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AACRAO's biweekly professional development e-newsletter Connect offers timely information, actionable tips, and expert guidance relevant to your career; stories about interesting colleagues doing inspiring things; and news about association services, activities and resources.

Like a virtual, on-demand AACRAO conference-between-conferences, Connect keeps professional conversations alive and helps you stay engaged with the association that advocates for and believes in your career. 

letter from the editor, april 2025

Letter from the Editor: April 1, 2025

Apr 1, 2025

We are 1,740+ strong in attendance and coming to you live from the 110th AACRAO Annual Meeting in Seattle.

Lex Gillette

Live from #AACRAO2025: Showing Us Vision Beyond Sight

Apr 1, 2025

Our 110th AACRAO Annual Meeting opened with a powerful, emotional, and profoundly inspiring keynote by Paralympic Team USA champion Lex Gillette—leaving a packed audience of over 1,700 higher education professionals on their feet in a standing ovation.

FERPA Fireside Chat Speakers, Dale King, Melanie Gottlieb, LeRoy Rooker

Live from #AACRAO2025: Ask the FERPA Professors on the Future of Privacy

Apr 1, 2025

From the legality of classroom photos posted on social media to ICE, the session made clear that the community’s appetite for FERPA clarity is as strong as ever.

Monday Plenary Panel on Compliance

Live from #AACRAO2025: Collaborating on Compliance and Title IV

Apr 1, 2025

The plenary session featured four expert panelists representing financial aid, registrars, and academic compliance, each offering valuable insights on navigating federal regulations.

ballroom full of first-time attendees

Live from #AACRAO2025: Experience AACRAO with Us

Apr 1, 2025

More than 8,200 square feet of space filled quickly as first-timers of the Annual Meeting streamed in to experience one of our most energetic and welcoming events.

group at session table

Live from #AACRAO2025: Prison Education - Little Access and Little Agency

Apr 1, 2025

PEPs remain one of the most evidence-backed strategies for reducing recidivism and promoting long-term societal benefit.

session on the changing apostille

Live from #AACRAO2025: Documenting the Changing Apostille

Apr 1, 2025

Thomas C. Black, an Honorary Member of AACRAO, presented “OMG, Apostilles Have Changed! Thankfully for the Better”, and is a well-known expert on innovation in higher education.

session room with person raising their hand

Live from #AACRAO2025: It's a Different World

Apr 1, 2025

This session explored the distinctive aspects of working at an HBCU and how faculty, staff, and administrators can find joy and purpose in their roles.

session full of people with large screen

Live from #AACRAO2025: Navigating the Registar's Role

Apr 1, 2025

Three registrars from small colleges shared how they have navigated their roles in light of the changes in higher education, new technology, and complex student expectations and institutional needs.

merging train tracks

Managing Student Records for Closed and Merged Institutions: 2025 Update

Apr 1, 2025

AACRAO's updated guidance is an essential resource for institutional leaders who must navigate closures and mergers while fulfilling their fundamental obligation to preserve learner records and support learner success.

AACRAO Awards, Grants, and Scholarships

Our Grant and Scholarship Award Winners for 2025

Apr 1, 2025

Eleven grant and scholarship winners share the joys of attending AACRAO meetings, how these opportunities have impacted their careers, and why these awards matter.

capacrao-dual-enrollment-summit-2024

Our Elbert W. Ockerman State and Regional Professional Activity Award Winner for 2025

Apr 1, 2025

The Chesapeake and Potomac Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers is honored for pioneering Maryland's first-ever Dual Enrollment Summit in 2024, which drew over 70 education professionals.

Letter from the Editor March 2025

Letter from the Editor: March 18, 2025

Mar 17, 2025

While our daily tasks can feel solitary, we choose to join and form groups to be part of something much bigger.

Ask a Consultant: Practitioners Helping Practitioners

Ask a Consultant

Mar 17, 2025

Our consultants share how Career Services centers around the country are responding to increasing demands for innovative programming.

Julia Pomerenk, Honorary Membership Award Winner

Our Honorary Membership Award Winner for 2025

Mar 17, 2025

Meet Julia Pomerenk, whose retirement as University Registrar and Associate Vice President at the University of Oregon marks the culmination of an exemplary 30-year journey in higher education.

The AACRAO Jobs board at the Annual Meeting

Submit Your Open Positions for the AACRAO Jobs Board

Mar 17, 2025

Even if you’re not actively looking for a job for your department or yourself, it never hurts to know what’s going on in the field, and stay vigilant of the job market.

Join the Collective Gathering

Discuss Fraud Detection and Prevention with Your Colleagues

Mar 17, 2025

Please join us for the March AACRAO Collective Gathering for a collaborative conversation about how institutions are evaluating systems and strategies for fraud detection and prevention.

Conference room chairs in a circle

Announcing the 2025-2026 Program Committee

Mar 17, 2025

The Program Committee works hard to help create an engaging program for the Annual Meeting each year, actively seeking session proposals and focusing on the most relevant issues facing higher education professionals.

Pre-Conference Workshops at the AACRAO Annual Meeting

Complete Your Registrar Toolkit with Hands-On Learning Sessions

Mar 17, 2025

Registrars, take your expertise to the next level with hands-on pre-conference workshops designed to tackle real-world challenges and provide practical strategies you can apply immediately.

Welcome Dale King, Senior Fellow, Ask the FERPA Professors

Welcoming Dale King, Senior Fellow and FERPA Authority

Mar 17, 2025

In this interview, King reflects on working alongside student privacy pioneer LeRoy Rooker, shares misconceptions and answers about administering FERPA, and reveals how much he looks forward to your FERPA questions.