Letter from the Editor: January 20, 2026

Dear Readers,

Each year, Merriam-Webster picks a word of the year as an annual summation of cultural trends. It chose “slop” for 2025, signaling the low-quality AI content that permeates the digital space these days. But I’d like to propose the opposite of slop at the start of 2026 and give “props” or "propers" to the high-quality care and thoughtfulness I notice among our contributors, presenters, staff, and volunteers, who drive the AACRAO mission forward. 

In this issue:

• Graduate Enrollment Management Goes Virtual in the Field
• Top 10 Most-Read Articles in 2025
• The Evolution of the Registrar and the Faculty Status Debate
• Rule by Rule: Making the One Big Beautiful Bill Real in Regulation - AHEAD Committee Part 2
• Ask the FERPA Professors: Webinar Edition

With appreciation,

Autumn Walden

Editor, AACRAO Connect, Content Strategy Manager, AACRAO

P.S. Please use the "Contact the Editor" function to provide feedback or submit an idea for the AACRAO Connect email newsletter. Your contributions are welcome.