Registrars…Assemble
This year, on October 2 – 4, four members of the Office of the Registrar leadership team attended the annual Big Ten Registrars meeting at The Ohio State University. This gathering, like many over the past year, was the first in-person meeting in three years – for the past two years Northwestern hosted the meeting virtually. UW–Madison representatives include Scott Owczarek, Beth Warner, Will Lipske, and first-time-attendee Aaron Apel.
Each institution in the Big Ten is represented, including the University of Chicago – in regards to their connection with the Course Share program. In total there were about 50 people that attended the gathering.
At the meeting each university/institution has the opportunity to submit business items they would like to talk about. Topics include discussions on vendors, policy, and other items impacting registrar’s offices. These discussions are so fruitful that there are frequently spin-off items where specific individuals are able to connect and collaborate on tackling these joint issues. The Big Ten Registrar meeting is also a space to share what is on the horizon for large institutions. People are able to get together and make connections to help expand their knowledge and network of support, collaborating to better serve each of their institutions and prepare for future changes.
Those who have attended remarked how helpful it is to learn how others are responding to issues and where our institution lies within the “standard” or “norm” of our peer institutions. Stating further how helpful it is to talk about not only processes, but the way that business is done.
Will Lipske remarked, “I leave that meeting feeling very proud about where we are positioned as a UW–Madison Registrar’s Office. We are leading the charge in many areas and are innovators in our field. I am very proud of the work we do and the people in our office who do the work.”
Attending these meetings and having these conversations with our peers helps the Office of the Registrar further its mission of becoming a national model known for creativity, innovation, and services, placing us at the forefront of our profession.