The Director of Admissions and Records is the College Registrar and provides strategic leadership, oversight, and management of the college's admissions, student records, registration, graduation, and compliance functions. This position ensures that admissions and records processes not only meet regulatory and institutional requirements but also promote a positive, efficient, and student-centered experience, recognizing that these functions directly impact student enrollment, retention, and completion. The Director ensures the integrity, accuracy, security, and confidentiality of student academic records while maintaining full compliance with federal, state, and district regulations, including FERPA, state enrollment reporting requirements, residency classification, and records retention standards, in alignment with AACRAO best practices.
Reporting to the Dean of Enrollment Services, the Director leads the operational administration of admissions processing, student registration systems, transcript evaluation (including transfer credit and prior learning assessment), graduation application and certification processes, enrollment and compliance reporting, residency determinations, and comprehensive records management. The Director is directly responsible for critical reporting functions, including National Student Clearinghouse enrollment reporting and graduation verification, census/45th day reporting, FTSE reporting, and the resolution of reporting errors to ensure accuracy and compliance.
This role serves as both an operational leader and the institutional expert and authority on admissions and records or registrar functions. The Director is responsible for managing complex and sensitive processes, including tuition and residency classification across varying visa types, under-18 and under-13 student enrollment compliance, identity authentication, enrollment verifications, athletic eligibility and responses to subpoenas and other legal records requests. The Director actively participates in identifying and addressing fraudulent applications or records and ensures appropriate safeguards are in place to protect institutional integrity.
The Director exercises sound judgment in resolving escalated and non-routine cases, determining when exceptions to standard policies are appropriate, and addressing institutional errors while ensuring equitable, consistent, and compliant outcomes. The position also oversees vendor relationships and contracts related to records, reporting, and enrollment technologies, ensuring services align with institutional needs and compliance requirements.
The Director operates in a fast-paced, high-volume environment with competing priorities and strict regulatory deadlines. The position requires continuous monitoring of changes in federal, state, and district regulations and proactive implementation of process and policy updates. The Director establishes and oversees quality assurance practices, internal controls, and audit-ready processes to ensure ongoing accuracy, consistency, and compliance across all admissions and records functions while maintaining a strong focus on service quality and the overall student experience.
The Director is responsible for ensuring appropriate access, role definition, and security within the student information system (SIS), maintaining strict data governance standards and safeguarding sensitive student information. The Director must maintain a strong working knowledge of visa-related regulations as they apply to tuition classification and student eligibility.
The Director supervises professional and classified staff within the Admissions and Records Office and fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, compliance, and continuous improvement. The position works closely with academic departments, financial aid, advising, institutional research, information technology, and district/state reporting offices to ensure seamless student enrollment and records processes from admission through graduation.
As the college's primary authority on student records compliance, the Director ensures adherence to FERPA, state and federal reporting requirements, and institutional policies, while maintaining audit readiness and upholding the highest standards of records governance, data integrity, and student-centered service.
Essential Functions
30% Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Operational Management
Focus on compliance, policy authority, reporting oversight in primary areas of the following: FERPA governance, state enrollment reporting oversight, National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) reporting authority, legal records disclosures (subpoenas), policy development, compliance monitoring, strategic enrollment records oversight, and accreditation documentation and audit response.
Provide strategic leadership and administrative oversight of the Admissions and Records Office, including admissions processing, registration operations, transcript evaluation, graduation certification, enrollment verification, and academic record maintenance.
Develop and implement operational policies and procedures that support efficient, student-centered services and ensure efficiency, accuracy, and compliance with institutional policies and regulatory requirements.
Establish operational goals, performance expectations, and service standards for admissions and records operations.
Lead continuous process improvement initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and service delivery.
Final decision authority student records petitions & exceptions.
Effectively coordinate and manage the Registrars Office, supervising staff members and ensuring the smooth operations of all aspects of the office.
Hire, train, evaluate, supervise and support professional and classified staff assigned in Admissions and Records.
Work alongside Dean, Enrollment Services, and other staff to conduct data analysis of admissions and records functions.
Oversee departmental budget and develop plans to allocate resources strategically to optimize the budget through resourcefulness and maximization of staff's individual and collective strengths.
Serve as an escalation point for complex student records and enrollment issues, including resolution of non-routine cases, evaluation of exceptions to standard policies and procedures, and correction of institutional errors in coordination with the Registrar and appropriate departments.
Ability to act in the absence of the Dean, Enrollment Services, and assist with projects and program quality improvements.
30% Compliance, Records Governance, Data Integrity, and Regulatory Oversight
Institutional authority on FERPA and records disclosure policy. Ensure institutional compliance with FERPA, federal reporting requirements, state regulations, district policies, and accreditation standards related to student records and enrollment reporting.
Develop and implement internal controls and audit processes; Maintain oversight of secure student records management, records retention policies, and confidentiality protocols.
Oversee the preparation, validation, and submission of required institutional enrollment reporting to state agencies and regulatory bodies.
Plan and manage key registration processes, including student purges for non-payment, academic record maintenance, 45-day verifications, final grade processing, and grade report distribution.
Final institutional reporting authority. Ensure accuracy and timely submission of enrollment and degree reporting, including error resolution (e.g., FTSE reporting, census reporting, National Student Clearinghouse submissions, state reporting, degree verification reporting, and error resolution processes).
Oversee and ensure compliance with residency classification policies and appeal processes.
Oversee academic eligibility certification for student-athletes, ensuring compliance with institutional policies, conference requirements, and applicable governing bodies (e.g., NJCAA or other associations), including verification of enrollment status, academic standing, and progress toward completion.
The Director ensures the integrity, accuracy, security, and confidentiality of student academic records while maintaining full compliance with federal, state, and district regulations, including FERPA, state enrollment reporting requirements, residency classification, and records retention standards, in alignment with AACRAO best practices.
Monitor and validate enrollment data used for institutional reporting, funding calculations, and external compliance requirements.
Develop internal reconciliation processes to verify enrollment reporting accuracy.
Serve as the institutional authority and primary subject matter expert on student records policies and regulatory compliance.
15% Admissions and Registration Operations
Direct the administration of student admissions processes, including application processing, admissions decisions, residency classification, and enrollment onboarding procedures.
Oversee registration operations and policies including course enrollment, registration changes, withdrawals, and academic record updates.
Manage graduation certification processes and degree conferral verification.
Ensure accurate and efficient processing of enrollment-related transactions within the student information system.
Collaborate with advising, financial aid, and academic departments to ensure seamless enrollment processes that support student access and progression.
10% Transcript Evaluation, Transfer Credit, and Graduation Certification
Senior oversight of transcript evaluation processes, transfer credit articulation, and academic record evaluation.
Ensure timely and accurate processing of transfer coursework and degree audits that support student academic planning and financial aid eligibility.
Direct graduation certification processes including degree audits, eligibility verification, and degree conferral.
Ensure compliance with academic policies governing transfer credit and degree completion.
5% Technology, Systems, and Data Management Oversight and Process Improvement
Oversee operational use, management, and optimization of the student information system (SIS) data related to admissions, registration, academic records and other enrollment technologies.
Partner with institutional research and IT to ensure and maintain data integrity for enrollment reporting, compliance reporting, institutional planning, security protocols, and data governance standards.
Lead implementation and improvement of technology solutions that support online admissions, automated transcript processing, electronic records management, and student self-service tools.
Produce reports related to enrollment trends, admissions outcomes, registration activity, and records processing.
Utilize data analytics to support strategic enrollment management initiatives.
5% Student Issue Resolution and Institutional Collaboration
Address complex student records issues including academic petitions, transcript discrepancies, enrollment disputes, and graduation eligibility determinations.
Provide training and guidance to faculty and staff regarding student records policies, FERPA compliance, and enrollment procedures.
Participate in institutional committees related to enrollment management, academic policy, and student services operations.
Ensure equitable, student-centered service delivery while maintaining compliance with institutional policies and regulatory requirements.
5% Other
Stay current with developments in the field of higher education administration and provide expert guidance on best practices. Remain abreast to operational and reporting trends, regulations, and technology solutions; coordinate updates and modifications to the student information system related to registration, advisement, and academic records.
Serve on various executive boards, college and district committees (including locally, regionally, and nationally) as designated and participate in meetings and conferences.
Consult with other departments or officials as needed.
Actively participate in the MCCD Council for Admissions and Records, staying informed of district-wide policy and process updates and ensuring institutional compliance with district, state, and federal regulations. Represents the college and the best interest of the college in the council and other spaces.
Responsible for other reasonable related duties as assigned commensurate to the grade level of the position.