Registrar

Position Overview

The University Registrar is the chief custodian of academic records at Wiley University and the senior leader of the Office of the Registrar. The Registrar is accountable for the accuracy, security, and integrity of every student record, from first registration through degree conferral and beyond.

The Registrar leads registration, the academic calendar, the course schedule, grading, transcripts, enrollment and degree verification, international student enrollment process, degree audit, and graduation certification and planning. The role interprets and enforces academic policy and ensures compliance with FERPA, federal and state regulations, and accreditation standards.

This role carries a dual charge: records custodian and completion strategist. The Registrar protects the record and is equally accountable for moving students toward a degree. At a small private HBCU, the Registrar's decisions shape whether a scholar registers on time, stays on a clear path to a degree, and crosses the stage. The Registrar is a member of the Division of Enrollment Management and Strategic Retention Leadership Team and partners with the Division of Academic Affairs and Strategic Retention, Office of Financial Aid, Office of the Bursar/Student Billing, Division of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, Athletics, and Information Technology to remove barriers and deliver records services with speed, accuracy, and care.

The successful candidate is a detail driven critical thinker, a confident systems leader, and a clear communicator who can translate policy for students, families, faculty, and staff. The Registrar serves as the final point of escalation for records and registration issues.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Academic Records and Data Integrity

• Serves as the official custodian of student academic records and the University seal for transcripts and certifications.
• Maintains accurate, secure, and complete records in Jenzabar and related platforms, including Parchment.
• Oversees transcript production, enrollment and degree verification, name and record changes, and records retention and disposal.
• Conducts routine data audits and corrects errors before they affect students, aid, billing, or reporting.

Registration, Scheduling, and the Academic Calendar

• Leads registration for every term and session, including add and drop, withdrawals, holds, overrides, and readmission processing.
• Builds and publishes the master course schedule and final exam schedule in partnership with deans and department chairs.
• Develops and maintains the academic calendar and communicates key dates to the campus community.
• Manages classroom assignments and course section setup.

Degree Audit, Graduation, and Transfer Credit

• Maintains degree audit and catalog requirements so every student and advisor can see a clear path to completion.
• Certifies degree completion, confers degrees, orders diplomas, and supports Commencement.
• Oversees transfer credit evaluation and articulation and posts credit in a timely manner.
• Supports the production and accuracy of the University Catalog.

Compliance, Certification, and Reporting

• Serves as the University's FERPA officer, trains faculty and staff, and responds to records requests and subpoenas.
• Collaborates with the Vice President of Institutional Research and Effectiveness to submit accurate and on time enrollment reporting to the National Student Clearinghouse.
• Provides data for IPEDS, accreditation, state and federal reporting, and audits in partnership with Institutional Research.
• Certifies enrollment and academic standing for athletic eligibility, veterans’ education benefits, and other external agencies as assigned.
• Verifies attendance and no-show reporting at each term start and coordinates with Financial Aid and Student Billing on enrollment status changes.

Policy Interpretation and Problem Resolution

• Interprets and applies academic policy consistently and recommends policy updates to academic leadership.
• Resolves escalated records and registration issues for students, former students, faculty, and staff.
• Communicates policy and procedure in plain language through targeted messages, guides, and training.

Systems and Process Improvement

• Serves as functional lead for the registration and records modules of the student information system.
• Leads system testing platform upgrades, integrations, and business process changes in partnership with Information Technology.
• Writes and updates business process documentation and standard operating procedures.
• Tracks service and productivity measures and uses them to shorten processing time and improve student experience.

Completion Strategy and Student Success

• Uses registration and degree audit data each term to identify students who are unregistered, off track, or near completion, and shares those lists with advisors and Student Success Coaches.
• Reports registration progress against the prior year at set points in each registration cycle.
• Reviews holds, policies, and processes that slow registration or degree completion and recommend changes to academic leadership.
• Identifies students who stopped out close to completion and partners with Enrollment Management and Strategic Retention on their return.
• Flags course availability and scheduling conflicts that block timely progress and work with deans and department chairs to resolve them.
• Owns the performance measures listed in this description and reports results each term.

Leadership and Supervision

• Hires, trains, supervises, and evaluates Registrar staff and student workers.
• Sets priorities, assigns work, manages schedules and timekeeping, and builds a culture of accuracy and service.
• Manages the office budget and vendor relationships.
• Serves on University committees and contributes to enrollment, retention, and completion strategy.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in a registrar, academic advising, academic records, or enrollment services office.
• Working knowledge of FERPA and its application to student records.
• Experience with a student information system for registration, grading, and degree audit.
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in higher education administration or a related field.
• Experience as a Registrar, Associate Registrar, or Assistant Registrar.
• Experience at an HBCU or a small private college or university.
• Experience with Jenzabar and Parchment.
• Experience with National Student Clearinghouse reporting, IPEDS, and accreditation reviews.
• Experience leading system implementation, upgrade, or integration.
• Active membership in AACRAO or a state or regional registrar association.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of academic records management, registration, degree audit, and graduation certification.
• Knowledge of FERPA and of federal, state, and accreditation requirements that govern student records.
• Ability to interpret detailed rules and apply them accurately and fairly to individual student situations.
• Skill in student information systems and Microsoft Office, with the ability to learn complex platforms quickly and understand how they depend on one another.
• Skill in analyzing data, preparing reports, and finding and correcting errors.
• Skill in supervising, coaching, and developing staff and student workers.
• Ability to communicate clearly and courteously, in person, by phone, and in writing, with students, families, faculty, and staff.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment with a high degree of accuracy.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and sound judgment.
• Commitment to student centered service and to the mission of HBCU.