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College and university leaders help shape all aspects of staff development, according to a panel at the 107th AACRAO Annual Meeting. The panel included Brenda Selman, University of Missouri; Brenda Schumann, University of Texas at Austin; Roslyn Perry, Capital University; and Sherry Waldon Wells, Lamar University.

These leaders shared some best practices to help grow the next generation of registrars, admissions officers, and enrollment managers: 

• Build on staff members’ current skill sets 
• Ensure fundamental skills are achieved
• Be a continuous developer of staff 
• Provide staff with opportunities

  Ways to grow and develop upcoming leaders:

• Focus on supporting your staff through critical leadership moments
• Adopt a human-centered approach that recognizes the challenges of leadership and puts the leader at the center of development experiences
• Get to know your staff and your culture; leaders will have different development needs depending upon their context.
• Assess skill sets and growth projects or opportunities. Provide opportunities to be involved in communities and projects across campus, and nominate staff for different activities and roles.
• Cross-train staff and switch around responsibilities
• Stress goal setting and professional development during regular one-on-one meetings and evaluations
• Encourage staff to seek growth opportunities outside of work

 Core elements essential to staff growth:

• Unravel the mysterious (such as “the budget”)
• Show your team the reality of office politics and the best way to navigate and understand them
• Communicate effectively
• Invest in training
• Know your culture
• Connect staff with a professional network

Finally, higher education professionals interested in expanding their understanding of enrollment management practices should consider AACRAO's SEM Endorsement Program (SEM-EP). SEM-EP is a self-paced, 12-18 month professional development program available to all qualified in-service practitioners working in higher education.

Explore our SEM Conference page and join the list to receive updates.

Visit AACRAO's Online Learning portal to see current and upcoming professional development opportunities.

• AACRAO Annual Meeting
• Professional Development and Contributions to the Field
• SEM Leadership

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