By Autumn Walden, Editor, AACRAO Connect, Content Strategy Manager, AACRAO
At the 111th AACRAO Annual Meeting, we continue our tradition of AACRAO Awards, recognizing those who have shaped our profession. Since 1959, AACRAO has honored individuals whose dedication and leadership have made a lasting impact on higher education. Honorary Membership, one of our most distinguished recognitions, is given to retiring members who have demonstrated exceptional service to the association and the field. Recipients enjoy lifelong benefits, including free meeting registration and waived dues—a testament to their enduring importance to our community.
What/Who influenced your decision to get involved with AACRAO?
Although I was a professor and not an administrator working in areas related to admissions, financial aid, or student retention, my research interests were in these areas. From the outset, I aspired to be a professor who influences both research and practice. When AACRAO started to focus more on these areas, especially with the early SEM conferences, it was a natural fit.
What do you enjoy most about your work and/or involvement with AACRAO?
In the early 1980s, before the first SEM conference, I worked with the late Steve Graff, of the College Board, to organize the first national conferences on enrollment management. When I learned that AACRAO was planning an annual conference on enrollment management, I sensed that this would be a much better vehicle to advance the ideas around enrollment management that were just emerging at that time. It was a real pleasure for me to be involved with several great professionals in helping to shape the early SEM conferences. When I became the vice chancellor for enrollment services at Indiana University Bloomington, AACRAO became my primary professional association affiliation.
Have you encountered any unexpected or notable experiences along your professional path?
Becoming the founding executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center was an unexpected opportunity. In addition, it was a great pleasure to work with Jerry Lucido and other folks like Emily Chung, Wendy Marshall, and Bob Massa to launch both the enrollment management certificate program and the master’s degree in enrollment management at USC.
Equally important was a great and satisfying experience; I thoroughly enjoyed my involvement with other enrollment management professionals. I also enjoyed getting to know and work with enrollment management professionals as well as AACRAO staff, including Janie Barnett, Jerry Sullivan, Barmak Nassarian, David Kalsbeek, Stan Henderson, Mike Riley, and of course, the late Bob Bontrager and Dick Whitesides—and others. I admired their unique insights and commitment.
What do you aspire to accomplish in the future?
I have a big smile on my face as I say to find a way to turn myself off and completely retire. I have been conducting research lately for myFootpath, focusing on the area of student retention for online students. It has been great to work with myFootpath colleagues. Nevertheless, I turn seventy-seven on my next birthday, and I would like to find a way to finally turn myself off. My wife of almost 55 years has heard me say too many times, sorry, I don’t have time for this; I need to get back to work. I am lucky she has put up with me.
What advice would you give to help others find their community at AACRAO?
First, attend one or more of the annual professional conferences sponsored by AACRAO. Volunteering to serve on committees and looking at the mid-career professional development opportunities offered by AACRAO (and I must add USC) is also a good idea. Finally (and this is a little off the topic), I encourage everyone in roles from admissions to registrars to enrollment managers to become scholarly practitioners. This means keeping up with research relevant to your job. This will make you more effective for two reasons. First, research can inform practice. In addition, colleges and universities are engaged in producing and transmitting knowledge. Young professionals will be more effective when they apply research to practice. In addition, others are more likely to listen to you.
AACRAO has been a very important part of my career. Thank you.
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