Application

Review of applications will begin on Monday, November 17, 2025, and continue until the position is filled. To apply for this position, please click the Apply button, complete the brief application process, and upload your resume and position-specific cover letter. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895 or email info@spelmanjohnson.com.

Visit the Ball State University website at www.bsu.edu/

Reporting to the chief strategy officer (CSO) in the Office of the President, and in concert with the vice president for information technology and chief information officer, the associate vice president (AVP) for institutional research and decision support (IRDS) is the senior university executive responsible for leading the effective use of administrative data for reporting, analysis, and decision support, while providing strategic leadership for and overall management of ten full-time staff, including three direct reports, and two to seven part-time staff in IRDS. Working across the campus, the AVP collaborates in leading data governance and enterprise data management efforts and promoting/leveraging a fully functional data warehouse in support of institutional analytics capability and operationalization of analytics to support student success. This individual will manage processes that aim to ensure that enterprise data is collected accurately, analyzed rigorously, used appropriately, and shared with key stakeholders to make data-informed decisions.

The associate vice president will lead institutional research studies to help understand changing needs, pertinent challenges facing the institution, and opportunities for improvement. The incumbent will manage the enterprise data warehouse to support a wide range of uses. As co-chair of the Management Information and Data Analytics Strategy (MIDAS) Data Management Committee, the AVP will shape the use of data as a key influencer of university planning and decision support. The associate vice president will manage an operation that must meet new institutional challenges for analytics and fulfill the institutional reporting requirements of regulatory bodies.

Qualifications and Characteristics of the Successful Candidate

The successful candidate will possess a minimum of eight years of progressively responsible senior-level experience in institutional research and/or decision support in an institution of higher education, with demonstrated managerial expertise to collaboratively devise solutions to meet multiple needs, and demonstrated experience rolling out data analysis and governance at scale.

An earned graduate degree, advanced expertise with large-scale multi-source databases, and familiarity with student information systems and project management are preferred.

The search committee is particularly interested in candidates with the following competencies and attributes:

• A record of successfully completed projects that have brought data, at scale, close to practice with demonstrated impact of those projects in moving the needle of student success and other university goals.
• Strong analytical, research, verbal, and written communication skills.
• A record of successful team management, supervision, and mentorship.
• Demonstrated ability to form collaborative relationships with other University offices.
• An ability to communicate complex data, information, and analytical results to a broad range of audiences of varying technical expertise.
• The ability to prioritize and manage multiple, simultaneous projects with attention to detail and adherence to deadlines.
• Knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, procedures, and processes governing data confidentiality and security.
• Experience in managing staff in using advanced statistical and visual analytics software.

Institutional Overview

Founded in 1918, Ball State University is recognized for embracing beneficence and the enduring values of excellence, innovation, courage, integrity, inclusiveness, social responsibility, and gratitude. Located in Muncie, Indiana, with satellite campuses in Fishers and Indianapolis, Ball State is committed to providing an innovative, learner-centered learning experience in a welcoming, collaborative culture that inspires passion and purpose for a fulfilling career and a meaningful life.

Ball State prides itself on maintaining a welcoming environment for a diverse population of students. As a public research institution, it currently enrolls nearly 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students across seven academic colleges with about 190 undergraduate programs and boasts a 14:1 student-faculty ratio. Ball State also offers more than 140 certificate and master’s, doctoral, and specialist degrees, many ranking among the best in the nation. Ball State University has been named an “Opportunity College and University” by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, recognizing the University as a national model for advancing student success and long-term economic outcomes.

For the last 107 years, Ball State has had an unwavering belief in an education rooted in innovation, values, and intellectual curiosity. The institution was founded on the beneficence and tenacity of the Ball brothers, who gave back to the community that gave them so much. They purchased the land and buildings of a defunct institution and donated them to the State of Indiana. This gift became the Indiana State Normal School Eastern Division, which opened in 1918.

To recognize the Ball family’s generosity, the Indiana General Assembly changed the institution’s name to Ball Teachers College in 1922 and then Ball State Teachers College in 1929. By the 1960s, the regional Teachers College had begun to attract faculty from outside the Midwest. In 1965, the Indiana General Assembly renamed the college Ball State University, acknowledging its phenomenal growth in enrollment and facilities, the variety and quality of its educational programs and services, and the anticipation of its broader role in the state’s future.

University Mission

“We engage students in educational, research, and creative experiences that empower our graduates to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives enriched by lifelong learning and service, while we enhance the economic, environmental, and social vitality of our community, our state, and our world.”

Benefits Overview

Through its commitment to customer service, Ball State University strives to provide its employees with excellent benefits and resources to help them and their families make the most of its many programs. This position is eligible for benefits as afforded to full-time professional staff at Ball State University, including:

• Medical and prescription plans
• Dental plans
• Retirement savings
• Long-term disability insurance
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick days
• Life insurance
• Accidental death and disability insurance
• Flexible spending plans
• Health savings account
• Working Well
• Tuition remission
• Voluntary benefits programs (vision; supplemental life; short-term disability; and critical illness, voluntary accident, and/or hospital indemnity)

For more detailed information, view the 2025 Benefits Presentation. Ball State University has also developed this calculator, which shows the value of the University’s core benefits.