College and university leaders help shape all aspects of staff development, according to a panel at the 107th AACRAO Annual Meeting. The panel included Brenda Selman, University of Missouri; Brenda Schumann, University of Texas at Austin; Roslyn Perry, Capital University; and Sherry Waldon Wells, Lamar University.
These leaders shared some best practices to help grow the next generation of registrars, admissions officers, and enrollment managers:
- Build on staff members’ current skill sets
- Ensure fundamental skills are achieved
- Be a continuous developer of staff
- Provide staff with opportunities
Ways to grow and develop upcoming leaders:
- Focus on supporting your staff through critical leadership moments
- Adopt a human-centered approach that recognizes the challenges of leadership and puts the leader at the center of development experiences
- Get to know your staff and your culture; leaders will have different development needs depending upon their context.
- Assess skill sets and growth projects or opportunities. Provide opportunities to be involved in communities and projects across campus, and nominate staff for different activities and roles.
- Cross-train staff and switch around responsibilities
- Stress goal setting and professional development during regular one-on-one meetings and evaluations
- Encourage staff to seek growth opportunities outside of work
Core elements essential to staff growth:
- Unravel the mysterious (such as “the budget”)
- Show your team the reality of office politics and the best way to navigate and understand them
- Communicate effectively
- Invest in training
- Know your culture
- Connect staff with a professional network
Finally, higher education professionals interested in expanding their understanding of enrollment management practices should consider AACRAO’s SEM Endorsement Program (SEM-EP). SEM-EP is a self-paced, 12-18 month professional development program available to all qualified in-service practitioners working in higher education.
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