Assistant Registrar (Classroom Resources and Course Offerings)

Position Summary

The Office of the Registrar (OTR) at Rice University supports the educational mission of the university by working with the Rice community to maintain the accuracy and integrity of educational records, provide quality service, and support innovative systems that enhance academic support.

The Assistant Registrar (Classroom Resources and Course Offerings) is a position within the Office of the Registrar (OTR). Under limited supervision, the Assistant Registrar (Classroom Resources and Course Offerings) administers various mission-critical operations related to the university's classroom infrastructure and use, as well as the Course Schedule. This includes, but is not limited to:

Classroom Assignments and Resource Management:

• Academic and Event Classroom Assignment: Year-round (and throughout all terms/semesters), manages the assignment of all academic courses and related events (e.g., midterms, review sessions) to the university's 100+ general-purpose classrooms in Ad Astra
• Classroom Improvements: Maintains knowledge of classroom inventory and conditions; identifies and recommends improvements to classrooms; regularly collaborates with Facilities (F&CP) and IT (OIT) to maintain and improve classroom conditions; identifies needs, recommends improvements, and serves as a key member of the Classroom Quality Management Team (CQMT)
• Event Request Management: Manages and assigns ad hoc event requests from across the university, coordinating for the most effective use of campus space

Course and Final Exam Scheduling:

• Course Schedule Management: Oversees the production process of the Course Schedule, from initial departmental submissions to final publication, ensuring adherence to the university's course scheduling policies and deadlines
• Departmental Consultation: Serves as a primary scheduling resource and consultant for academic department administrators, providing expert guidance on scheduling best practices, system usage, and conflict resolution
• Final Exam Scheduling: Develops, produces, and communicates the official final exam schedule each semester, managing all related logistics and exception requests

Analysis, Strategy, and Policy:

• Utilization Analysis: Conducts and presents comprehensive analyses of classroom utilization data to identify trends, peak usage times, and opportunities for optimization
• Strategic Reporting: Develops data-driven reports and dashboards for university leadership to inform strategic decisions regarding new classroom construction, renovation priorities, and long-term academic scheduling policies
• Policy and Benchmarking: Researches and benchmarks against peer institutions to recommend and develop updates to the university's classroom and course scheduling policies
• Continuity and Risk Planning: Develops and maintains academic continuity plans for emergency classroom relocations, ensuring minimal disruption to instruction and mitigating institutional risk

Systems and Training:

• Technology Management: Acts as the primary functional lead for academic scheduling systems (Ad Astra, CourseLeaf CLSS); responsible for configuring, testing, and implementing system upgrades and new features
• Data Integrity: Performs regular audits of scheduling and course data within Banner, Ad Astra, and CourseLeaf CLSS to ensure accuracy and consistency across platforms
• Training and Documentation: Develops and maintains a comprehensive library of training materials, user guides, and FAQs; conducts regular training workshops for department schedulers

Additionally, working as a member of a team, the Assistant Registrar (Classroom Resources and Course Offerings) administers and assists with other OTR operations as needed, including (but not limited to) business process analysis and improvement, training, office communication, data review/data integrity audits, special projects, etc.

Workplace Requirements

• Ability to work within a fast-paced office environment with changing priorities, critical deadlines, and the need for multitasking
• Ability to work both autonomously and as a member of a team, with minimal supervision.
• Ability to quickly learn and use new systems, processes, procedures, and complex office functions
• Office environment; standard working hours, full-time 40 hours per week. Occasional additional hours outside of normal working hours due to regular and seasonal activity
• This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in person. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.*

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis, may be substituted
• 5+ years of related experience
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis, may be substituted

Skills:

• Demonstrated experience in an office or administrative environment, preferably experience in records (and data) management, accounting, or another closely related field
• Demonstrated ability to oversee a functional area and, where applicable, supervise staff and delegate responsibilities
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; excellent customer service skills
• Strong presentation skills and ability to present abstract concepts and information
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a high degree of accuracy and uncompromising attention to detail
• Experience with PC computers, including intermediate- to advanced-level proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite of software applications. Advanced understanding of database concepts; intermediate-to-advanced database query (SQL) skills and experience with Oracle database querying tools
• Knowledge of higher education academic curriculum: the relationship between degrees, majors, and, where applicable, major concentrations, minors, and certificates
• Experience and expert understanding of applicable laws, regulations, and policies, including how they are applied within the assigned functional area
• A high level of business acumen, professionalism, and maturity, including the ability to maintain confidence with sensitive student records information
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to prioritize work assignments

Preferences

• Advanced Degree
• Seven or more (7+) years of related experience
• Experience in higher education, particularly in a college or university Registrar's Office
• Experience and history of participation in professional organizations (e.g., TACRAO, SACRAO, AACRAO) and contributions to the registrar profession
• Technical skill and experience with specialized software tools commonly used in Registrar's Offices, such as Ellucian Banner, Degree Works, Leepfrog CourseLeaf products (CAT, CIM, CLSS), etc.
• Skill and experience interfacing software tools (SQL Developer, Access, etc.) with Oracle tables and views, formulating queries, form design, reporting, etc.

Essential Functions

• Directs and manages the data and corresponding communications within an assigned (Office of the Registrar) functional area, using specialized software and programs; includes supervision of staff, where applicable
• Manages complete current and historical records, both electronic and paper, ensuring the ability to quickly retrieve information, generate reports, and provide additional statistical insights as needed
• Manages and performs the comprehensive review, maintenance, submission, and changes to records and data within an assigned functional area; ensures timely updates and accuracy across all official documentation (university and office policies, business process documentation, the university's General Announcements, etc.)
• Ensures meticulous adherence to data entry timelines and implements innovative methods for meeting deadlines or facilitating the seamless transfer of data to enhance overall efficiency
• Manages the ongoing development, adherence, and maintenance of standards, policies, and procedures; documents business processes, office policies, and procedures; and routinely audits documentation
• Performs high-detail analyses and routine data integrity audits; develops methods for data review, analyzes data, and ensures consistent data accuracy
• Ensures the conformity of record release procedures to the applicable policies and legal requirements governing the confidentiality of student records, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and all other applicable laws and regulations
• Provides expert guidance, instruction, and direction in response to inquiries and requests for information from the university community
• Performs all other duties as required

Additional Functions

• Has shared responsibility for the content on the Office of the Registrar web pages; contributes toward the development and editing of website informational text to communicate policies and procedures to the university community and beyond
• Has shared responsibility to make ongoing updates and improvements to Office of the Registrar business process documentation (specifically the OTRwiki, monthly task schedules, and the OTR annual production calendar)
• Serves as a customer service representative for the Office of the Registrar, serves as a backup to other professional staff, and assists in other office functional tasks as needed
• Maintains current professional knowledge in the registrar profession, including in the area of student records management and student records technology; researches and suggests options for new technologies to improve efficiency and functionality

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name -- RICE -- Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants must attach a cover letter and a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application in PDF format. Please note that the applicant tracking system does not convert attachments in Word format successfully.