I recently dialogued with a few colleagues about the Chronicle of Higher Education Op-Ed piece, Higher Ed Is a Land of Dead-End Jobs. So, episode 2 was a timely conversation unpeeling the ill-discussed realities of working in higher education - the undefined ladder to leadership, the role of mentorship, and the impacts of race, gender, and a lack of representation. It was refreshing to hear the divergent paths of three unique leaders, although each sit within the S.E.M. area of Records and Academic Services. Although I loved A Different World, I never imagined I could, or would, work in higher education. Listening to the conversation led me reflectively down my career path and various personal experiences that span two decades. 

Name:  Sheena Jackson
Institution and Role: Director of Admissions & Scholarships
Number of years at your institution: 15

Have You H.E.A.R.D.?

Joining the professional development offerings alongside Admit It and For the Record, AACRAO has launched its newest podcast - H.E.A.R.D. H.E.A.R.D. stands for Higher Education and Real Diversity. The conversations are led by three AACRAO members and colleagues within Enrollment Management as they discuss the intersection of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.), Higher Education, and the personal impact of these topics within the current landscape.

CAPACRAO would like to acknowledge Dr. Reginald Garcon for being highlighted in last month's edition of The Successful Registrar (see below)! In addition to being an outstanding Registrar, Dr. Garcon has served as CAPACRAO's Vice President of Programming (2021-2022) and currently serves as our President-Elect. Congratulations and well deserved, Dr. Garcon!

Name: Demetra Crawford
Institution and Role: Montgomery College, Early College Program Coordinator, Biotechnology & Business

Identifying Caucus Excellence Initiative

Are you looking to launch your professional development. Share your professional gifts with AACRAO. The AACRAO Caucuses are always looking for new ways to find those members and highlight them and their work. We want to broaden and increase the number of contributors and content for all of the AACRAO platforms. At the same time, we want to diversify the voices and the expertise shared. 

Learn more - click here.

Not an AACRAO roster member? CAPACRAO, the State Association of AACRAO, offers similar opportunities. Learn more - click here.

After reviewing our business strategy, the CAPACRAO Executive Board has decided to not update our Facebook group (but leave it as an archive). We encourage all colleagues to follow and engage with us via the social media platform - LinkedIn.

Help us spread the word. Consider sharing our group with institutional colleagues and other Maryland and Washington, D.C. enrollment-based colleagues. We are curating ways to engage members more through this platform, to include learning and development about how to leverage the platform, as well as events, polls, and updates. We look forward to you joining us. 

ELP Certification for Admissions Professionals

Admissions at American institutions are consistently evolving. To equip you or your Admissions colleagues with knowledge and a credential, a great way to utilize professional development funds would be to encourage and support their participation in NACAC's College Admission for Emerging Leaders certification program. 

On behalf of the CAPACRAO Executive Board, we say thank each and every one of our member institutions and corporate sponsors for your continual support. Before we wish you well and say cheers to the New Year, we wanted to share that rest and relaxation are important. As inspiration, check out this brief article with 25 ways to infuse rest and relaxation into your winter break to inspire you.

Professional Development Calendar

Check back often. New events are added frequently.
View the calendar here for direct links to register and see additional opportunities!

Are we missing an event? Sharing is caring. Email [email protected]. 

Professional Development Calendar

Check back often. New events are added frequently.
View the calendar here for direct links to register and see additional opportunities!

Are we missing an event? Sharing is caring. Email [email protected]. 

Rock Your AACRAO Vote 

Calling all eligible AACRAO Roster members, please take a look at the 2022-2023 AACRAO Slate and cast your vote. We have two CAPACRAO members running for positions - Cassandra Moore and Dr. Kimberly McNair. 

Book Review - What You Need to Know About Voting and Why 

"If the structure of our government is to survive for your children and grandchildren. We must see to it. The way to do it is by voting. Voting. And voting." - Kim Wehle

Name: Phaedra Brown
Institution and Role: University of Maryland School of Nursing, Assistant Director, Scholarships and Military Services
Number of years at your institution: 2

Governance & Higher Education 

In a Washington Post op-ed, the title read Higher Education Is About to Get Even More Political. The headline begs those at the front of the proverbial Ivory Tower to invest in regularly staying abreast of and understanding the legislative landscape. Being conscious of the legislative landscape directly impacts the Strategic Enrollment Management roles of higher education from the Office Associate to the Vice President. Lens, perspective, and positionality awareness matter because our students, many of us, have been and are students, and the impact on higher education as an industry will ripple for years. 

Professional Development Calendar

October is National Careers in Student Affairs Month. Check out additional events hosted by NASPA and ACPA. 

Check back often. New events are added frequently.
View the calendar here for direct links to register and see additional opportunities!

Are we missing an event? Sharing is caring. Email [email protected]. 

(Photo reposted from Higher Ed Jobs Blog)

The W's Driving the Future of Work in Higher Education

We are in the midst of a work values evolution in 2022. We were always going to get here. But the events of 2020 have propelled many contentions around the future of work forward faster. There are now four to five generations in the workplace, depending on the industry. This work-life tilt has created a clash between the industrial revolution's legacy and employees' desire for more flexibility. 

Photo: Jamie Kriger & Johnika Dreher 

AACRAO 2022 Leadership Meeting Re-Cap

"If you are tapped on the shoulder, answer the call." - Philip Hunt

The stars aligned and it was a beautiful weekend in the Nation's Capitol for AACRAO's 2022 Leadership Meeting. I had the opportunity to connect with about 100 AACRAO leaders across the globe. AACRAO's Leadership Meeting is an annual invite-only meeting with the AACRAO Board, AACRAO Planning and Activities Committee members, and AACRAO State and Regional Leaders. This three-day leadership meeting provides opportunities for members to receive updates about the parent association, engaging members and keeping our state and regional associations in tip-top shape!

Are you interested in attending AACRAO's Annual Leadership Meeting? Serving as a CAPACRAO Board Member gets you access! There is still time to join our Executive Board for the 2022-2023 year. Our Annual Board Retreat is in August. We have two vacancies we would love for you to join us - learn more here. Email [email protected] with your interest.

There were tons of learning, networking, laughs, and of course action items. CAPACRAO was well represented by Carol Harrison, Cassandra Moore, and myself. It was so good to see former CAPACRAO President Jamie Holmes-Kriger. My favorite activities were the Keynote Speaker, the State & Regional Leadership Day, and networking with AACRAO leaders. If you are looking for a dynamic presenter for your next meeting, training, or workshop - consider Deedra Daniel. She was phenomenal.

Here are some essential components that benefit our general membership:

1.  Roster Access. While no formal information is available to share right now, your calls for access to AACRAO benefits as a non-roster member have been heard. Expect more information about the change in the roster structure to be shared at the 2023 AACRAO Annual Conference.

RSVP now to reserve your seat at CAPACRAO's Free Virtual Conference on June 17th.
Full Schedule included below.