For the Record, An AACRAO Podcast

Imposter Phenomenon was first identified and written about by two female clinical psychologists in 1978. Sometimes referred to as “imposter syndrome,” it describes feelings of inadequacy or fear of being “found out” and is estimated to affect upwards of 70% of professionals, both women and men. In this episode, we talk to a friend and former colleague, Emy Farley, about her experience with feeling...

The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) is not just the sponsor of this podcast. It’s also a vibrant professional association with full-time staff dedicated to advancing the work of records and admissions offices in higher education. In this episode, we hear from Interim Executive Director Melanie Gottlieb to explore the organization and structure of AACR...

There are many different types of institutions of higher education in the United States, and making a shift from a small institution to a large institution can feel daunting or even overwhelming. Four registrars who have made that shift at least once (or more) in their career share their insights on that experience along with what they learned at the smaller institution and what they wish they wou...

At the AACRAO SEM Conference in Miami, Florida, I had the opportunity to present the Registrar 101 and FERPA workshop with Heather Abbott from Yale Law School and LeRoy Rooker from AACRAO. The two-day workshop covers a broad range of registrar functions, responsibilities, and roles. And of course, so much FERPA info.  I was able to convince some of the participants to share some reflections on any...

Increased stressors on institutions of higher education in the United States have resulted in the closing or merging of some those institutions. Even prior to the pandemic, institutions were facing reduced state funding, a challenging recruiting environment, and renewed scrutiny about the value of a post-secondary education. AACRAO has recently published a report (linked below) providing guidance...

The delta variant of COVID-19 has spurred changes to the fall 2021 return-to-campus plans for many institutions. In this special call-in episode, AACRAO members share the approach their institution is taking, answering the following questions: Who are you, where are you from, and how many students are enrolled at your institution? Is your institution requiring students/faculty/staff to be vaccinat...

Community colleges play a vital role in the higher education ecosystem. With more than 6.8 million students enrolled in for-credit classes, four-year institutions can and should be partnering with community colleges to help students succeed in achieving their educational goals. In this episode we talk to Barbara Hopkins and Jen Nelson, both of Northern Virginia Community College, about the benefit...

Description :  Most people don’t give the academic calendar a second thought...those people are not registrars. The way the academic year has been structured has changed over time, and will likely continue to change. Registrars will remain front and center in the management of the academic calendar. In this episode we dive into the history of the various calendar categories, highlight some conside...

With a significant number of registrars eligible to retire within the next ten years, mentoring the next generation of higher education registrars and admissions officers is critical. Adrienne Bricker and Jennifer Love join us to discuss the work of the AACRAO Mentorship Working Group, and to talk about their research and experiences with mentoring.   Key Takeaways: Mentoring is traditionally unde...

What is a learning organization and how do I know if I’m in one? In this episode of For the Record we talk with Erin Mason of UConn (and soon to be Ball State) about the characteristics of learning organizations and how you can implement them in your own institution. Is your office devoted to transparency, the creation of shared meaning-making, the values of learning, amassing knowledge and co-cre...

For the Record – Season 3 Episode 13- Connect, Educate, and Advocate with the Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus Episode Notes Description:  With the recent significant rise in racist rhetoric and violence against Asian Americans, members of our community are experiencing fear, anger, and anxiety. In this episode of For the Record, we talk to two members of the Asian American and Pacific I...

Registrars regularly oversee the practice of how credits are recorded in the academic record and how these credits apply towards educational credentials. Registrars are also often at the forefront of helping to shape the institutional policies related to Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). Listen as Becky Klein-Collins of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) talks through the origin...

Financial Aid is a critical student service office that relies heavily on the student data stewarded by the Registrar’s Office. Many of the things we do in the registrar’s office affect the work of financial aid counselors. Understanding what the flow of the financial aid cycle is, and how the work of the registrar fits into it, can make a big difference for operational efficiencies. In this episo...

In a conversation with two members of the AACRAO Black Caucus, this episode focuses on the practical applications and implications of equity and inclusion work. Along the way we talk about the work of the Black Caucus (and caucuses in general), ways the pandemic has challenged registrar’s offices and students alike, and ways that you can begin to engage with diversity, equity, and inclusion work....

Since 2015, AACRAO has been leading the charge in the development of a Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR). Partnering with other organizations such as NASPA, and working with a grant from the Lumina Foundation, AACRAO has made considerable progress in these efforts.  CLRs seek to capture, record, and communicate learning when and where it happens in a student’s higher education experience. In this...

On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, a group of armed insurrectionists stormed the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC, as Congress held a joint session to certify the election of Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris. This episode talks about the implications of this attack on US democracy, how it affects our institutions, and encourages people of good will to be active and engaged in their respo...

Sometimes registrars find it difficult to explain to people who don’t work in a registrar’s office what exactly a registrar does. And sometimes a video comes along that not only explains it but does so in an hilarious way. Guest: Tina Miller, Senior Associate Registrar and Chief Residency Officer University of Washington, Seattle Campus millert@uw.edu  Key Takeaways: Just watch the video and enjoy...

In today’s environment of constrained resources, we are all expected to be more productive. While strategic planning is important, strategic doing is where the rubber meets the road. In this episode we will talk about tools, methods, and approaches to help you focus and operate more efficiently. We’ll discuss resources for individual experimentation within the broad category of “productivity.” Gue...

This is Volume 1 of crowd-sourced registrar tips, tricks, and hacks. Thank you to the brave contributors who called and left their nuggets of wisdom to make this episode possible. If you’d like to contribute, follow the instructions below.  Contributors: AnnaMarie Bianco, Associate Vice President and University Registrar, Georgetown University “Learn as much as possible. Be open, invite criticism....

The past several weeks have been tumultuous for international students registered to study at American higher education institutions this fall, as SEVP released much more restrictive guidance than had been issued in the spring. We talk with Steve Springer from NAFSA about the regular requirements for international students, and how the recently released (then subsequently rescinded) guidance affec...

The Carnegie Unit grew out of a desire to provide a pension for college professors and turned out to be a significant factor in the standardization of secondary and post-secondary education in the United States. Its continued usage today both helps and hinders innovation in higher education. Discussing the impetus for, continued reliance on, and consequential nature of the Carnegie Unit is Elena S...

Framing is a way of understanding and communicating about a particular issue. As registrars, we operate in a highly complex world of varying demands. Organizational frameworks can assist us in understanding our various challenges, and organizing our thoughts and approaches to develop plans of action and solutions. Casey Bullock, Ph. D., Executive Director and University Registrar at Weber State jo...

I was asked to provide my thoughts on the future of higher education for Coursedog’s Community 2020: A Virtual Summit for Higher Ed event. Looking 20-30 years into the future, I talk about higher education re-branding itself as Lifelong Education, how the funding model will change, increased access and representations, the ways students will engage in modular learning, the ways technology will cha...

The higher education landscape has changed dramatically over the past several weeks as a result of the presence of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. This episode talks about ways the registrar is involved in decision-making on campus, and details three recent situations relating to shifting the academic calendar, the physical relocation of staff, and contemplating policy changes or exceptions to po...

With the backdrop of a global pandemic (and a suspected case of COVID-19 at George Mason--which turned out to be negative), this episode explores the way that registrars support the work of the emergency manager at their institution. We’ll get a glimpse into the public safety and emergency response world, and talk about ways that the registrar’s mission aligns with that of emergency managers. Whil...