The University of Virginia (UVA), a proudly public institution consistently ranked among the best universities in the United States for excellence and value, seeks an experienced, trusted, and visionary leader to serve as Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment and University Registrar (“University Registrar”). The next University Registrar will guide the Office of the University Registrar (UREG) as it strengthens operations, modernizes systems, and reaffirms its role as a knowledgeable and collaborative partner to schools and colleagues across Grounds in working together to serve and support students and faculty and advance the mission of the University.

The University Registrar occupies a unique position at the University, balancing academic mission, student experience, and operational integrity. As the chief academic data steward, the University Registrar ensures UVA’s academic processes remain accurate, consistent, and aligned with institutional values. As a senior member of the Enrollment leadership team, the University Registrar collaborates closely with academic, administrative, and technology partners to support the full student lifecycle. The role demands sound judgment, strategic clarity, and a steady and caring hand to align people, policies, and systems. To advance practical, well-considered improvements in a complex academic environment, the University Registrar leads high-level strategy to connect UVA Enrollment and the student journey with the University’s academic priorities and initiatives.

The University Registrar leads a team of approximately 25 professionals and directly supervises the Deputy University Registrar, who oversees operations that include records management, academic services, curriculum and scheduling, athletics compliance, systems, and service operations.

UVA Enrollment

UVA Enrollment consists of Student Financial Services, Undergraduate Admission, UREG, and Commonwealth Partnerships, as well as a central team that provides leadership and support in communications, budget and finance, data intelligence and analytics, and strategy and administration. Together, these units strengthen the excellence, diversity, and success of the student body; expand opportunity and service across the Commonwealth; and support the academic mission of the University.

UVA enrolls students from all walks of life who demonstrate excellence and contribute to a purposeful and engaged learning community. The Enrollment team provides coordinated support to students and families from first contact through graduation, and Enrollment leaders, including the University Registrar, serve as advocates for students and a student-centered approach to policy and practice. UVA Enrollment also collaborates closely with schools and partners across Grounds, especially during high-volume cycles such as registration, add/drop, and degree conferral. The division is committed to serving the public and making an excellent education affordable for Virginia families.

The University Registrar leads operations, compliance, policy interpretation, technology, and institutional strategy and must bring executive judgment, technical skill, and strong relationship- and culture-building to the role. In practice, the University Registrar navigates day-to-day complexities and team leadership while keeping long-term institutional priorities in sight.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Working with the Vice Provost for Enrollment and in collaboration with Enrollment leadership and partners across Grounds, the University Registrar oversees academic operations at significant scale. UREG supports more than 26,000 students across 12 schools, manages tens of thousands of course sections each year, and serves as the authority for academic records in a decentralized environment. The role requires familiarity with undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs and the ability to support varied and effective pedagogical models and school-level practices.

While not exhaustive, this list represents key components of the Registrar’s role and responsibilities:

Organizational Leadership

• Foster a mission-centric culture of trust and transparency within UREG by leading with authenticity and empathy.

• Identify opportunities for improvement and successfully manage change.

• Lead an environment defined by open communication and meaningful feedback across all levels of the organization.

• Maintain structure and clarity while supporting flexibility and collaboration across schools and departments.

• Invest in staff development, cross-training, and leadership growth to build resilience and depth.

Relationship Building and Institutional Engagement

• Serve as a knowledgeable and trusted partner across academic and administrative units and foster shared understanding of policies and practices.

• Demonstrate political acumen to build collaborative relationships across schools and central offices while respecting UVA’s decentralized structure.

• Model emotional intelligence, curiosity, and follow-through in every interaction (especially when navigating differing school policies or perspectives).

• Strengthen the school-based registrar community through shared standards and professional development.

Process Improvement and Innovation

• Advance process modernization that strengthens the student, faculty, and staff experience and makes daily work smoother for UREG and school-based staff.

• Lead data-informed improvements rooted in clarity, practicality, and long-term sustainability.

• Anticipate emerging needs in areas such as credential innovation, transfer articulation, and integration of experiential learning.

• Ensure that academic innovation is supported by systems and policies that are equitable, consistent, and scalable.

Data Stewardship and Advocacy

• Act as UVA’s ethical steward for student data, balancing utility with privacy, transparency, and trust.

• Partner with Enrollment Intelligence, Information Technology Services (ITS), and Institutional Research and Analytics (IRA) on data quality, security, and governance.

• Communicate data insights that clarify connections among policy, student progress, and institutional outcomes.

Policy and Thought Partnership

• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of the academic record and provide authoritative guidance on academic policies, regulations, and compliance (e.g., FERPA, NCAA, VA, Title IV).

• Serve as a partner to faculty and academic leadership, balancing policy expertise with compassion, especially in cases involving student progress or exceptions.

• Exercise sound judgment in determining delegation of technical details and elevating issues for senior review.

• Support policy development and implementation in partnership with the Provost’s Office and Enrollment leadership.

• Maintain regulatory compliance and operational consistency in processes with high institutional visibility.

Technology and Technical Acumen

• Partner with colleagues to assess current technologies related to student records and academic administration and to translate evolving academic policies into effective system logic and workflows.

• Identify functional gaps and emerging needs where new or enhanced technologies may be required to support academic policy, operational efficiency, and institutional priorities.

• Lead or collaborate on major systems implementations, upgrades, and modernization efforts, many of which require coordination with schools and Information Technology Services (ITS).

• Use analytics and dashboards to support decision-making and continuous improvement.

• Assess, redesign, and optimize business processes to advance efficiency and enhance student, faculty, and staff experience.

• Understand systems integration across degree audit, curriculum management, scheduling, identity management, and CRM tools.

• Translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences.

• Stay current with emerging technologies and best practices in registrar and enrollment operations.

Strategic Priorities for the University Registrar

The University Registrar will build trust, strengthen organizational foundations, and develop a shared roadmap for ongoing improvement. Early priorities include:

• Advance data stewardship and policy leadership across enrollment: Lead institution-wide conversations on the ethical and strategic use of student data, aligning recordkeeping, governance, and policy throughout the student lifecycle.
  

• Advance data stewardship and policy leadership across enrollment: Lead institution-wide conversations on the ethical and strategic use of student data, aligning recordkeeping, governance, and policy throughout the student lifecycle.
  

• Strengthen UREG’s organizational capacity: Address resource gaps, improve workload balance, nurture resilience, and build bench strength to support long-term stability.
  

• Modernize processes and systems: Strengthen the user experience to drive efficient, transparent, and student-centered systems improvements in areas including degree audit, transfer articulation, and credential innovation.
  

• Reinforce UVA’s academic administrative identity: Clarify and advocate for a structure that connects Enrollment and the academic mission and build stronger partnerships across academic and student affairs.
  

• Strengthen the school registrar network: Promote shared standards, training, and collaboration across UVA’s 12 schools while respecting local autonomy.
  

• Serve as senior Enrollment leader: Work with vice provost and other senior leaders to foster empathy, purpose, and excellence throughout the organization.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS

The ideal candidate will demonstrate many or all of the following qualifications and attributes:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred.

• Ten years of progressive professional and leadership experience; an advanced degree may substitute for some experience.

• Understanding of higher education operations and large academic enterprises.

• Ability to build and sustain relationships internally and across a complex academic environment.

• Experience leading large, distributed teams or units within higher education.

• Proven success building trust across decentralized environments.

• Deep knowledge of academic policy and student data balanced with openness to innovation and change.

• Technical fluency with student information systems and related tools.

• Emotional intelligence, integrity, and the ability to remain calm under competing and sometimes ambiguous priorities.

• Curiosity, collaboration, and commitment to UVA’s mission.

• Strong ethical foundation grounded in respect for students and the academic enterprise.

• Ability to model and cultivate a team rooted in humility, authenticity, empathy, resilience, and mutual respect and care.

• Dedication to team development and professional growth.

APPLICATIONS, NOMINATIONS, AND INQUIRIES

UVA Executive Search Group (ESG) is supporting this search. Confidential inquiries and nominations should be directed to Adam Seid, Ed.D., Senior Search Consultant, at seid@virginia.edu. To apply, submit a letter of interest (which addresses your qualifications, experience, motivation, and interest in UVA) and a resume/CV via Workday. All inquiries and applications will be handled confidentially.

We encourage you to learn more about the University of Virginia and the many ways in which we pursue excellence for a purpose. A PDF version of the position specification is also available.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Click here to read more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.