Slate Position: President-Elect
Position Statement:
Hello Beloved AACRAO Family,
I am incredibly honored and humbled to have received three nominations for the President-Elect position. AACRAO, and the values we encompass, has come to mean a great deal to me. I was both nervous and excited when I attended my first conference in 2015, for I would attend a conference I’d heard about during my years at a prior institution, and I would simultaneously be introduced to the other organization that is relevant for professional development in my area, and that is the National Network of Law School Officers (NNLSO). During my initial years in higher education, I was unable to attend conferences due to my position. However, my current institution and administration encouraged professional development, which allowed me the liberty to not only be involved with AACRAO, but be committed, submit presentation proposals that fell under both personal and professional development, and serve in leadership. From my election as Vice-Chair-Elect and then Vice-Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee to my service as Vice-President At Large on the Board of Directors, Chair of the Governance Committee, speaker at State and Regional meetings, and co-author of a chapter within the most recent edition of Academic Operations and the Role of the Registrar, it has been my absolute pleasure to attempt to understand the needs of the organization and/or individual members and then choose areas for meaningful impact. Service in the role of President Elect empowers me to extend that same fervor but focused on Goal #5 of our Strategic Plan…to Develop and lead strong advocacy coalitions to benefit the advancement of higher education, higher education policy, and the learners we serve. In short, I desire to take a deep learning dive to broaden my and others’ knowledge on the different considerations/perspectives we must employ regarding accessibility and inclusion. I am learning that accessibility and inclusion has many faces. How then might we, as a profession, come to readily recognize those faces and transform our areas and our hearts to serve our clients (learners, faculty, fellow administrators) in a way that empowers, exhorts, engages, and promotes well-being? We must have a shared goal to consistently relay the message to any given person that “we see you, we want to help you, and we want you to know that you are not alone.” I truly believe that if we intentionally expand our view regarding the various forms of accessibility and inclusion, it will go a long way to projecting a more positive and discerning image of the higher education landscape, institution by institution. If any organization can be a premier leader in implementing such change, I certainly believe that AACRAO is such an organization, and I would love to be a part of such a movement.
LinkedIn
Dr. Connie enjoys the study of leadership and the privilege to impact others through encouragement and exhortation to be the best version of one’s authentic self. During her career, with over 20 years in higher education administration and preceding years in non-profit management, her main focus has been on process improvement, managing teams, and creating professional development opportunities that lead to proper team and organizational fit. Her recent professional passions include the study of behavioral and communication drivers, leading to a certification in the John Maxwell D.I.S.C. Method of Behavioral Analysis.
In her current position of Director of Registrar Services, she worked diligently to transition the department to a paperless division, created a pathway for electronic transcripts, presented an environment aesthetically pleasing as a “safe space” for students hailing from various areas of diversity, and has continually focused on process improvements throughout her career, to the benefit of the respective department, team processes, and organization as a whole.
Connie is also passionate about volunteerism. With that, she has served as a Guardian Ad Litem for over 20 years, advocating for children who have been temporarily or permanently removed from their home due to abuse and/or neglect. She is also active in professional organizations in her field; she has been an active member of both the National Network of Law School Officers and the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers since 2015, garnered by the support of her law school administration. She was elected and serves(d) as Vice-President at Large as well as Chair of the Governance Committee and Vice-Chair for the Nominations and Elections Committee (past commitment) for the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers and Assistant Executive Director of the National Network of Law School Officers. She is also a “JMTer,” committed to study and development from leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell. Connie is a lover of quotes and one of her favorites include, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Ghandi
Finally, having always lived a busy life between work, personal, and school commitments, Dr. Newsome became intentional about self-care during her doctoral journey. However, it was just in 2023 that she coined the phrase “beneficial selfishness,” which she lovingly defines as the concept of taking ownership of one’s own well-being, to the benefit of self and with the goal of positive engagement with one’s inner and outer circles. Beneficial selfishness is important because it impacts how we show up each day and moments within each day. Engaging the concept does not have to be long nor deep, it only needs to be impactful, leaving you feeling restored, a better version of yourself, every time.
Dr. Newsome holds a B.S. and an MPA, both from East Carolina University; she also holds an Ed. D. in Educational Leadership, with a focus in Higher Education Administration, from Argosy University. She appreciates time to periodically blog and write articles, write poetry, watch action movies with her husband and Schnoodle, and fellowship around good food with beloved family and friends.
AACRAO Role: Vice President at Large - Board of Directors