We love our local businesses! 

Picture retrieved from https://appical.net/en/product/reboarding/

The release of the coronavirus vaccinations has undoubtedly increased the frequency and depth of conversations surrounding businesses reopening. And while reopening procedures vary geographically and between companies, there is at least one consistent that companies and supervisors should consider: reboarding. Reboarding is a modified version of onboarding that seeks to refamiliarize employees who have been off or teleworking with general office procedures while encouraging managers to relearn their employees. The COVID-19 pandemic has permanently changed the way people and organizations function, their priorities, and in some instances, what they value. Below are a few tips to make bringing your employees back into the office a smoother process.

1. Be prepared to reorient your employees and retrain them on office basics. After all, some people have been working from home for nearly a year.
2. Recognize that your employees and coworkers have changed and grown. People’s mindsets and circumstances have changed, which has changed their wants and needs. Additionally, your employees may have gained self-awareness and undergone a professional growth spurt.1
3. Know which employees are more productive in the office versus who works best at home?1
4.  “Guard against ‘Prove-it’ Burnout.” Encourage employees to take breaks; likewise, discourage those teleworking from working more than they work in the office.1
5. Communication is key. Frequent and honest communication helps people feel more comfortable and less anxious about change.2,3
6. Be empathic: consider that not everyone’s feelings are the same regarding the pandemic or about returning to the office.2

To conclude, for many of us, much has changed both personally and professionally. Thus, it is advantageous for employers to be conscious of how these changes have manifested in their employees and respond accordingly. 

CAPACRAO Members are always on the move! Congratulations to Jacqui Rogers, Coordinator of Transfer and Articulation at the College of Southern Maryland, who was recently selected to serve on AACRAO's Transfer Student Success Work Group. The fourteen member workgroup will expand dialouge and policy discussions regarding domestic and international student transfer.

Why she applied?

I was excited at the opportunity to dive into the research and scholarly work within transfer to provide guidance on a bigger scale. It also gives me the opportunity to work and learn with other professionals throughout the country. I may have also had some encouragement from Carol Harrison, the Registrar at the College of Southern Maryland. 

What she hopes this will be gained for two and four-year instititions? 

I hope this workgroup will encourage 2-year and 4-year institutions to strive to improve their transfer initiatives from a holistic perspective, analyzing all of the aspects of the institution that touch transfer.

Picture retrieved from Amplified Digital Agency

“Celebrations are the punctuation marks that make sense of the passage of time; without them, there are no beginnings and endings. Life becomes an endless series of Wednesdays.” -James Kouzes & Barry Posner

CAPACRAO members take great pride in the work we do and the students we serve: but we like to have fun too! We have created an initiative that will surely provoke nostalgia and generate conversation about the places and things we love, have discovered and re-discovered and things we miss. Our local businesses need our support. Let's promote our local gems among one another. Join us all year as we #CAPACRAOShopsLocal!

Each month we will introduce a theme via our social media accounts and ask that you share your recommendations/memories associated with the theme for that month. Each suggestion gives you an entry into our quarterly raffle drawing!

Dual Enrollment Word Cloud made using https://wordart.com/. 

CAPACRAO Launches a Dual Enrollment SIG for Chesapeake and Potomac Area Colleagues

COVID aside, during the winter months, we tend to engage in less physical activities that can get our hearts engaged. February is American Heart Month. CAPACRAO challenges you this month to encourage you, your family, your coworkers, and anyone else you are in constant communication with to boost your awareness about heart health.

Heart Healthy Ideas

• Wear Red! Friday, February 5 doesn't have to be the only day we wear red! Suggest it for your next staff meeting.
• Exercise! Support a local gym by attending their live virtual classes. Or find a video via YouTube.
• Make Valentine's Day Heart Healthy! Plan a date to go on a hike or cook a heart-healthy meal with your loved one on Valentine’s Day.
• Walk! Commit to a walking schedule with a friend or family member, even if you can’t walk together. We are virtual nowadays anyway.
• Walking outside? There is an app called Charity Miles that donate resources based on your walking. Learn more here.
• Walking inside? Search "walking exercises" via Youtube for tons of inspiration.
• Create a Department Team Builder! Challenge your office, department, or unit to participate in a “steps” contest. Use activity trackers (hint, Charity Miles is free - learn more here) to see which team takes the most steps.
• Flip Your Team Staff Meeting! Ask health care providers or members of your Student Wellness Center to give a presentation to your office, department, or unit about ways to prevent heart disease.
• Get Social! Join the #OurHearts movement by sharing on social media how you’re working with friends or family to be heart healthy. Encourage your friends and family to as well. Be sure to use the hashtag!

Did you know that Inside Higher Ed launched a podcast?
Check out Episode 36: The Fall Enrollment Picture and Peril for Post-Traditional Students. 
This episode discusses the national data on postsecondary enrollment, with a focus on the particularly damaging impact the pandemic and the recession have had on the most vulnerable students. 

Professional Development Calendar

AtD Webinar: Applying a Holistic Systems Approach to Designing Student Supports | Virtual | February 1, 2021 | 1 PM

Picture obtained from https://www.kmymca.org/volunteer

Work in the COVID environment has been a little stressful for individuals. Whether you are working from home or commuting to the office, there is a demand to still be "on" all the time. How does one take time out for themselves? Often giving back and channeling away from the day-to-day work of home and the office helps. Consider volunteering a little bit of your time with the following activities. And the best thing, they are social distance compliant! 

For those who like outdoor activity
Charity Miles: Earn money for the charity of your choice by walking. Charity Miles lets you turn a neighborhood jog or weekend hike into a fundraiser for good. Just choose a charity and get moving. The app tracks your movement. For every mile you log, you help to earn money for your chosen charity. Choose from over 40 charities that are making a big impact on health, children, animals, the environment, education, veterans and more. 
Click here to get fit and make an impact: https://charitymiles.org.

AACRAO celebrates 2021 award winners

Thomas A. Bilger Award - Seth Kamen - University of Baltimore

Named for a Past President of AACRAO, this award is presented to a member in recognition of consistent vision, service, and leadership in AACRAO with seven or more years of volunteer service.

Elbert W. Ockerman State and Regional Professional Activity Award - CAPACRAO

Image reposted from Bloomberg Business Week.

Colleagues,

AACRAO is seeking your suggestions for spring 2021 coffee break ideas.
What are your campus concerns? What do you need professionally? 

Feel free to make a comment via our blog and we will forward them. 

Dual Enrollment has been steadily gaining traction over the last few years. For institutions in Maryland, the spark increased with the passing of the 2013 legislation SB-740. We find that Dual Enrollment is managed differently in both Maryland and the District of Columbia. Several colleagues have expressed desires to connect more easily and frequently. CAPACRAO has answered the call by creating a listserve to share resources and dialogue quarterly about Dual Enrollment's evolution.  

Join our Dual Enrollment Listserve

Happy New Year! I came across this January 5th article in The Chronicle, As the Pandemic Worsens, College Prepare to Test Their Spring Plans and I'm wondering, how are CAPACRAO institutions operating? 

We would love to dialogue with you. Feel free to leave your responses via our blog.

Professional Development Calendar

AACRAO Monthly Caucus Meeting | Virtual | January 12, 2021 | 3 PM 

Looking for career development opportunities? Joining our executive board is a great opportunity!

Professional Development Calendar

Attract, Inspire, Mentor, and Support Students (AIMS2) Program | Virtual | December 10, 2020 | 1 PM