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Discuss The Human Side of Technology Change with Colleagues
Jennifer Minke of Tarrant County College District hosts the September 24 Collective Gathering to engage in a peer-driven conversation about…
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Session Preview for #SEM2026: Structured Operations, Career Outcomes, Scholarship Funds
Three SEM 2026 session previews spotlight the systems, data, and funding strategies leading the next enrollment era as “enrollment management”…
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Start From Yes – Joint Statement on Credit Evaluation & Learning Mobility
Nineteen higher education organizations have joined the LEARN Commission in calling for a fundamental shift in how prior learning and…
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‘SparkNotes’ on Learner-Centric Initiatives to Get Your #AACRAO2027 Session Proposal Ready
A recap of #AACRAO2026 sessions focused on making it as clear, quick, and simple as possible for learners to get…
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New Authors Answer the Call for C&U’s Centennial
The C&U 100th Anniversary/100 Authors campaign celebrates a complimentary Annual Meeting 2027 registration winner while spotlighting new work from its…
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See What’s Really Happening in Higher Ed Technology
“We are thrilled to partner with AACRAO to bring clear, transparent technology insights directly to the professionals who shape the…
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We Said We Wanted Adult Learners, But the Aid Architecture Disagrees
Beginning in fall 2026, a working adult enrolled at nine credits borrows less than a traditional student enrolled at twelve—even…
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The Return on Investment in Learning Revealed on the Return Home
“… professional development doesn’t ask us to abandon our leadership philosophies; it asks us to evaluate, refine, and strengthen them…
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Ask a Consultant About Bridging the Leadership Gap in Higher Education
AACRAO Consulting had an opportunity to sit down (virtually, of course) with Executive Coach Teneal Taylor to discuss the growing…
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‘Regional Accreditation’ Is No Longer a Federal Classification
During recent conversations and presentations, I have found that one important change in federal accreditation policy has not been widely…
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AACRAO Welcomes 19 Professionals to Nine-Month ASCEND Leadership Development Cohort
The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers welcomes 19 mid-career professionals as ASCEND Cohort 7 scholars, who will…
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The Student Support Gap: What the Research Says and What Institutions Can Do
Three evidence-based strategies that higher-ed administrators can implement to improve retention and wellbeing among students who need it most.
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A Letter to the Admissions Road Warriors
“Every future alum once stood nervously at a recruitment table asking, ‘So … tell me about your school?’ Every enrollment…
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Session Preview #TheAssembly2026: CPL Systems, Dual Credit, Friendly Transfer
The Assembly starts in less than two weeks, and credit mobility is becoming one of the clearest tests of whether…
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Your Course Correction on Credit Transfer
In this Q&A, learn from our course faculty: Dr. Marc Booker, who authored the on-demand AACRAO Transfer Articulation 101 course,…
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Ask a Consultant About the History of SEM
The origins of enrollment management go back half a century. Find out how it came to be and about the…
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The Impact of the AACRAO Leadership Meeting
“It has to be said that the invite list is based on specific roles, but the list is encompassing and…
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Survey Reveals Four Positive Impacts of Professional Development on Registrar & Admissions
Using an exploratory case study methodology, the authors collected survey data from 30 past participants across five previous cohorts and…
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Between Two Worlds: The Higher Education ‘Crossover Album’
“We love strategic plans, committees, task forces, and redesign efforts. Meanwhile, students are trying to register for classes, transfer credits,…
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Closing the Cycle Without Losing the Lessons
The challenge is that graduation season is rarely the right time to stop and fix everything. When the volume and…
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Meet the Next Parliamentarian to Keep the Business of AACRAO in Order
“Governance can seem complex from the outside, but it becomes much more accessible through involvement.” —Tiffany Blackwell,
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Discuss AI in Higher Education with Colleagues
Michael Davenport of The University of Arizona hosts the June 11 Collective Gathering to invites higher-education professionals to explore how…
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In Conversation: SEM-EP Evaluators in 2026
Meet the two outgoing SEM-EP evaluators, Dr. Andrea Lehmacher and Keir McIsaac, who are wrapping up their service and welcome…
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‘We Got the Program Approved. We Didn’t Get the Back-End Ready.’
AACRAO conducted one-on-one interviews with members who have worked in or alongside Prison Education Programs—registrars, admissions professionals, enrollment managers, and…
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An ASCEND Scholar’s Reflection on the Perplexity of Silos
“Perhaps naïve, but I did not realize there was such dissonance in structure until joining an institution as the Director…
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Session Preview #TheAssembly2026: Transfer Melt and Statewide Strategy
Explore two sessions on transfer melt and statewide strategy. You’ll find tips for participants on how to approach The Assembly…
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Build Skills That Lead Successful Campus Projects
You’re already managing projects even if “project manager” isn’t in your title. Dr. Reginald Garçon uncovers what the AACRAO Project…
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Too Many Scoops: How Stress Culture Impacts Us All
“In higher education, workplace trauma is rarely discussed openly, yet it quietly shapes the experiences of faculty, staff, and administrators…
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Live from #AACRAO2026: Best Practices for Compliance Tracking and Communication
The Government Relations team, the Federal Compliance Committee, and the State & Regional Relations Committee showed how you can keep…
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Live from #AACRAO2026: What Leaders Do When Things Get Hard
Three different speakers. Three different contexts. One room full of a community of enrollment and academic services professionals trying to…
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New Report Finds a Way Forward for Price Transparency in Higher Education
Strada Education Foundation’s latest report reveals how cost confusion is driving distrust in higher education, along with a new set…
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Why Interoperability Still Matters in the Age of Agentic AI
At this year’s Ellucian Live 2026 Conference, one theme consistently emerged across conversations: the growing role of agentic AI in…
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AANHPI Caucus Highlights from the 111th AACRAO Annual Meeting in New Orleans
The Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Caucus had a vibrant presence at the 111th AACRAO Annual Meeting and…
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Letter from the Editor: May 12, 2026
Spring term is culminating with commencement—you could say your graduates are blooming. But what about you—how will you bloom this…
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From Latinx to Raíces: A Name Change Rooted in Identity, Belonging, and Collective Purpose
The AACRAO Latinx Caucus becomes the Raíces Caucus, marking a timely, intentional shift toward a more expansive and inclusive understanding…
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Identifying the Invisible Middle of Leadership
Drawing on her career trajectory, Dr. Kimberly Taylor-Benns of La Salle University challenges the traditional assumption that leadership influence only…
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The New Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree in the U.S.: Part 4
Robert Watkins and William Paver, Ph.D. introduce factors that should be considered as U.S. graduate schools debate admissions policy for…
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A Community Built By Its Volunteers
AACRAO is, at its core, a volunteer-led member association. And the case for what volunteering gives back is well-documented.
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Letter from the Editor: April 28, 2026
For our profession, patience can be an active and practiced skill, showing up in the careful answer, the double-check, the…
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The Next Five Years: What the New AACRAO Strategic Plan Means for You
The 2026–2031 Strategic Plan made its public debut at the Annual Meeting in New Orleans—and the most pressing questions from…
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Ask a Consultant About Staffing
Dr. Robert Hornberger offers an approach to staffing pressures that starts with identifying how the work is structured.
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Your Documentation Matters
Cindy Suter of Norwich University offers four tips to maintain and organize your process and operations documentation with or without…
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Live from #AACRAO2026: Evidence-Based Guidance for Managing Emotional Labor
Dr. Cassandra Heath of Biola University shared her research examining how enrollment leaders, in particular, can manage the pressure to…
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Live from #AACRAO2026: How to Screen for Fraudulent Transcripts
Doretta Kidd of the University of Missouri-Kansas City shared how she and her team put their CRM to work with…
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Letter from the Editor: April 21, 2026
This special edition of Live from #AACRAO2026 brings the meeting to you, wherever you are.
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2026 Honorary Membership Award Winner: Robert Hornberger
With more than two decades in higher education, Robert Hornberger’s career has moved from admissions into enrollment management strategy, data,…
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2026 Honorary Membership Award Winner: Lara Medley
A dedicated leader and active contributor across AACRAO, Medley’s impact is both recent and enduring—having also been named the 2025…
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2026 Honorary Membership Award Winner: Jim Bouse
In this conversation, Bouse reflects on the influence of a formative role model—one of the early leaders who helped build…
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2026 Honorary Membership Award Winner: Don Hossler
Don Hossler has had a lasting impact as a scholar-practitioner whose research and leadership helped establish the foundations of Strategic…
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2026 Honorary Membership Award Winner: Brenda Selman
This year, we are proud to recognize Brenda Selman, Assistant Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and University Registrar at the…
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Live from #AACRAO2026: Takeaways for Meaningful Mentorship
Dr. Connie Newsome of Campbell University School of Law and AACRAO President-Elect answers: is mentorship worth it?, defines mentorship, and…
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Live from #AACRAO2026: Update Your Decision-Making Strategies
Doug McKenna, University Registrar at George Mason University, provided practical strategies for better prioritization, organization, and productivity.
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Live from #AACRAO2026: Lessons Learned, Money Found from Billing Audit
Steve McKellips of Texas Tech University Health and Sciences walked through a real case at a Midwestern university in which…
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Live from #AACRAO2026: Embrace Bold Professional Evolution
Heidi Tuescher-Gille, Anne Eckenrod, and Kelly Norton of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Sara CW Sullivan of Cornell University, shared…
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Live from #AACRAO2026: How to Integrate AI, Compliance, and Enrollment
Dr. Rhonda Kitch and Gena Boling of Cornell University share how defining problems, aligning human design and ethics, and developing…
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AACRAO Awards 2026 Roundup
Explore our 2026 awardees to learn more about their contributions, their journeys, and the communities they’ve helped build.
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Our Grant and Scholarship Award Winners for 2026
Congratulations to our 12 grant and scholarship winners whose journeys reflect the transformative power of professional development and peer connection.
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Our Honorary Membership Award Winners for 2026
Honorary Membership is given to retiring members who have demonstrated exceptional service to the association and the field. This year,…
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The New Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree in the U.S.: Part 3
LesLee Clauson Eicher of Seattle University and AACRAO International Institute faculty shares an institutional perspective on how it created a…
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Letter from the Editor: April 14, 2026
While work is heating up with final exam scheduling or commencement planning, even a simple morning beverage can feel like…
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Our Thomas A. Bilger Award Winner for 2026
Meet this year’s Thomas A. Bilger Award recipient, Tiffany Robinson, who is recognized for sustained, impactful leadership.
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What It Means to Build Together: Reflections from the LER Accelerator Cohort Convening
Institutions from across the country gathered for the LER Accelerator Cohort Convening. Several themes surfaced consistently, reflecting both the progress…
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New Professional Activities Committee for Credential Interoperability and Data Systems
AACRAO members identified interoperability as the number one technical challenge that they face. Apply for our new Professional Activities Committee…
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Building Community Through Collaboration
Please welcome our two new Community and Content Facilitators: Katie Rendon, Registrar at Hebrew Union College and Jay Flynn, Business…
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Your Project-Based Learning Primer
Collaboration looks different when it’s structured around a shared problem, guided by a volunteer facilitator, and designed from the start…
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Review the New Skills-Based AACRAO Competency Set
“Skill-based competencies bring clarity, consistency, and intentionality to the AACRAO professions.” —Dr. Tina DeNeen, AACRAO Associate Executive Director and Curriculum…
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Wellness vs. Well-Being: Why the Distinction Matters for Higher Education—and AACRAO’s Role in Advancing Both
AACRAO is proud to participate in the Interassociation Wellbeing Collaborative, joining a growing coalition of higher education associations committed to…
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Four Domains of Student Success Revealed in C&U
While public scrutiny of higher education is rising, institutions can significantly amplify student growth by pulling “small levers”—specific, evidence-based practices—across…
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The Carolina Covenant Model of Care: An Integrated Program Approach to Supporting College Students from Low-Income Families and Communities
Higher education professionals might consider adopting a collaborative, caring approach to supporting college students from low-income families as part of…
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Understanding Persistence in Community College: The Role of Demographics, Financial Aid, and Academic Performance
This study examines the factors influencing student retention at a community college, focusing on demographic characteristics, financial aid, and academic…
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Using Data-Driven Decision-Making through the Enrollment Funnel in Graduate Public Health Programs
In 2023, a school within a large, public, four-year research university adopted a new framework for strategic enrollment management (SEM)…
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Cracks in the Track: Repairing Enrollment Management with the T³ AI Skill Model
The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation in higher education is fundamentally reshaping enrollment management (EM) strategies.…
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Our Janie Barnett Distinguished Service Award Winner for 2026
University of Pittsburgh Registrar Jonathan Helm reflects on a career defined by service, surprise, and the people who made it…
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How I Transitioned Into a Leadership Role in the Registrar’s Office
Christian Winnewisser of The Colleges of Law and ASCEND Cohort 6 shares lessons from navigating a promotion and onboarding to…
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Session Preview #AACRAO2026: Career Resilience and Sustainability
From compliance to leadership pipelines to team sustainability, these #AACRAO2026 sessions reflect what AACRAO is designed to support: practitioners who…
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The Work That Makes International Education Possible
When international enrollment is under stress, the quality of credential evaluation matters more, not less. AACRAO brings its gold-standard training…
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Letter from the Editor: March 31, 2026
We’re hovering on the edge of March, about to welcome April. May this spring season help you evolve a little…
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The New Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree in the U.S.: Part 2
Emily Tse of the Global Health Workforce Development Institute and the AACRAO IESC reflects on the evolution of degree recognition…
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What I’ve Gained From Hill Day: A Retrospective
Faith Farley, AACRAO Government Relations Intern and Senior at the George Washington University, reflects on her experience attending Hill Day…
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Operation Reset: Why the AACRAO Annual Meeting Is the Recharge You Didn’t Know You Needed
“Eventually, you notice the spark that fueled you at the start of the year fading … you want to reignite…
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Respect Learners’ Time: Count Their Learning
Research out of California shows credit evaluation processes take a toll on learners’ time, money and morale. The national LEARN…
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Ask a Consultant About the Strategic Registrar
Dr. Robert Hornberger offers five ways to show and tell how the registrar contributes as a strategic partner across campus…
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The New Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree in the U.S.: A Series
Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert of Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. and the AACRAO International Education Standards Council, introduces three-year bachelor’s degrees in…
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When Your ERP Can Identify Problems But Can’t Solve Them
As AI and analytics become standard ERP features, Tirumala Rao Chimpiri explains why many ERP initiatives stall despite better data…
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Discuss Serving Veteran and Military-Connected Students with Colleagues
Jennifer Minke of Tarrant County College District hosts the March 26 Collective Gathering to engage in a peer-driven conversation focused…
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Four Markers of a National Push Toward a Skills-Based Talent Economy
Recent policy momentum signals a shift toward talent marketplace ecosystems that rely on Learning and Employment Records to connect education…
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Session Preview #AACRAO2026: Citywide Enrollment Partnerships and International Academic Policy
Explore two timely Annual Meeting sessions on local collaboration and English language proficiency policy. You’ll find tips for first-timers and…
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How to Use the ACE Military Guide for Learner Progress and Operational Efficiency
AACRAO and the American Council on Education are co-sponsoring a webinar on March 12 to demonstrate the ACE Military Guide.…