integration of best practices.
• Ability to communicate effectively, demonstrate tact and diplomacy, and maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• A demonstrated commitment to quality customer service, team building, and public relations with the college community including faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
• Excellent computer skills, especially knowledge of student information systems and system implementation strategies.
• Familiarity with the accreditation process in higher education, and the ability to implement institutional compliance with accreditors’ expectations, as applicable.

In addition, the ideal candidate will have:

• An appreciation of and experience with a small, private liberal arts institution, and
• Familiarity with or ease of adapting to Ellucian’s Colleague system, Workday, and the OnBase imaging system.

The College and the Area

Founded in 1866, Carleton College is a highly selective, private, coeducational liberal arts college of 2,000 students located in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota. Northfield is located in commuting distance of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, whose greater metro area has a diverse population of three million people and a rich variety of cultural amenities. Nationally recognized as the nation’s top college for undergraduate teaching, Carleton is known for its academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, and sense of humor. Carleton offers 33 majors and 37 minors in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, and social sciences.

A true liberal arts education:

Carleton College is committed to providing a true liberal arts education—a curriculum that challenges students to learn broadly and think deeply. Instead of training for one narrow career path, Carleton students develop the knowledge and skills to succeed in any walk of life.

The most important thing students gain is how to learn for a lifetime. Critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, effective communication: these are the tools that transform a collection of facts and figures into a way of understanding the world.

Faculty passionate about teaching:

Carleton’s faculty members are highly respected scholars, researchers, and practitioners in their fields. But above all, their first priority is teaching.

Every course at Carleton is taught by a professor—not a teaching assistant—in classes small enough to offer individual attention for students. A student-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 ensures that Carleton students have plenty of opportunity for interaction with their professors.

Students passionate about everything:

Carleton’s student body is notoriously difficult to categorize, but if one had to choose just a single word to describe them, it would be curious. They’re an intellectually insatiable group that approaches learning with enthusiasm, energy, and a uniquely Carleton brand of playfulness. Broad-ranging interests are common, and friendships seem to cross all traditional boundaries.

A close-knit community:

When people visit Carleton, they’re often surprised by the warmth and closeness of the campus community. Somehow, they expect a leading liberal arts college to feel more formidable and competitive.

But as Carleton students and alumni profess, there’s just something different about Carleton. Maybe it’s the small size. Or maybe it’s the round-the-clock proximity of so many creative minds.

Whatever the reason, Carleton is a place where students are likelier to cooperate than compete — and where working hard does not mean forgetting how to play.

Northfield, Minnesota – home of Carleton College:

Along the banks of the Cannon River, lies charming Northfield, Minnesota. With its 150 years of history, art, culture and education, Northfield offers something for everyone. Nature lovers flock to hike the trails of Cowling Arboretum, bicyclists pursue the varied terrain, foodies savor the dining options, music aficionados come for the lively scene. See for yourself why Northfield was included on CountryLiving.com’s “50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in America” list and named “Best Place To Retire” by Money Magazine!

Priority Date for Applications:

The priority consideration date for the Registrar position at Carleton College is for applications received by the end of the day on Wednesday, March 9, 2022.  The position will remain available until a hiring offer is extended and accepted by the preferred candidate.

To Apply for the Registrar position:

focusEDU is assisting Carleton College with ensuring the highest level of quality applicants to meet both College expectations and the personal goals of the applicants for an outstanding career opportunity.

Please submit your letter of interest/intent, resume, and the names and contact information for three professional references (references will not be contacted without your permission) to this e-mail address:

carletonREG@focusEDUnow.com

The cover letter, resume, and the list of references should be submitted as three separate Word documents or Adobe .pdf documents.  (Do not combine them into one document).  In your cover letter of intent, please discuss how, as the Registrar, you would foster and promote an environment of diversity, equity and inclusion in this role.

If you would like to discuss the Registrar position with us, please contact:

Herb Riley, Lead Search Coordinator

carletonREG@focusEDUnow.com

(231) 590-9390

EEO Commitment Statement

Equal opportunity for all is an essential part of Carleton’s recognition that diversity expands the Carleton community’s intellectual horizons and enriches the teaching, working, living, and learning environment.  Carleton College is committed to the principle that its educational facilities, activities, and employment opportunities shall be offered without regard to race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, gender, national origin, marital status, veteran status, actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression, status with regard to public assistance, disability or age.