AACRAO's 2nd ASCEND Cohort met for the first time on Sunday, November 14, at the SEM Conference in Miami, FL. AACRAO Associate Director, Tom Green, led the orientation with an "icebreaker," inviting the group to share a favorite "warm weather memory." Appropriate to the location, and the situation, members shared both physically warm memories and those closer to the heart.
Moving on from there, Tom outlined for the cohort what they could expect in the coming months, emphasizing building up member profiles, encouraging networking, and achieving set aspirations. In the next 12 months, the ASCEND cohort will work through 6 assessed self-paced modules on topics in:
- Environmental Scanning
- Retention
- Enrollment Marketing
- Recruitment
- Student Success Methods
- and the Financial Aid Role in SEM
At the end of the program, members use what they've learned to complete their own institutional SEM plan demonstrating the skills they've gained and their ability to assess and complete an individual strategic enrollment plan. In addition, each member is paired with a personal coach to help them develop, learn, and achieve their personal leadership goals, navigate the ASCEND units, and focus on specific areas of improvement.
AACRAO Executive Director Melanie Gottlieb highlighted several changes made to the ASCEND program with an improved delivery system, demonstrated by AACRAO's Associate Director of Content & Curriculum, Annetta Stroud, shortened modules, and increased intentionality for the capstone project.
If you'd like to learn more about AACRAO's Signature Lead Initiative, or the ASCEND program, visit our Signature Initiative page and join the list for updates.