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Job Summary

The Research Associate/Student Success Analyst (RA/SSA) will design and implement a wide range of complex evaluations and applied research studies to support enrollment, academic, faculty workload and budget/resource planning as well as strategy development related to student success initiatives. This position will apply appropriate research methodologies using a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) framework to support the timely execution of analytical projects and delivery of high-quality data products and services related to institutional priorities set forth by senior leadership and the strategic plan. The incumbent will conceptualize, design, implement, and troubleshoot a wide range of complex applied research studies and data-related projects that leverage the university’s data assets to support strategic planning and operational decision making.

This position will gather requirements from collaborating partners to develop solutions that will facilitate and scale access to data products and services that are strategic, secure, systematic, sustainable and scalable to a large, complex university. The incumbent will democratize access to the university’s data assets and infrastructure through products and services that are timely, relevant, and yield actionable insights.

The RA/SSA will examine and analyze practices, programs, and policies across various initiatives related to student success to support institutional research, accreditation, academic planning, assessment, academic scheduling, and planning at the strategic and operational levels. The incumbent will coordinate with relevant offices to support data analyses for enrollment and course planning, faculty workload, CSU Chancellor’s Office Reporting and other assigned projects as well as make recommendations related to data governance guidelines and practices.

The RA/SSA will develop historical and predictive models leveraging the university’s strategic data assets including IRSA’s databases, the Campus Data Warehouse, SAMI Gateway, and other platforms currently in use across the university. The incumbent will develop appropriate validation procedures to ensure the accuracy and utility of institutional data and analyses to foster a campus-wide culture of data-informed decision-making, continuous improvement and innovations in teaching and learning.

The incumbent will serve as a subject matter expert in developing and implementing technology-based solutions and systems (e.g., data infrastructure, systems analysis, testing and validation, etc.) to scale access for the range of audiences that engage with institutional data products and services. The RA/SSA will use effective communication and listening skills and exercise professional discretion in making decisions that align with SJSU policy.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement and contribute to projects using appropriate research methodologies and analytical techniques involving data related to enrollment, student success, course section offerings, faculty workload and program outcomes
• Design and implement a range of complex evaluation and applied research projects including data collection, analysis and the production of reports in different formats (e.g., written summary, Tableau dashboard, infographics, etc.)
• Examine the effectiveness and impact of institutional practices, programs, and policies through the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data related to student success, faculty workload, course offerings, and campus climate
• Develop and implement formative and summative evaluation processes using appropriate methodologies to support planning and decision making at the operational and strategic levels
• Conduct and coordinate research activities of varying complexity that may require analysis of multiple factors from different data sources and the ability to manage data issues in thoughtful, consultative ways
• Develop content and methodological knowledge of common practices in qualitative and quantitative approaches in higher education settings
• Support the ongoing management of data related to enrollment, courses, faculty workload, and student success, and outcomes using various systems and environments (e.g., Peoplesoft, Oracle Database, Google Cloud Platform, Ad Astra, Lightcast, etc.)
• Prepare reports and analyses on student and course enrollment to examine the alignment of course offerings, student needs, faculty workload, and performance metrics (e.g., persistence, retention, graduation rates) distributed across majors, departments, and colleges
• Prepare and maintain timely, relevant, and consequential reports and presentations to facilitate the interpretation and utilization of data by a diverse audience of constituent groups (e.g., students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, etc.)
• Develop content and methodological knowledge of common practices and approaches to reporting qualitative and quantitative data in higher education settings
• Identify, track and support on-going reporting on student and program outcomes. Support the development and analysis of course distribution and unit load trends, including course-level enrollment outcomes and projections
• Contribute to internal and external reporting initiatives including, but not limited to, CSU system data submissions, third-party data requests (based on established agreements), and external college survey submissions
• Develop and update reports, dashboards, and visualizations of institutional data on a scheduled and ad hoc basis

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Understands and is able to apply appropriate research designs and methodologies to examine programmatic and institutional initiatives’ effectiveness and/or impact
• Project management skills, which include but are not limited to clear and concise communication; organization, time, and task management abilities; planning and scheduling; technical and research knowledge, and; adept in relationship and team building
• Ability to manage and oversee multiple programs’ operational needs, execute logistics to ensure their efficacy, and provide recommendations for areas of improvement
• Ability to apply analytic mindset and use appropriate techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of policies, programs, and practices
• Proficient writing and presentation skills including the ability to communicate technical details to nontechnical audiences
• Ability to identify important insights from various data and program sources and suggest implications for university policy and practices
• Ability to support academic leaders to examine operational practices related to enrollment, program assessment, and meeting student needs
• Understands academic policies and programs to support planning, accreditation, assessment, and continuous improvement
• Ability to query data sources and create tables to support analyses using SQL
• Ability to apply appropriate statistical techniques, such as tests of difference and association (e.g., t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, regression)
• Knowledge of descriptive and inferential statistical methods and similar techniques.
• Ability to learn advanced and quasi-experimental evaluation techniques such as regression discontinuity and propensity score adjustments
• Ability to learn and implement automated predictive modeling in collaboration with other staff and share the results with other stakeholders
• Ability to produce analyses and statistical models in software packages such as IBM SPSS and R using command syntax
• Ability to query, merge, transform, and restructure diverse data sets and account for missing, duplicated, and unmatched data using SQL and similar techniques
• Ability to learn and apply statistical models that relate to enrollment planning (e.g., regression, moving average).
• Ability to test and refine numerical projection techniques in tools such as Excel, SPSS, and R
• Ability to identify and explain data-related limitations and issues to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to produce tables and graphical analyses through interfaces such as Tableau, Qualtrics, and Microsoft Excel
• Knowledge of data presentation conventions and techniques
• Ability to document procedures for future reference and troubleshooting
• Ability to communicate with constituents in a professional and respectful manner

Required Qualifications

• Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university
• Three years of progressively responsible administrative or professional experience which is applicable to the functional area in which the studies are to be conducted or which has demonstrated the ability to perform, or the potential to rapidly learn and apply complex survey techniques and analytical reporting or the rank of Assistant Professor or higher in a four-year college or university; or the rank of Instructor for at least two years in a recognized college or university, and demonstrated experience in research or special study work may be substituted for the three years of experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in education, social sciences, economics, mathematics, statistics, public or business administration, computer or data science, or other related fields
• Three or more years of experience in a similar function
• Experience in higher education research, coding/programming, project management, enrollment management and/or scheduling concepts and procedures
• Experience running statistical models and predictions (such as linear and binary regressions) on higher education data sets
• Experience working directly in Institutional Research/Institutional Effectiveness, Assessment, and/or Data Analytics/Business Intelligence offices

Compensation

Classification: Associate, Academic, and Institutional Studies I
Anticipated Hiring Range: $5,982/month - $6,988/month
CSU Salary Range: $4,975/month - $9,001/month

San José State University offers employees a comprehensive benefits package typically worth 30-35% of your base salary. For more information on programs available, please see the Employee Benefits Summary.

Application Procedure

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• Resume
• Letter of Interest

All applicants must apply within the specified application period: December 6, 2024 through December 22, 2024. This position is open until filled; however, applications received after screening has begun will be considered at the discretion of the university.

Contact Information

University Personnel
jobs@sjsu.edu
408-924-2252

CSU Vaccination Policy

The CSU strongly recommends that all individuals who access any in-person program or activity (on- or off-campus) operated or controlled by the University follow COVID-19 vaccine recommendations adopted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) applicable to their age, medical condition, and other relevant indications and comply with other safety measures established by each campus. The system wide policy can be found at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/ and questions may be sent to jobs@sjsu.edu.

Additional Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will issue a contingent offer of employment to the selected candidate, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was offered the position on a contingent basis.

The standard background check includes: criminal check, employment and education verification. Depending on the position, a motor vehicle and/or credit check may be required. All background checks are conducted through the university's third party vendor, Accurate Background. Some positions may also require fingerprinting. SJSU will pay all costs associated with this procedure. Evidence of required degree(s) or certification(s) will be required at time of hire.

SJSU IS NOT A SPONSORING AGENCY FOR STAFF OR MANAGEMENT POSITIONS. (e.g. H1-B VISAS)

All San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Incumbent is also required to promptly report any knowledge of a possible Title IX related incident to the Title IX Office or report any discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation to the Office of Equal Opportunity.

Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act and Campus Housing Fire Safety Notification: 

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is also available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.

Campus Security Authority - In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, this position is subject to ongoing review for designation as a Campus Security Authority. Individuals that are designated as Campus Security Authorities are required to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution and complete Clery Act training as determined by the university Clery Director.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University (SJSU) is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, race, religion or lack thereof, sex, sexual orientation, transgender, or protected veteran status consistent with applicable federal and state laws. This policy applies to all SJSU students, faculty and staff programs and activities. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and certain other federal and state laws, prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs and activities operated by the university (both on and off campus).