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Member & Institutional Spotlight

Member & Institutional Spotlight

CAPACRAO loves it's members and we are an association that thrives on member engagement and member involvement. While we do not know when we will physically connect again for a CAPACRAO event, we still have a wonderful medium to facilitate our knowledge sharing. Our member spotlights are new features within the last year that provide a venue to celebrate ourselves and the work we do within our personal and professional lives. We are seeking colleagues who are interested in being featured in our member or institutional spotlight.

Interested? Please complete our brief survey. We look forward to spotlighting you soon.

June 2021 Professional Development

Professional Development Calendar

AACRAO Monthly Caucus Meeting | Virtual | June 8, 2021 | 3:00 PM 

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CAPACRAO Annual Business Meeting

Members register using this link.

Preparing Yourself for The Return


Picture retrieved from Baltimore Sun article "Maryland Colleges Planning For Return To Campus"

Preparing Yourself for The Return

According to an article by U.S. News, in April 2020, 70 percent of U.S. employees were working from home.1 Fast forward thirteen months later and many of us (56%) are still answering emails from our homes.1 But for higher education professionals in the Maryland and DC area that will all be changing soon as many colleges and universities prepare to return to campus this fall.2 Undoubtedly, faculty and staff emotions run the gamut regarding the return. So, I have compiled a list of tips that will make your transition back to the office a bit smoother. Whether you are joyful or apprehensive there is something here for you.

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CAPACRAO Shops Local: Attractions & Hidden Gems

Vaccination rates are increasing and the capacity restrictions are decreasing. So, we've combined our May and June CAPACRAO Shops Local to highlight Maryland and DC Attractions & Hidden Gems. Share your favorite places to be entered into our Quarter 2 Raffle via this link Google Form. Submissions will be accepted through June 30. Submit by 12 noon. The winner will be announced at our Annual Business Meeting

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Legislative Update & June 2021 AACRAO Transcript

Did you miss the May Legislative Report? Click here to view

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Enrollment Perspectives Roundtable 2021

Join CAPACRAO members for a conversation about your personal experiences and reflections in enrollment management during COVID. We'd also love to hear your predictions and desires for the future of enrollment management.

While we have you, check out this article by Encoura entitled "The New Enrollment Practice: Positive Impact for the Future, and these brief articles from Inside HigherEd "Enrollment Declines Lead to Layoffs at U of Redlands," and "Some HBCUs Lower Fall Tuition."

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CAPACRAO Wellness Webinar May 20, 2021

Relax.
Relate.
Release.

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AACRAO Eye on Research April 2021

AACRAO Eye on Research April 2021

Perception of professional development, student need insecurities, and fall course delivery

This month's blog details recent reports like AACRAO Research & InsideTrack's training needs report. Additionally, students' need insecurities and desires for fall course delivery are explored, along with growth Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) among another topics.

To review the April report, click here.

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AACRAO Connect May 3, 2021

AACRAO Connect

AACRAO Report: In Their Own Words | Conflict Resolution | May Book Club | Perceptions of Training Needs

Legislative Update & May 2021 AACRAO Transcript

Survey Feedback Requested
Complete our brief four-question survey to understand CAPACRAO member needs.
Please take 5 minutes or less to complete the survey with your professional development thoughts. The survey will close on Thursday, May 13, 2021.

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Legislative Update, Survey & AACRAO Transcript April 2021

CAPACRAO is honored to welcome two new members to our Legislation Committee.

New Committee Members
Meet Nanci Beier and Otu Obot, II who are excited to continue managing our legislative updates.

Survey Feedback Requested
Nanci, Otu, and Danielle created a brief four-question survey to understand CAPACRAO member needs.
Please take 5 minutes or less to complete the survey with your professional development thoughts. The survey will close on Thursday, May 13, 2021.

Access AACRAO Transcripts for April 2021 below








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Member Spotlight: Nanci Beier



Name: Nanci Beier
Role: Registrar
Institution: Anne Arundel Community College

What do you do at Anne Arundel Community College?



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Member Spotlight: Otu Obot II



Name: Otu A. Obot II
Role: Creating Opportunities for Academic Success and Transfer (COAST) Coordinator 
Institution Name: Prince George's Community College.
What are your three favorite Podcasts/Books?
What are your credentials/experience, for working in your position?
I have over 9 years of non-for-profit experience in various community organizations and ministries in Buffalo, N.Y.  I have been a short-term missionary and lived on the island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for six months.  I have over 6 years of Higher Education experience.  I have worked for Canisius College which is the premier private institution in Western New York for their TRiO Program as an Academic Talent Search Counselor for 2.5 years.  Currently, I have worked at Prince George's Community College for the past 4 years as a COAST Coordinator.  I am placed in two of the 21 high schools in the county where I am the direct liaison between the high school and college regarding Dual Enrollment, Senior Recruitment, and College Outreach.
 
I have earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a Minor in Business Administration with a concentration in advertising and sales from Baldwin-Wallace University (formerly called Baldwin-Wallace College) in Berea, Ohio.  I have earned my Master of Arts in Higher Education at Morgan State University in May of 2020. 
 
Although I love education and I know that credentials are needed to do the work, I firmly believe that you should have a passion, calling, or desire to be an educator.  You need to see people beyond where they are now and empower them to learn the skills, to get them to their goals in life.  I believe that you must have the attitude and disposition to serve and lead by example.  Lastly, I am in the business of setting people up for success with knowledge and wisdom that I share with them daily.  I must always remember that without the students there is no institution, therefore, customer service, cultural, gender, and race sensitivity, awareness, and the systematic foundation of intersectionality, are vital to have an impact on the students that I serve daily.  
I aspire to move onto Senior leadership as my goal is to be a VPSA, however, I plan to take all my daily lessons I have learned along the journey, so I can always be a servant first and a leader second.  
What are the values that drive you?
  • Empowerment
  • Faith
  • Knowledge
  • Loyalty
  • Servant Leadership
  • Transparency
  • Wisdom
If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
Motivational/Inspirational Speaker.
If you could interview one person (dead or alive) who would it be?
Frederick Douglass
Survey Feedback Requested
Nanci, Otu, and Danielle created a brief four-question survey to understand CAPACRAO member needs.
Please take 5 minutes or less to complete the survey with your professional development thoughts. The survey will close on Thursday, April 22, 2021.
Say hello to Otu. Feel free to comment below.

CAPACRAO Chat & Chew: Spring Commencement



In November 2020, a news article by the Baltimore Sun announced Morgan State University was planning for an in-person Spring 2021 Commencement. I'm sure we were all a bit skeptical considering the wave of the pandemic was still high. Nonetheless, let's fast forward to April 14, 2021. Did you read what we did? The University of Maryland College Park has solidifed their plans and in-person isn't something they are thinking about but it's official. Learn about the details here. Will more CAPACRAO be hosting in-person commencement activities for the Spring? 

Join CAPACRAO for a Spring Commencement Chat and Chew on Friday, April 23, 2021 at 3 pm to share some updates in our open forum. There is no agenda, just a space for any institution, department or colleague to dialogue about spring commencement. Feel free to share this link with your institutional colleagues so they can RSVP.

CAPACRAO membership isn't required but you do need to register for an account (if you don't have one) and RSVP for access to the Zoom link.

Give ideas.
Get ideas.
RSVP here.

Is your institution planning to host an in-person or virtual commencement for Spring? Dialouge with your thoughts below to start an online conversation. Need help? Email [email protected] for assistance.

Member Spotlight: Cassandra Moore



Name: Cassandra Moore

Title: Director of Enrollment Development and Admissions
Institution: 
Anne Arundel Community College

What do you do at Anne Arundel Community College?



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AACRAO Eye on Research March 2021

AACRAO Eye on Research March 2021

Transfer Task Force Report, Campus Vaccination Plan Update, and COVID-Era College Plans

This month's blog details reports you might have missed on transfer, digital credentials, and updates on institution's COVID-19 vaccination plans. In addition, other studies are discussed, such as students' plans to return to college post-COVID. Intriguingly, the data finds that "9 percent of respondents do not want to return to in-person classes."

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AACRAO Transcript March 25, 2021

Click here to view the latest AACRAO Transcript regarding legislative issues.

April 2021 Professional Development

Professional Development Calendar

Radical Brainstorming Workshop | Virtual | April 2, 2021 | 12:00 PM

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Spring Forward with CAPACRAO

Hello March 2021! Hard to believe what transpired and has continued to unfold started a year ago. Wow! How everything it feels has changed. While the effects of the COVID pandemic are still present, many colleagues are getting vaccinated, businesses and educational facilities are re-opening, and we are all doing continual reflection and trying to balance mental, physical and emotional health. As best we can. I commend you for doing your part in the global, collective efforts to stay safe.

If the pandemic has taught me anything, it is the power in slowing down and enjoying little moments. Little moments can create big memories especially for our overall health and wellbeing. It can expand compassion and spark a thought when we let go of hurried thoughts. I am an early riser and ode I give to my grandmother, may she rest in power, who never believed in wasting a moment of daylight. During the pandemic, I've gained an affinity for walking. It was the only thing I was willing to do at one point. My best walking record was in July when I walked almost 97 miles. I digressed. My apologies. Anyhoo, I love watching the sun rise in the spring during my early morning walks. I enjoy watching the sun change the landscape from darkness as it peaks over the trees to light the earth with golden tones. Around me I can feel the briskness of the cool, morning air. I breathe. I take in my ability to walk, and the iphone which plays the audiobook I am listening too (currently, 400 Souls). I've immersed myself in so many good books on my walks. On a recent trek, I stopped listening to my audiobook for a moment to gain a new moment. A new perspective. The sounds of birds chirping overpowered my audiobook volume. The birds reminded me that they, and nature, wanted and craved some of my attention. In that moment, I expanded my appreciation for walking and nature. 

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