What’s a Registrar Anyway, Revisited

In the very first official episode of this podcast, we explored the question of what even is a registrar. Now, with six more years of experience that included a global pandemic, it was time to once again take stock of our understanding of the role of the registrar. What do we do? And how do we explain what we do to people who work at our institutions or to people  all the way outside of higher education? Five brave souls responded to my request for input on the following three questions that guide this episode: 1) what do you think of when you hear the word, “registrar?” 2) How would you describe the registrar to someone outside of higher education? And 3) Why are registrars important?   

Key Takeaways:

• The registrar and higher education go hand in hand. Registrars were the second administrative position created, following only the position of president. Our title dates back to 1446 at Oxford. 
• Registrars play a variety of roles at our institutions, and there isn’t one right way to be a registrar. Because of the variety of institution type and missions, registrar responsibilities also vary widely.
• Registrars use a lot of metaphors to communicate how critical they are to their institutions; “plumbing,” “bridges,” “hubs,” “air traffic controllers,” “multi-tasking quarterback,” are all used. 
• Being a registrar is easy. It’s just like riding a bike. If the bike is on fire. And you’re on fire. And everything around you is on fire.  

Host:

Doug McKenna
University Registrar, George Mason University
[e-mail]   

Guests:

Dr. Reginald Garcon
Associate Vice President/Registrar, University of Maryland - Eastern Shore
[e-mail]

River Gordon
Registrar, Minneapolis College of Art and Design
[e-mail]

Colleen Harms
Associate Registrar, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
[e-mail]

Whitney Merinar
Registrar, West Liberty State College
[e-mail]

Katie Rendon
Registrar, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion
[e-mail]

References and Additional Information:

Records & Academic Services (AACRAO Professional Proficiencies)

Quann, C. J., & And Others. (1979). Admissions, academic records, and registrar services. A handbook of policies and procedures. Jossey-Bass, Inc.

The Registrar’s Guide: Evolving Best Practices in Records and Registration. (2006). https://community.aacrao.org/CPBase__item?id=a1H1L00000BjYRJUA3