This study examined the development of a mentor identity among college and university registrars. In addition to participant-created timeline documents and resumes, two semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven college or university registrars from various types of institutions in the United States. The transcripts were analyzed and a…

Transformative learning theory has been recommended as a pedagogy of uncertainty for accommodating new beliefs that enable humans to thrive amid the challenges and complexity of our world. As higher education institutions embrace new roles and responsibilities, few studies have focused on how the disruptions caused by COVID-19 may facilitate…

There are increasing opportunities for professional and continuing education, and traditional academic programs to work together to enhance learning mobility, improve college access for undergraduate-adult learners and support institution-wide learner success. However, to embrace those opportunities and for this to occur, the degree to which…

Although a large body of research exists within higher education that focuses on factors related to faculty motivation and student motivation, there is limited research concentrated on the motivation of college and university administrative staff. This study examined how job duties, work processes, elements of the work environment, and leadership…

The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) is a nonprofit, voluntary, professional association that relies on its membership to provide content, leadership, feedback, and financial support. The association promotes the well-being and advancement of professionals in the higher education community by engaging…

Mary Callahan is the Registrar and Senior Associate Dean at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She was named Registrar in 1999 and Senior Associate Dean in 2015 and sets the strategic direction for a continuum of student and faculty support activities. Among her many responsibilities are oversight of registration, grades, degree…

The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers' (AACRAO's) Strategic Enrollment Management Endorsement Program, or SEM-EP, is a well-defined, self-paced professional development program and career advancement track for in-service enrollment service professionals. Designed to promote industry competency and readiness, the…

Earlier this year, AACRAO received an offer of research sponsorship and partnership from Modern Campus to focus on the role of the modern registrar. In June 2022, AACRAO deployed a 60-Second Survey asking members to provide their opinion on what the role of "a modern registrar" should be on their campus. This survey was open to all…

For many higher education institutions, certifying degree completion is both challenging and time consuming. Depending on the size of the institution, graduation processing can take multiple staff days to complete. In an age of limited staffing, registrars must leverage technology to handle these increasing workloads. Such was the case with a…

Stories are one of the primary ways in which humans communicate and interact with one another--even in an office. Like any organization, the registrar's office relies on stories. Stories from inside the office are vehicles for culture, knowledge, context, data, information, and the emotion implicit in the work being done. Stories from outside the…

Post-secondary institutions in British Columbia and elsewhere were forced to react quickly and boldly when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in early 2020. The pandemic had unforeseen consequences, but it also created opportunities for new approaches to institutional systems and service delivery. This study evaluates the impact of the pandemic on…

AACRAO Research completed five 60-Second Surveys and four comprehensive reports. Other research-supported work included: supporting the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation credit mobility learning portfolio, partnering with NACUBO to create a joint statement on the use of administrative and student success holds, and supporting WICHE in their work…

Registrars and other university offices are integral to students' full life cycle, from prospective students to alumni. In this more encompassing definition of enrollment management, registrars perform a number of duties that overlap with the objectives of enrollment management. This perspective paper analyzes the changes in the historic…

The efficacy of academic policies intended to promote student and institutional success is a function of the effort invested to evaluate their merit and feasibility. Policy owners are not ignorant of such implications when proposing changes, but being so closely connected with a policy tends to diminish objectivity. Thankfully, the typically…

In the context of higher education institutional practice, a "hold" is defined as a means an institution may employ to prevent a student from completing an action, such as registering for a class or accessing an official transcript. Holds are most often used as an attempt to motivate a student to take an action sought by the institution.…