AACRAO Spotlight interviews are published biweekly before major professional development meetings. They feature our conversations with industry experts, highlighting key issues and promoting sessions and workshops at the upcoming conference.
In this issue of Connect, we talked with presenters on prior learning, enrollment management and technology, supporting veteran students, and free community college and transfer policies.
Research shows that adult learners are more likely to persist and complete a postsecondary credential when given comprehensive and transparent credit for prior learning options.
Mary Beth Lakin, Director for College and University Partnerships in the Center for Education Attainment and Innovation at the American Council on Education (ACE), will discuss trends, research, and effective practices in the field of prior learning assessment at this year’s AACRAO Annual Meeting in Baltimore.
Read our interview with Lakin here.
Related sessions: Perspectives on the Transfer and Awarding of Credit for Military Trianing and Experience; Serving Adult Learners from a Distance
Advances in technology have changed virtually every aspect of higher education—and the changes just keep coming. Revolutions in communication, information management and media offer the savvy professional opportunities in marketing, recruitment and enrollment management.
Jim Bouse, Associate Registrar for Technology at the University of Oregon, will discuss the possibilities and challenges in his presentation “Enrollment Management Marketing and New Media in the Era of Big Data” at this year’s AACRAO Annual Meeting in Baltimore.
Read our interview with Bouse here.
Related sessions: The Poor Person's Data Modeling Survival Guide, Beyond the #Hashtag: Using Social Media for Free Marketing for Small Colleges
Since the Post-9/11 GI Bill was passed in 2009, close to 1 million veterans, service members, and eligible dependents have taken advantage of the educational benefits available to them. The transition between active military service and civilian life, often referred to as reintegration or readjustment, directly impacts the way veteran students engage in their academic experience. "Over 62 percent of Post-9/11 GI bill beneficiaries are first generation learners," said Wendy Lang.
This week, we talked with Wendy Lang from Operation College Promise and MSG Adam Martinez, Northeast Region Deputy Director from Soldier for Life on their veteran's panel session at the Annual Meeting.
Read our interview with Lang and MSG Martinez here.
Related sessions: Military 101: An Introduction to Active-Duty and Veteran Students; Military 201: Recruiting and Retaining the Military Student
President Obama's proposal to offer free community college has been called one his most ambitious, expensive and likely controversial initiatives for the coming year. At the state level, an increasing number of states have already implemented or are considering tuition-free community college policies. How should two-year and four-year institutions adapt to best accommodate the increase of community college students and transfer credits?
Tom Green and Michele Sandlin from AACRAO Consulting will hold a session at AACRAO's Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD to examine common issues and benefits of transfer agreements, proven models of effective transfer programs and best practices.
Read our interview with Green and Sandlin here
Related sessions: Exploring the Challenges of Connecting Student ePortfolios to Meaningful Transer Credit; Reverse Transfer