S7E4 - The Production Calendar

The work of the registrar is cyclical and complex. Dependencies abound between and among systems and offices. How do you keep track of all of the tasks required to make everything run smoothly in your office and on your campus? Use a production calendar. In this episode we’ll talk about what a production calendar is, how to use one, its relationship to the academic calendar, along with tips and tricks for getting the most out of this critical tool in a registrar’s resources. 

Key Takeaways:

• Your production calendar should be informed by your academic calendar. The academic calendar governs the flow of each term for the institution, while your production calendar governs the work your office does to support each action in the term.
• Your production calendar doesn’t have to be fancy or have a lot of whistles and bells, but it needs to be shared across your office (and potentially with other offices) and it needs to be used. Make it a habit to review your production calendar regularly, and have your teams review it, as well, to be more proactive.  
• Getting started with a production calendar can seem overwhelming, but take it a little at a time. Go through one academic cycle and track all the things that you or your team does. Over time, include more granularity for the tasks with links to documentation or the text of repeated messages. Operate with a mindset of “progressive elaboration,” or “continuous improvement.”

Host:

Doug McKenna, University Registrar
George Mason University
cmckenn@gmu.edu 

Guests:

Amber Cellotti, Deputy Registrar & Director, Office of the Registrar
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
knap0071@umn.edu 

Nicolas Jobe, University Registrar
Seton Hill University
njobe@setonhill.edu 

Traci Rees, Associate University Registrar for Student Systems & Information Services
University of Pennsylvania
rtraci@upenn.edu 

Elissa Thoman, Registrar Services Coordinator
University of Iowa
elissa-thoman@uiowa.edu 

References and Additional Information:

AACRAO Core Competencies - Change Management

AACRAO Core Competencies - Leadership & Management

AACRAO Professional Proficiencies - Records and Academic Services

Pivot to a Successful Production Calendar - Annual Meeting Presentation by Traci Rees