Registrar

Job Summary: 

The Registrar provides strategic, operational, and service leadership for all registrar functions at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The Registrar oversees academic records, registration and enrollment, course and classroom scheduling, grading, degree certification, and compliance with University, School, and external regulations. Working within a decentralized academic environment, the Registrar serves as a key connector across academic departments, central University partners, and offices within the Student Services division.

Reporting to the Associate Dean for Student Services, the Registrar is a key member of the Student Services leadership team and a critical partner to faculty, departmental administrators, and colleagues across the School and University. This role is responsible for managing a skilled and experienced team, including direct supervision of two Senior Associate Registrars and seven total professional and administrative staff, through significant transition and change; leading the implementation and refinement of robust degree auditing infrastructures within My.Harvard; enhancing enrollment management tracking and analytics; and nurturing a student-centered service culture that prioritizes equity, clarity, and responsiveness at every point of contact. The successful candidate will be a collaborative, systems-oriented leader who is energized by complexity and change, committed to excellent day-to-day service delivery and a culture of continuous improvement.

 

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Team Leadership and Change Management• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of professionals, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, professional growth, and adaptability. Guide the office through significant operational and technological change, including new system implementations and evolving service delivery methods, while maintaining team morale, clarity of purpose, and high performance. Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and professional development pathways for all staff; conduct regular performance planning, goal setting, and review. Build team capacity through cross-training and documentation, ensuring operational continuity and resilience.

• Partnership with Departmental Academic Administrators• Build strong, trust-based partnerships with departmental and program-level academic administrators who manage program-specific academic oversight. Convene regular meetings or working groups with departmental partners to coordinate on registration, degree progress, course planning, and policy implementation. Ensure the Registrar's Office serves as a reliable, accessible, and consistent resource for students, faculty, and departmental administrators navigating registrar processes and policy questions. Participate in onboarding and ongoing training for departmental academic administrators, ensuring they have the knowledge and system access needed to serve students effectively within the decentralized model.

• Enrollment Management and Data Analytics• Lead efforts to enhance the Registrar's Office contribution to enrollment management by developing and maintaining robust, accurate, and timely reporting on student enrollment, registration, retention, and degree progress. Build and maintain enrollment dashboards and standard reports that support decision-making by the Dean's Office, Student Services leadership, and departmental administrators. Partner with the Directors of Admissions and Financial Aid, and other Student Services colleagues to support enrollment planning, yield analysis, and early intervention for students showing signs of academic difficulty. Ensure that enrollment data submitted to external parties, accreditors, and federal and state agencies, is complete, accurate, and timely. Proactively identify opportunities to use data to improve student outcomes, streamline operations, and inform policy development.

• Student-Centered Service Culture• Serve as an informed, empathetic resource for students navigating complex academic situations, including medical leaves, program transfers, academic standing concerns, and degree completion challenges. Standardize and continuously improve service practices, including communication protocols, response times, FAQs, self-service tools, and front-line staff training. Review and refine student-facing processes, including registration, grading, and records requests, to improve clarity and expand self-service options where appropriate. This includes continuous review and improvement on online content, forms, and resources. Collaborate on integrated student communications, orientations, and information sessions related to registration, academic progress, and graduation. Establish feedback mechanisms to regularly assess student satisfaction with registrar services and identify opportunities for improvement.

• Strategic Planning and Cross-Office Collaboration• Serve as an active member of the Student Services leadership team, contributing to division-wide strategic planning, problem-solving, and cross-functional initiatives. Collaborate closely with Student Services colleagues in Financial Aid, Student Affairs, Harvard International Office, and Harvard University Health Services, to coordinate processes and provide a seamless student experience during challenging enrollment transitions. Partner with the Dean's Office and Finance on matters relating to enrollment reporting and revenue, student fees, and academic calendar.

• Academic Records, Registration, and Policy Administration• Oversee the integrity, accuracy, and security of student academic records in compliance with FERPA, University policy, and other applicable regulations. Direct all registration and enrollment processes (e.g., term setup, add/drop, withdrawals, leaves, cross-registration), ensuring clear communication and high-quality service to students, faculty, and staff. Serve as the School's lead for implementing, maintaining, and optimizing a comprehensive degree audit infrastructure within My.Harvard; partner with HUIT and departments to design audit rules, test functionalities, and resolve issues. Develop documentation, training, and communication strategies to support effective use. Manage all academic record functions, including grading, incomplete grades, leaves of absence, withdrawals, and transfer and waiver credit; ensure timely preparation and certification of official transcripts, enrollment verifications, and degree certifications; coordinate calendarized reviews of satisfactory academic progress. Serve as the School's primary authority on academic policies related to registration, records, grading, academic standing, and degree requirements; ensure FERPA compliance and provide guidance and training to colleagues. Partner with Academic Affairs, the Dean's Office, and faculty committees to support the review, development, and communication of academic policy; manage academic calendar development in coordination with relevant University offices. Represent the Chan School in University-wide registrar communities of practice, including the Harvard Registrar Council and relevant my.Harvard user groups.