At many of our universities and colleges in Canada, this week marks the first day of class. At Trinity Western University, where I work, the first Saturday of September is always Orientation Day – the day when we open campus to all the new students and their families who are dropping them off. It is… Read More What Does a Registrar Do?
I will never forget the time a major crime had been committed in Edmonton, and the photo on the front page of the newspaper was of the police stuffing a person wearing a tee-shirt with our school’s logo emblazoned on it into the back seat of a police car. A Board member sent us the… Read More Students: Are they Customers or Products?
I think I’m late to the party, but I just learned of an excellent blog on higher education. My boss and Provost, Dr. Bob Wood, passed it on to me with his highest recommendation. My last post was on being competent, and one key to competence is knowledge. Alex Usher, of Higher Education Strategy Associates,… Read More The Knowledgeable Registrar: A Recommendation
If you are just starting out as a Registrar, or are considering joining our team, or have experienced a set-back in your professional career, I think it’s helpful to know what it means to be a competent Registrar. I enjoy sports, and one of my coaches explained that to be a competent hockey player I… Read More The Competent Registrar
How does the Registrar’s Office treat students? There are many different ways, and here are some I have noted as I have been a registrar for 20+ years and have visited offices at many universities: Students are customers. This one is the most common. After all, much of the work we do in the Registrar’s… Read More Registrars, Students, Customers, Members
Remember that trust goes both ways. If you’re aiming to inspire your staff to build trust, are you leading the way? Are you addressing expectations – yours and theirs? Do you follow through and meet promises? Do you reward/encourage/support behaviours you expect and hope for? What do you do when trust is broken? Do you… Read More Trust Goes Both Ways
A good friend of mine recently passed away. We’ve known each other for 30 years and because he was a few years older than me and very wise, I looked up to him. His memorial service (or Celebration of Life because Ray lived!) is coming this Saturday. I remember a conversation Ray had with me as… Read More Registrar Staff: Performance & Trust
