Executive Team Updates

AACRAO Executive Director Statement Regarding Executive Order On The U.S. Department of Education | 03/21/2025

Executive Director Statement Regarding the U.S. Department of Education's DEI "Dear Colleague" Letter | 02/20/2025

AACRAO Executive Director Statement on Transcript Withholding and Partial Transcript Holds | 06/06/2024

AACRAO has developed guidance to help institutions navigate the changing landscape around transcript holds. Our guidance document, "AACRAO Guidance in Response to Federal Regulation Changes on Financial Responsibility and Administrative Capability," builds upon our previous work on this issue and the joint statement we issued with NACUBO in April 2022.

Evolving the Learning and Employment Ecosystem in Higher Education | 11/22/2023

Both the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) and International Business Machines (IBM) are active in pursuing the development of an ecosystem that enables learners to communicate, with trust and confidence, their skills, competencies and learning to support their next career opportunities. The opportunities might present themselves academically via pursuit of a credential from another institution or in the labor market. In either case, the ability to transmit trusted, verifiable credentials to reviewers with enough information embedded for recipients to discern how these skills translate into their specific contexts is, we believe, crucial for both sectors, and for the learner, as we move into a more volatile future. We felt the combined subject matter knowledge of the two organizations might highlight the need for the learning and employment ecosystem, the challenges to adoption and some recommendations for how to proceed.

Statement on the Supreme Court Ruling in the SFFA v. Harvard and UNC Cases | 06/29/2023

AACRAO 2023 Hill Day Returns to Capitol Hill | 06/22/2023

Today, over 20 AACRAO advocates met with nearly 50 Congressional offices to share their practitioner perspective on how policy impacts the work our AACRAO members do on a daily basis.

AACRAO submits amicus brief in support of holistic admissions processes | 08/04/2022

AACRAO 2022 Hill Day | 07/20/2022

This week, 32 AACRAO advocates will meet with over 70 Congressional offices to discuss the association's legislative priorities.

AACRAO and NACUBO Issue Joint Statement on Institutional Holds | 4/7/2022 | 04/07/2022

Associations provide specific guidance and best practices on the use of student success and administrative process holds, as well as on the use of holds tied to an unpaid balance.

Statement on Transcript Withholding | 2/17/2022 | 02/17/2022

AACRAO comments on this week's discussion of a universal ban on transcript withholding for debt during U.S. Department of Education's Negotiated Rulemaking meeting.

Implementing Success | 01/25/2022

AACRAO's executive team takes a look at the work we've accomplished together promoting student achievement and re-envisioning transfer.

Closing Out 2021 | 12/27/2021

AACRAO's Interim Executive Director, Melanie Gottlieb, reflects on 2021 and the path forward.

Helping Community College Systems Address their Enrollment Challenges with SEM | 11/16/2021

Exploring enrollment management trends in higher education and examining Guided Pathways programs.

Reimagining Inclusion | 10/19/2021

A five year roadmap to building community at scale requires us to meet our members where they are.

Hill Day Advocates Advance AACRAO's Legislative Priorities | 09/30/2021

Last week, 33 AACRAO advocates met with nearly 60 Congressional offices to discuss AACRAO's priorities for the Higher Education Act reauthorization, which includes legislation to update FERPA, advance reverse transfer practices, and the doubling of the Pell Grant.

The Strategic Plan at Work | 09/21/2021

Update on changes made and the path ahead.

AACRAO Statement on International Education | 07/27/2021

The association applauds the leadership in the Department of Education and the Department of State in recognizing the importance of our global engagement and the need for a coordinated national approach to international education.

Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act Reintroduced | 07/22/2021

AACRAO worked closely with Congressional offices to ensure legislation increases the flexibility to complete an assessment of student records while still adhering to FERPA standards.

AACRAO statement on accountability for George Floyd's life | 04/21/2021

AACRAO statement on relationship with Dr. William Sedlacek | 03/31/2021

The work of Dr. William Sedlacek has for decades focused on ways to dismantle racism and improve equity. His 2017 book, Measuring Noncognitive Variables (Stylus Publishing), however, includes passages with terminology in direct opposition to our values.

Statement on Asian American Hate Crimes | 03/18/2021

AACRAO condemns the discrimination and hate crimes directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Congress Confirms President-Elect Biden's Win After Mob Storms Capitol | 01/07/2021

Congress confirmed President-elect Joe Biden's victory early Thursday morning, after the normally ceremonial ritual exploded into chaos as a mob stormed and occupied the U.S. Capitol building.

Trump Administration Rescinds Directive on International Students Following Swift and Fierce Response from Higher Ed, Students, States, and Others | 07/16/2020

AACRAO celebrates the swift response of the the higher education community in opposition to the Trump administration's ill-conceived policy that would have required international students to attend in-person classes in the fall in order to remain in the country.

AACRAO Responds to Trump Administration Ban on International Students from Online-Only Instruction | 07/09/2020

AACRAO Takes the Lead for Higher Education to Ensure that the Census Does Not Overstep FERPA Regulations for Off-Campus Student Count | 06/18/2020

Mike Reilly discusses some concerns about what information institutions will be asked to provide as directory information.

AACRAO Guidance: The Census, Directory Information, and FERPA | 06/03/2020

Mike Reilly discusses how institutions can work to provide the U.S. Census Bureau the relevant information needed to complete an accurate count.

U.S. Census Operation Update Webinar | 05/28/2020

Mike Reilly discusses AACRAO's webinar with the U.S. Census Bureau, which provides updates on their modified data collection timeline, procedures, and field operations in light of the pandemic.

Education Department and NSLDS Reporting Flexibility | 04/29/2020

Mike Reilly discusses 60 day roster reporting to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)

COVID-19 Crisis Practices and FERPA Guidance on Remote Work and Virtual Learning | 03/24/2020

Mike Reilly discusses best practices on virtual access of student records and other issues.

COVID-19 Outbreak | 03/19/2020

Mike Reilly discusses the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on AACRAO and our members.

Regional vs. National Accreditor Definition: Impact of Education Dept.'s New Accreditation Rules | 02/20/2020

Mike Reilly discusses the agency's decision to no longer recognize the distinction between regional and national accreditation.

House Democrats Unveil Comprehensive Overhaul of HEA | 10/17/2019

Mike Reilly discusses the College Affordability Act.

AACRAO Legislative Priority Introduced in the House | 05/22/2019

Legislation to roll back 2012 FERPA regulations and ensure students' private information is not disclosed to third parties.

Lawmakers Reintroduce Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act | 05/16/2019

AACRAO worked closely with Congressional offices to ensure legislation increases the flexibility to complete an assessment of student records while still adhering to FERPA standards.

Executive Director Update - Admissions Scandal: Cheating on College Entrance Exams | 03/12/2019

Executive Director Update – FERPA Office Restructuring | 11/08/2018

Mike Reilly discusses AACRAO's support of the U.S. Department of Education's recent efforts to restructure the office designated to administer FERPA.