This has been an outstanding annual meeting, thus far, with content shared by those in our profession that I hope will aid you in your respective roles at colleges and universities across the globe.
Tremendous thanks to those who have contributed. The national office staff are due much credit for what you’ve experienced this week. And while it has been said many times, this bears repeating: the members of AACRAO are what make the Association strong and vibrant; thank you for your participation.
There has been so much to take in from the past several days that it’s difficult not to reflect for just a moment. For 372 of you, this is your first annual meeting.
I remember my first annual meeting in 1996, held in Reno, Nevada. I had been in my first enrollment management position for less than three months and instructed by my supervisor that I was to attend the annual meeting. But, there was one condition: I needed to find a place to stay in Reno, because the budget would not cover a hotel room.
I made a plea on a listserv, I don’t remember which, and some brave soul offered to share his room. We didn’t know each other, which made his generosity even more significant. But to this day I remember his kindness. While you may think it was more pity than kindness, I’ve come to realize that he believed the AACRAO annual meeting was important for a young professional to experience.
I became friends with him, who himself later became a president of AACRAO. It was Paul Aucoin--many of you know him and perhaps aren’t surprised by his gesture of kindness. He embodied the spirit of this Association by allowing me to get involved.
In 2001 I attended the annual meeting in Seattle. I ran into Larry Friedman, Registrar at Newmann University, whom I barely knew; he sensed I was just wandering around, not doing a whole lot. He said, “Come with me, I’m going to a meeting of the scholarship committee—it should only take about an hour. You may find it interesting.” Somehow I ended up on the scholarship committee and that’s where my involvement continued.
I hope that you first time attendees will become more involved in AACRAO, too; it may be by accident or at your request to serve. I promise, there are always opportunities for you. And to those for whom this is not your first annual meeting, I hope that you will continue to be involved and support the next generation of our professionals.
A few years ago, AACRAO President Jeff von Munkwitz-Smith addressed the membership at the close of the Business Meeting. His final words at that meeting were as follows:
“I ask that all of us here, particularly those of us who are the primary contacts for our institutions, encourage and support the involvement of young professionals in AACRAO.”
Today, I affirm that message.
Thank you.
Read Dan Garcia's full bio here.