Alex Underwood

University Registrar, University of Arizona

AACRAO Elections Position Statement

I am excited to run for the Nominations & Elections Committee to continue serving AACRAO and deepen my participation in the organization that has been so meaningful to my professional development. I attended my first AACRAO in 2010, shortly after transitioning to a registrar role from academic advising; it was a fabulous experience and helped cement that the work I loved was part of a larger community and profession. Over the years, as budget allowed, I attended every AACRAO I could and soaked in the collective wisdom of this community, and enjoyed the opportunity to connect with people who truly understood the same challenges and joys I was facing. 

Since joining the University of Arizona in 2019, I have been fortunate to increase my involvement with AACRAO and our regional organization, PACRAO, where I am currently the President-Elect. I have seen how these organizations have assisted me and my colleagues in increasing our knowledge and confidence, which has led to a more meaningful impact on our institutions and the students we serve. For the past two years, I have been privileged to be a faculty member for the AACRAO Registrar 201 pre-conference workshop, where I have had the pleasure of meeting so many more members from various institutions and know that AACRAO is a welcoming and essential group for everyone in our profession to participate.

I know the importance of Nomination and Election groups to solicit and vet candidates for these essential leadership roles and ensure there are qualified and dedicated members who will serve the organization while balancing the many pressures we have in our other professional commitments. If selected, I look forward to actively participating and appreciate your consideration.

AACRAO Bio

Alex Underwood is the University Registrar at The University of Arizona, since May 2019. Prior to joining Arizona, Alex served as the Executive Director of Academic Systems and Student Records for City Colleges of Chicago, the largest community colleges district in Illinois serving over eighty thousand students a year. Alex’s previous roles at City Colleges included District Director of Academic Systems and Registrar of Malcolm X College. He has over 15 years’ experience in developing and implementing policies and procedures for academic operations, student records, curriculum management, and enrollment planning. Alex is someone who values the role that technology plays in the development of processes that maximize efficiencies for both students and the wider academic community. He has also served in several roles, including Registrar, at Kendall College in Chicago. He began his professional career as an Academic Advisor and believes this has rooted his life’s work in the student experience.  Alex also serves as the Vice President of Professional Development for PACRAO, the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.