Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications
About SMU
SMU's more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University's small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.
SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.
SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem - paired with entrepreneurial drive - creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.
Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU's relationship with Dallas - the dynamic center of one of the nation's fastest-growing regions - offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.
SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.
About the Department:
SMU Meadows School of the Arts educates visionary artists, scholars and arts and communications professionals to create sustainable and transformative impact on both local and global society. Today, the Meadows School has achieved prominence as one of the foremost arts education institutions in the United States and offers training in an unusual mix of the arts - visual (art and art history), performing (dance, music, and theatre) and communications (advertising, film and media arts, corporate communication and public affairs, and journalism) - as well as a preeminent program in arts management and arts entrepreneurship.
About the Position:
This role is an on-campus, in-person position.
This position is responsible for conducting analyses using advanced statistics and data mining techniques to enable better decision making in Meadows School of the Arts. It involves generating insights through the collection, aggregation, and assessment of data from a variety of data resources. The role creates great value by combining knowledge of education practices with data mining and analytical skills to identify areas for improvement and interventions, and to deliver high quality, actionable recommendations that help students' development and advance SMU's strategic plan.
Essential Functions:
Use data analytics tools, such as SQL, Tableau, R and Python to build robust dashboards and reports for key performance indicators, dive to understand the drivers of these indicators, provide stakeholders a quick and comprehensive view of SMU's dynamics in support of academic assessments and planning; update and maintain these dashboards and reports regularly;
Use appropriate advanced statistical techniques, such as forecasting, conceptual modeling and machine learning, to develop predictive analytics regarding curricular trends, teaching quality, student persistence etc.
Synthesize data (enrollment, retention, graduation, placement, budget, faculty and staff) and provide actionable insights to increase efficacy of programs and resource utilization. Deliver Annual Census, Graduation Survey Report, Chairs' Assessments, SNAAP. Oversee utilization of all assessment technologies: Digital Measures (FAR), Planning (formerly WEAVE), EvalKit (course evaluations), HEADS.
Identify statistical research areas that merit investigation, develop new hypotheses and approaches for studies, select an appropriate study design and statistical methodology, evaluate the feasibility of such endeavors, deliver interpretation of study results and generate actionable insights that can advance the progress of SMU's strategic plan and unlock our organization's competitive advantage;
Coordinate activities with various university offices: OIT, Registrar, Institutional Research, to oversee Dedman College course evaluation process, senior exit survey, college electoral process, and faculty's use of Digital Measures.
Archive and manage Meadows's various databases.
Partner with stakeholders in data governance efforts, including creating data definitions, ensuring optimal data transparency and quality, evaluating institutional data system projects, and developing best practices for data management to ensure consistency within the data system.
Qualifications
Education and Experience:
Bachelor's is required. Masters is preferred. Degree in quantitative methods in the arts, social sciences or education preferred.
A minimum of 3 years of experience is required.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies. Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills.
Candidate must possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Must also have strong organizational, planning and time management skills.
Candidates must possess strong programming skills in Python and/or R and fluency in data manipulation using SQL, high-level experience in conducting research, and familiarity with BI and data visualization tools (e.g. Tableau and/or R Shiny).
Candidates must possess knowledge of education research and practices, statistics (such as hypothesis testing and statistical modeling), machine learning approaches (e.g., clustering algorithms, random forest, neural networks, support vector machines) and the ability to explain key findings to varied audiences.
Physical and Environmental Demands:
Sit for long periods of time
Handle objects (dexterity)
Deadline to Apply:
This position is open until filled.
EEO Statement:
SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu.
Benefits:
SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.
SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.
The value of learning at SMU isn't just about preparing our students for the future. Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.
