For the Record, An AACRAO Podcast Doug McKenna

Portia LaMarr (HEARD co-host), Loida Utley (Transfer Tea), and Sarah Reed (For the Record co-host) took a moment at the AACRAO Annual Meeting to record this cross-podcast conversation. Hear them talk about opportunities for connection between professions (e.g., financial aid, registrar, and admissions); where they feel seen (and where they haven’t); and how they have learned to advocate for themselves. Oh, and Portia’s unwavering commitment to figuring out what birds people are. It’s a great conversation!

Adrienne Bricker and Jennifer Love return to the podcast to discuss the work of the AACRAO Mentorship Working Group, to talk about their research and the process of being involved in a working group, along with some of their experiences with mentoring. Plus we talk about breakfast food. 
Key Takeaways:
The AACRAO working group on mentoring examined whether and how to implement a formal mentoring program for the AACRAO membership; the report from the group will be released soon. Mentoring relationships work best when expectations are clear for each side. Sometimes that means being explicit in your ask: “Will you be my mentor?” There are many ways to mentor: career advice, support and encouragement, sounding board for psychosocial development, etc.Guests:
Adrienne Bricker
University Registrar
Ohio State University
bricker.164@osu.edu
Jennifer Love
Director, Texas One Stop for Enrollment Services
University of Texas - Austin
jennifer.love@austin.utexas.edu 

The world is facing many challenging situations that require strong leadership. Even if you aren’t in a “leadership position,” you can be a leader. Transformational leaders are those who empower and enable those around them to achieve their highest potential. In doing so, their teams thrive. In this episode, we hear from Bianca Thompson-Owen as she shares her thoughts and reflections on various leadership styles, how failure is a key to growth, and ways that transformational leaders bring out the best in their people.  
Key Takeaways:
Everyone in your organization has the capacity to be a leader. Yes, even you. Getting people to think of themselves as leaders and to recognize the ways that they are already leaders is an important part of being a transformational leader yourself.Transformational leaders empower others to empower themselves. They lead by example, are reflective, empathetic, and solution-oriented. They are change agents, and focused on bringing about meaningful change at their organizations. Transformational leadership is an ongoing process. There is not a “one and done” action that you can do and say “I’m a transformational leader.” It takes self-reflection, vulnerability, a willingness to be adaptable and flexible, and a willingness to change. 

What is it like to be the first person in your family to be the first of everything? The first to attend college, the first to earn multiple advanced degrees, the first to be elected president of a regional professional association? In this episode Dr. Soraira Urquiza talks about her higher education and career journeys, highlighting the specific challenges first generation students encounter. We also discuss resources institutions should provide for first gen students and ways to ensure the students who need them are aware of them. 
Key Takeaways:
First generation students have different support needs than students whose families have more experience navigating the college environment. And they may not even be aware that they have those needs until they’re in educational trouble. Institutions need to be proactive with outreach and be persistent with follow-up.Administrators should review their policies, websites, and communications, through the lens of a first generation student (or even work with actual first generation students in this effort!) to make sure that they are clear and communicate the anticipated message.If you work as a registrar for 16 years and serve as the president of a regional association, you’re always going to be welcome in the AACRAO family, even if you move on to your dream job of teaching at a community college. And the universe will remind you of this in ways you couldn’t imagine. 

Law Registrars are registrars, it’s right there in their title! But how much do you really know about the differences between the range and scope of responsibilities of a Law Registrar as compared to a University Registrar. In this episode, we talk to three individuals about their experiences working in a Law Registrar’s Office, identify and discuss the key challenges and “extra” administrative responsibilities, and highlight the skills and knowledge one needs to be successful as a Law Registrar.

Key Takeaways
Law Schools have to adhere to a different set of standards and practices than other parts of an institution as required by the American Bar Association (ABA). Some of these require additional administrative oversight provided by the Law Registrar, like extended exam schedules, anonymous grading, verifying grade distributions, and calculating class rank, among others.The National Network of Law Officers (NNLSO) is a great way to connect with other individuals who work at law schools (including registrars!). NNLSO hosts a breakfast for members at every AACRAO Annual Meeting and sponsors sessions throughout that conference specifically aimed at Law Registrars’ interests. Law Registrars rely on their campus counterparts for a lot. Keeping your Law Registrar in mind (if your institution has a law school, obviously), communicating and collaborating with them can make everyone’s lives easier. Reach out, make a connection, and build a strong working relationship. Hosts
Sarah Reed, University Registrar
University of California - Berkeley

Doug McKenna, University Registrar
George Mason University

Guests
Amy Chu
Senior Director, Academic Services & Registration
New York University School of Law

Jerri Cunningham
Director of Academic Services & Registrar
Baylor University

Lisa Erck
Associate University Registrar & Law School Registrar
University of the Pacific - Sacramento

Did you know that what we consider the “standard” letter grade system is a relatively recent phenomenon in US higher education? The history of grades and grading schemes is a long and circuitous tale that illustrates how higher education has evolved over time. From the first categorization of student learning in 1785 at Yale to the first letter grade system in 1897-1898 at Mount Holyoke, through the standardization of student records and grading schemes in the early to mid-20th century, registrars have been involved at every step of the way. This episode highlights the historical interplay of society and higher education through the lens of the student learning assessment practices, e.g. grades.  
Key Takeaways:
There were a variety of different approaches to assessing student learning in early US higher education. These systems coalesced around categories, ranking, and quality points to give us the standard letter grade system we know today. The enduring variance in institutional grading schemes and grading practices highlights the inherent power of the faculty at each different institution, and makes the work of the registrar critical for accurate record-keeping. Grades and grading schemes will continue to evolve and change, as external pressures (like a pandemic) necessitate new approaches to grading, and as faculty continue to explore the best, and more appropriate ways to assess and communication student learning and achievement.Host:
Doug McKenna, University Registrar
George Mason University
cmckenn@gmu.edu 
Very Special Guest:
LTC (Ret.) Doug McKenna, Ph.D.


Additional Resources:
Doug McKenna - HE721 - “Making Grades” learning activity