Dr. Josh Hibbard has served nearly 20 years in university administration and enrollment management, including positions as Director of Student Success, Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success, Associate Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment Management, and Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management. Dr. Hibbard’s experience is at both public and private medium-sized comprehensive universities in rural and urban areas. Throughout his career, his span of care has included oversight of admissions, advising, registrar’s office, financial aid, orientation programs, and student accounts, to name a few.
Dr. Hibbard’s research interests span a wide range of student success areas, including online student retention and harnessing the power of technology to improve recruitment, retention, and graduation outcomes.
Dr. Hibbard has led through the conversions of three CRM’s and two SIS transitions. His passion is transforming recruitment, student experience flows, and developing innovative learning environments to enhance pathways to a higher education credential, from communication planning, to improving student support structures. He has led the development and multi-year efforts for university strategic enrollment management planning, from start through implementation. He has also led financial leveraging optimization enhancements, aligning strategy with mission, vision, and strategic plan.
Dr. Hibbard holds a BA in Biblical Studies, an MA in Social Sciences, and a PhD in High Education with an emphasis in Student Success.
Fred Rodriguez is a seasoned higher education administrator with over three decades of leadership experience in enrollment management and student services. He has a comprehensive knowledge of academic and student affairs through his background at a wide range of institutions, from large public to small private, and graduate and professional schools. His broad understanding of enrollment management is built upon years of data-driven decision making, a student-centered orientation, and collaboration at all levels within the university and with colleagues at peer institutions. Mr. Rodriguez’s areas of expertise include policy development, strategic planning, compliance, student information system implementation, records and registration, student success and retention, and inter-institutional partnerships. Throughout his career, he has focused on creating teams that genuinely care about students, placing their success at the center of purpose and vision.
Most recently, Mr. Rodriguez served as University Registrar at Trinity University in San Antonio where he was responsible for all operations, budgets, and staff in the Office of the Registrar. Previously, he directed enrollment services offices at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and the University of Houston. With a strong command of technology, he specializes in implementing innovative solutions to enhance the student experience, and support academic advising, scheduling, degree audit, and early identification of at-risk students. Leading a team of faculty, advisors, student affairs directors, and IT staff, he created Early Alerts, Trinity University’s first student success system.
Mr. Rodriguez has for many years been actively involved in professional organizations and development. In addition to serving as president of the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (TACRAO), he has conducted workshops, chaired multiple committees, and shared his knowledge with association newcomers in mentorship programs.
Dave Meredith’s 28 years of experience in higher education span both the academic and student affairs side of the house. He has been an admissions director at mid-size and large public universities and has been a part of four, one-stop shop implementations. Dave has experience helping schools assess and restructure internal processes, use data to develop recruitment plans and build targeted yield plans. He also has worked with schools to reform office culture through hiring and training of new and existing staff. In addition to his work in admissions and enrollment management, he has experience in student retention, honors programs and new student orientation.
Dave has worked in Ohio, North Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, New Mexico, California and Georgia. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati where his research focused on FGC/low SES students and their successful navigation of the transition from high school to college. He has been an active presenter at regional and national conferences, has served on a College Board advisory committee and was elected president of the North Carolina Higher Education Advisory Board in 2018.
Role: Enrollment Research, Planning, and Effectiveness Lead
Daniel Merian’s higher education background is informed by practice and academic research. In his roles as Enrollment Research, Planning, and Effectiveness Lead and the Director of Enrollment Research and Analysis at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, he has provided in-depth data analyses to the University’s enrollment management and campus leadership teams. Mr. Merian translates big data into actionable reports, predictive models, and recommendations. He develops predictions, measurements, and interprets enrollment trends to help inform data-driven strategic leadership decision making. His research is informed by both his professional higher education experience and his doctoral studies. He is a Ph.D. candidate in the nationally ranked higher education administration doctoral program at Michigan State University.
Mr. Merian has worked at numerous institutional types including private liberal arts, flagship research, and currently at a master’s comprehensive university. He has collaborated on cross-functional university teams charged with developing strategic plans, new merit scholarship programs, financial aid initiatives, enrollment modeling, institutional advancement priorities, and student success initiatives. As an admissions representative, he successfully recruited record-breaking enrollment classes. Currently, as an enrollment researcher, he has provided data analytics that helped to inform the recruitment of some of the largest classes in university history.
Role: Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management
PJ Woolston (EdD) has over 20 years of experience in all not-for-profit sectors of higher education. He has been responsible for the development of all aspects of enrollment management systems at public and private institutions of varied sizes throughout the US. Throughout his tenure he has grown and sophisticated the admissions and enrollment operation wherever he has been, maximizing enrollment potential at all levels of the institution. He has extensive experience leading the strategic enrollment management and planning process at the institutional level. He has worked with freshman, transfer, dual credit, international, athletic, post-baccalaureate, graduate, medical school, and online/accelerated (adult and non-traditional) student populations. He has worked at institutions in both urban and rural settings.
Currently Dr. Woolston serves as Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management at IUPUI (the Indianapolis campus of Indiana University) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to working there he also worked at the University of Texas Permian Basin (small public), Marian University (small private), the University of Southern California (large private), the University of Cincinnati (large public), and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (mid-sized community college).
Dr. Woolston has conducted extensive proprietary research on a wide range of topics, including best practices in higher education recruitment and marketing, enrollment and admission policy and process, financial aid and discounting, tuition modeling, and institutional accreditation. Heholds a Doctor of Education from USC, a Master of Music from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Arts in French from Brigham Young University. He has been a frequent presenter for organizations such as NACAC and multiple state affiliates, NACUBO, NAFSA, and multiple specialist organizations.
Request Jill Orcutt as a speaker
About Jill Orcutt became the AACRAO Global Lead, overseeing the Consulting Division in May 2023. She has been actively involved in enrollment management for the past 40 years holding leadership and Chief Enrollment Management Officer roles at the University of California Merced, University of Washington Bothell, CSU Chancellor’s Office and Central Washington University.
For the past eight years, Jill held the position of Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, Dean of University Extension and for six years the Dean of Summer Session at the University of California Merced (2015-2023). She was responsible for the Offices of Admissions, Registrar, Financial Aid, Students First Center, Enrollment Management Systems, Enrollment Management Communications, and University Extension, and Summer Session. Jill served on the University of California (UC) system-wide Residency Committee and Transfer Guarantee Committee, and was the chair of the UC System AVC for Enrollment group. She brings to AACRAO a wealth of knowledge in enrollment management, leadership, organizational change, holistic admission, financial aid and scholarship leveraging, and enrollment management marketing and communications.
She has worked in higher education for more than 40 years in a variety of roles. She was formerly the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Director of Admissions at the University of Washington Bothell, was a senior consultant for the American Association of Collegiate Registrar and Admission Officers (AACRAO), and has served in roles in the Offices of the President, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Internal Auditor, Admissions, Financial Aid, and academic departments at Central Washington University. She served as a lead for a successful implementation of PeopleSoft at CWU and was a PeopleSoft and Mentor Application expert at the CSU Chancellor’s Office, and managed Salesforce (CRM) and utilized OnBase and Banner at UC Merced,
Jill earned her bachelor's degree from Central Washington University in Administrative Management and received a M.A. degree in Higher Education from Central Washington University.
Jill is the Global Lead for AACRAO Consulting in the Business Development & Strategic Partnerships Division. She is responsible for all aspects of AACRAO Consulting. She oversees approximately 60 highly qualified contracted consultants, develops new business lines, and maintains and expands AACRAO’s standing as a global SEM leader.
Request Sheldon MacLeod as a speaker
Director of Student Services, University of New Brunswick, Saint John
AboutSheldon MacLeod is an Associate Consultant for AACRAO Consulting. Sheldon serves as the Executive Director for the Council of Articulations and Transfers of New Brunswick (CATNB) successfully moving CATNB from a government departmental council to an autonomous organization engaging 100% of the provinces PSE institutions within critical initiatives focusing on e-transfer of transcripts, prior learning recognition, indigenous student accessibility, and other strategic initiatives.
Sheldon also serves as Director of Student Services at the University of New Brunswick, Saint John. As the chief student affairs officer, his team redesigned the service model with a navigator mindset, redeveloped the post-admissions communication and readiness programming, redeveloped health services delivery, redesigned academic coaching for students at high risk, increased retention by 19% within targeted populations, and added a new building to the residence system, with a student satisfaction rating of 93%.
Sheldon has worked with students for over two decades in both private and public institutions, having served as Registrar, Chief Enrolment Officer, and Chief Student Affairs Officer. He is a regionally recognized leader in student affairs and strategic enrolment and has worked on projects with every New Brunswick post-secondary institution, lead joint recruitment and admissions initiatives for the Atlantic regional institutions, and worked with institutions in Manitoba, Ontario, and the United States.
He is the former two-term President of the Atlantic Association of Registrars and Admissions Officers (AARAO) where he led a strategic overhaul of the association, including the shared recruitment programs, and is the recipient of their 2019 Leadership and Service Award for his contribution to the association and to post-secondary enrolment within Atlantic Canada. He also owns and leads a consulting firm for not-for-profit organizations and executive leaders of cause-based organizations.
Dave Stones has over 35 years of higher education experience. He spent 35 years at UT Austin, including four as an undergraduate and six while teaching math while in graduate school, and 21 years managing the homegrown student information software systems while on the senior staff of registrar and admissions. Mr. Stones spent another 12 years as registrar at Southwestern University, followed by two post-retirement stints as interim director of institutional research.
He served as SACRAO President in 1992-93, TACRAO President 2009-10, and conference coordinator for MODS ’84, MOSIS ’97, TACRAO ’06, and the first two AACRAO Technology Conferences in 2003 and 2004. Mr. Stones was a part of establishing electronic transcripts and was a member of the initial AACRAO SPEEDE Committee 1988-94, and oversaw the development and first five years of operation of the free UT Austin Server, which has now delivered over 15 million transcripts and over 58 million total transactions. Mr. Stones wrote the first UT Austin transcript print program in 1977, and moved Southwestern away from gummed label gym registration in 2005. In 2013, he received honorary membership in TACRAO, SACRAO and AACRAO, plus the UT Austin Arno Nowotny Medal for Student Service, and the Southwestern University Mundy Award for Service. He also spent many years as an adult leader for Boy Scouts.
Role: Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs
Arlene Wesley Cash is the interim Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at the San Francisco Art Institute. Prior to starting at SFAI, Cash served for 10 years as vice president for enrollment management at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA and consulted with a number of liberal arts colleges and research universities on the development of strategic enrollment plans and issues of diversity and access. While in her current position, she manages the offices of admissions, financial aid, the cashier, housing and student-life, Cash has also led career planning and placement, student support programs, TRIO programs, disability services, continuing-education, graduate, law and dental enrollment and student information systems.
In addition to her leadership at Spelman, Cash served as dean of enrollment at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and held admission and financial aid leadership roles at UMass Amherst, Brandeis University, Boston University and Kent State University. Throughout her career, she has served professionally and in a voluntary capacity with Upward Bound programs across the country, including those at Kent State University, UMass Boston, Brandeis University and Case Western Reserve University. Further, she has served on the residential life staff at Wellesley College, Kent State University and Brandeis University.
Cash has served on a number of boards and committees of the College Board, including the College Scholarship Services Board, Commission on Access and Equity, Midwestern Region Board, Retention Advisory Board, the HBCU advisory panel and the Dream Deferred Coordinating Conference Committee. She has also held a number of posts as a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, including their nominations committee, the statement of ethics review and national conference planning. Cash has served as a faculty member of the Harvard University - College Board Summer Admissions Institute. She is currently the chair of the US News and World Report Deans' Advisory Committee where she has served for 20 years, and where she has been committed to transparency in reporting, providing access to the full spectrum of their resources to disadvantaged schools and students, and equitable and reasonable weighting of the various factors which contribute to rankings. She is also an emeritus member of the board of advisors of InsideTrack and serves as the board chair for the National Research Center for College and University Admissions.
A frequent presenter at conferences and professional meetings, Cash has been interviewed for NPR's Talk of the Nation, participated in a panel presentation on NBC's Today Show and is the author of numerous articles on college admissions, student success programs, diversity in higher education and student debt. She earned her bachelor's degrees from Keuka College in Keuka Park, NY with an Independent Studies major combining the disciplines of philosophy and literature, a master's in philosophy at Kent State University, and is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in higher education leadership at the University of Georgia.
Role: Senior Director of ERP & Business Intelligence
Tuan has over 20 years of IT experience, of which over 15 years have been dedicated to mid to senior level IT production/operation management and consultation. Tuan has been involved in several development projects, utilizing agile style programming to consult and develop project plans and technical documents for different stakeholders within the campus community as well as in the California State University wide collaborative environment.
Tuan's current role is in central ITS as Senior Director of ERP & Business Intelligence, overseeing PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, HRMS and Finance. Tuan formerly served as Director of Enrollment Management Technology within Student Affairs & Enrollment Management at San Francisco State University. Tuan has been with the university for over 20 years.
Tuan has been the California Representative of the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee since 2003 and has served as Chair of the committee. Tuan has also served as Vice-President and President of the Singularity Users Management Team (SUMiT) as well as being active members of the Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council (PESC) Change Control Board, PESC Technical Advisory Board, co-chair of the PESC Education Record Users Group and is currently serving as the AACRAO Liaison on the PESC Board of Directors. Most of Tuan’s efforts have been through providing Webinars, Presentations, and Workshops as well as being a contributing author to the AACRAO EDX Primer.
The goal is to be of service, provide guidance and direction to the next generation of leaders, and to make a meaningful difference to the higher education community. Along with the capacity to set and attain goals, Tuan has always been proud of the fact that he is education first. He supports and encourages professional growth and emphasizes that the main mission of any university is the student. To meet this objective means ensuring staff and faculty have the tools they need to perform their jobs efficiently and effectively.
Amanda Steele-Middleton has served as the University Registrar at the University of Delaware since February 2020. She has had the privilege to serve students, faculty, and staff in higher education for nearly two decades at institutions both small and large, public and private. Amanda is a self-described data nerd with a deep commitment to collaborating to improve systems that enhance the academic experience and help students meet degree attainment goals. She is passionate about ensuring that registrar’s offices have positive brand management, supports a primarily remote work arrangement with team members, and promotes the positive impact registrar teams can have on the work satisfaction for faculty and staff.
Victoria (Tori) has served in various higher education positions for over 30 years. Her primary role has been as university registrar at private Christian universities in Portland, OR, Montreat, NC and (currently) Grand Rapids, MI. With a passion for empowering student success, Tori has focused on interdepartmental collaboration in student services, creating consistency in academic policies and processes, curriculum development, and ensuring best practices are followed in alignment with external accrediting and reporting requirements. Serving on small university campuses has also afforded her a wide range of opportunities to pursue other interests in academia: teaching, music, theater and a range of task teams.
Heather Bjorgan is the Dean of Enrollment Management at Black Hawk College. She is responsible for the development, implementation, coordination and institutional leadership for the college-wide recruitment and admission process. She oversees the student services division that includes dual enrollment coordinators, recruiters, financial aid, registrar, and advising offices. Previously, Bjorgan was the Registrar for Black Hawk College.
Before joining Black Hawk College, Bjorgan was a Policy and Project Manager for Ashford University, as well as Associate University Registrar. She has over 22 years of experience in higher education student services, policy, and project management areas.
Black’s higher education experience spans the SEM continuum from admissions through alumni engagement. Her current position allows her to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students to support student success through the use of technology and data. This work is informed by 10 years of graduate professional student advising, working with students through challenges and celebrating successes.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jena-black-98723853/
Capstone: A descriptive analysis of factors that may impact on-time degree completion in a two-year, graduate professional program.
Kim Conrad has 6 years of higher education sales and marketing experience in the EdTech space and was a high school teacher for two years in Kentucky. In her current role at Modern Campus, she handles the marketing strategies around two of Modern Campus’s product lines: DIGARC and Omni CMS. She strives to work collaboratively with Registrars, Marketers, IT and many other departments on campus. Kim’s focus is educating the higher ed market about the Modern Campus solutions and how incorporating technology into your strategic plan can save time, money and make for a better all around experience for staff and students.
Research & Policy Division Michelle Mott is the Director of Public Policy at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). She helps to oversee the association's policy and advocacy efforts and serves as editor and contributor to the AACRAO Transcript. Ms. Mott has been active in higher education policy for over a decade, focusing on equal access and inclusion issues, educational privacy, and federal regulations. She holds a bachelor's degree from Millsaps College and a master's degree from George Washington University.
The Biden Administration's Ambitious Higher Ed Agenda
An Update on the Biden Administration’s Higher Education Agenda
Michelle directs ongoing monitoring and analysis of federal legislative and regulatory developments, emerging issues, and trends to determine the potential impact on AACRAO members. She serves as editor of the AACRAO Transcript.
Brenda Selman serves as the Assistant Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and the University Registrar for the University of Missouri, in Columbia (a.k.a. Mizzou!) Her entire career has been in higher education, primarily in admissions, registration and enrollment management. During her 20 plus year tenure at the Mizzou she has focused on continued improvement in service to the campus community, leading the implementation of the student information system, moving services to online delivery, streamlining policies and removing barriers in processes to enhance student retention and success. She is currently leading contributor to campus efforts related to Alternative Digital Credentials and a new degree audit and planning system. Brenda’s portfolio includes the MU Student Veterans Center and the MU Student Information System, as well as the Office of the University Registrar. Prior to working at the MU, Brenda worked in a variety of roles at the University of Kansas including Assistant Director of Admissions and Associate Registrar.
Brenda has been active in AACRAO for over 30 years. She is currently serving on the Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment Management. She formerly held the positions of chair of the Enrollment Management and Student Success and Federal Compliance Committee committees. She’s participated in Hill Day, served as a member of the Nominations and Elections Committee, and the AACRAO Student Identity Workgroup as well as the Comprehensive Learner Record AACRAO/NASPA and a regular presenter at the Annual Conference.
Brenda is a member of MACRAO (Missouri) and held numerous leadership positions including President, Treasurer, Vice President for Government Relations and various committee chairs. She is also an honorary member of KACRAO (Kansas) where she was Vice President for Records and Registration, and chaired a variety of committees.
AACRAO Role: Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment Management - Board of Directors
For the past twenty-five years, I have been blessed with many opportunities and learning moments, especially from my colleagues in AACRAO. Just like the majority of those in our industry, I did not major in this, nor did I expect to find myself holding the position of University Registrar at some point. I had a few wonderful mentors and peers who saw something in me and helped me grow and develop by introducing me to our wonderful organization and then allowing me the opportunity to attend a meeting.
I have a unique insight having worked in various aspects of Enrollment Management – in Admissions, Financial Aid, and Registrar offices which helped create more of a connection of how all of our work is intertwined. These experiences and interactions, along with the confidence of my direct leadership helped my passion grow. Not just from attending the annual meetings, or serving on a committee but being given the opportunity to use my own skills and knowledge by stepping up to help as a committee chair, PAC Coordinator and then ultimately helping to plan as the Chair our first ever Virtual Annual meeting {2021}.
And I am not done, I continue my service with additional committees and wherever else I am called. I want to continue that service and wish to continue contributing to the future of our professions. I want to see us all become 22nd-century leaders, not just supporting the 21st century but for us to work beyond anything we will see in our lifetime. There is so much great work we are doing, out-of-the-box thinking, and new ways to move our paths in a better direction. I learn something new every day – have for my twenty-five years in higher education and am unwavering in my commitment to moving the needle in doing more for our profession. I
I have contributed almost 30 years of my career to higher education. I am an active member of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and believe passionately in advocating for and participating in the transformation of our profession. I believe that AACRAO leadership positions drive our association's ability to adapt to new challenges and drive innovation while elevating the professional expertise we contribute to our institutions.
Over the last five years, actively engaging in AACRAO, the organization that supports the development of our entire profession, has been fulfilling and rewarding. At the 2022 conference, I chaired the Graduate and Professional Schools Committee and presented on telecommuting. I also volunteered at the Portland Booth and at the First-Time Attendee Session. In previous years, I have presented on social justice in our everyday jobs, negotiation skills, curriculum and more. I’ve also spoken on a social justice focused panel and worked to begin a social justice listserv. I love giving back and offering my service, and am eager to continue doing so in new ways.
My perspective comes from working at a private institution where many of the students my office serves, study in the health professions. I strongly value the support and experiences I have gained through AACRAO in the Graduate and Professional Schools Committee, attending some AAPI Caucus meetings and events, and other formal and informal AACRAO groups.