Spring 2023
See the Agenda & Photos Below.
Conference Host:
Manhattan College – Riverdale, NY
A Special Thank You To Our Spring 2023 Sponsors!!
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Conference Schedule/Agenda
Welcome to the Conference: 9:00am – 9:15am
Opening session, welcoming you to the NJNY ACRAO conference. Discussion on the day’s activities.
First Timers Session: 9:15am – 9:30am
A Session Dedicated to New Attendees
Session ONE: 9:30 am – 10:30 am
1A – Mentor v Boss – A Case Study Approach
Presented By: Susan Hamilton – Rutgers, The State University of NJ & Darlene Benzenberg – SUNY Orange
Join the presenters to discuss the difference between mentoring and supervising from a case study approach. Delve into scenarios and collaborate on how either role would address a situation. Bring your own scenarios too!
1B – From Admission to Graduation: Supporting Disabled Students in Higher Education
Presented By: Presented By: Jenna Rose – Rutgers, The State University of NJ
The number of disabled students entering colleges and universities is increasing. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about one in five undergraduate students report having a disability, but many experts believe that this number is underreported due to student hesitation to disclose. This session will discuss the transition from high school to college for students with accommodations, highlight different resources and campus partners who work with this population, and how to create a more inclusive and accessible campus community for all.
1C – Paradigm Diplomas, Done Right: A Comprehensive Credentialing Solution
Presented By: Elizabeth Kunde – Paradigm, Inc.
Paradigm – The Complete Online Platform: 30+ Years’ Experience. Diplomas, Certificates, Covers, Digital & More. Speed (up to 24-hour turnaround). Accuracy. Quality. DirectShip. MyReOrder. MyHold. Phenomenal Customer Service! Scalable CLR. When integrity matters, make the Paradigm shift.
1D – How to Motivate Hard-to-Reach Students: Practical Insights to Improve Registrations
Presented By: Erin Stine – Motimatic
When we change how students think about their educational journey, they start to act differently—and achieve success at critical moments of their student experience. Colleges and universities across the country are leveraging Motimatic’s proven behavioral science and digital marketing expertise to drive immediate, measurable improvements in student registration numbers.
Join our session to hear Motimatic’s Northeast Regional VP of Education Solutions – Erin Stine, share new insights on how to reach your students via social media at the right place, in the right way, at the right time. We help schools reach their continuing and at-risk students, motivate students to take the next step in their registration process and bring back students who have stopped out.
Session TWO: 10:45 am – 11:45 am
2A – HIPAA vs FERPA: What’s The Difference?
Presented By: Miranda Alfonso-Williams – Rutgers, The State University of NJ
Have you ever wondered when HIPAA or FERPA applies at your school? This information course will answer that question and provide practical examples to expand your awareness on these two important regulations.
2B – A Reminder to be Mindful: Tips for Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace
Now more than ever, a work/life balance is crucial in maintaining our best selves in both areas. The question is: how? This session will share some tips on how to handle stress, balance responsibilities and implement strategies for mental wellbeing for yourself and your colleagues.
2C – 1, 2, 3… Altogether Now, Lift! Empowerment through Committee Collaboration
Presented By: Justin Makowski – Rutgers, The State University of NJ & Kathy Dowden – Rutgers, The State University of NJ
High inquiry volume challenges student services professionals to possess fast reflex expertise in the areas for which they provide support. Significant amounts of student outreach can strain resources, cause employee burnout, and result in a less than stellar student experience – all of which represent significant obstacles when trying to sustain a successful student-facing operation. Underscoring these difficulties is the burden of having to be the front-line advocates for multiple departments that have complex processes, which can take up to a full academic year’s lifecycle to wholly understand.
Considering these types of challenges, how does the One Stop Student Services Center at Rutgers University support upwards of 20,000 student inquiries in a single month whilst maintaining high student satisfaction metrics, relatively fast response turnaround, and minimal turnover while being (by most measures) under-resourced?
One word (and one exclamation point!): Committees!
Through a deliberate and organized committee structure, Rutgers’ One Stop is able to provide shared operational ownership, support staff skill development, manage workflow tools, gather feedback, provide engagement opportunities, and ensure that students are receiving appropriate help in a timely manner. In addition to these benefits, committees also define team accountabilities, empower a team to collaborate on the best approaches for operational success, and make turnover less likely through job embeddedness.
In this presentation, we will:
• Elucidate why committees are an essential component to Rutgers’ One Stop
• Explain how committees can reinforce a student service philosophy through colleague empowerment
• Provide specific examples for how committees can be – and have been – leveraged
• Describe how a committee approach can be applied to other student-service operations
2D – Nontraditional Students | The Future of Higher Ed Enrollment and How to Prepare
Presented By: Larry Grey – Mutara, Inc.
Current trends have shown a dramatic decline in new student enrollment over the past two years at many colleges and universities. As the number of traditional college-bound students also decreases, many institutions are turning to nontraditional students as the next wave of innovation and growth in the industry. In this demo-intensive session, Larry Grey, founder and CEO of Mutara Inc. will show techniques for increasing nontraditional student enrollment and yield at community colleges.
Topics will include:
- An overview of challenges currently faced by two-year institutions.
- Strategies /techniques for more effectively engaging with candidates and increasing yield.
NJ-NY ACRAO Business Meeting/Lunch: 12:00pm – 1:15pm
The NJNY ACRAO Committee will update participants on current and future activities over lunch.
Session THREE: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
3A – Data Breaches In Higher Ed: Why the Bad Guys Want Our Data?
Presented By: Miranda Alfonso-Williams – Rutgers, The State University of NJ
Data breaches continue to increase in Higher Education, Phishing and Ransomware attacks are on the rise! Are you safeguarding your data? This course will provide practical tips on safeguarding your schools critical information from the bad guys!
3B – Sharepoint Site Development – A way to accommodate staff needs during hybrid life (DEMO)
Presented By: Tim Wuorinen – Rutgers, The State University of NJ
Coming out of COVID work restrictions and entering an array of hybrid, flexible work models, this session is a demo of Rutgers University’s Office of the Registrar shared intranet site developed to provide Registrar staff with one stop access to applicable websites, resources and shared documents for ease of collaboration and job task completion. The site was a collaborative activity across EM departments and built in-house using Sharepoint, meaning no cost outside of labor since the software resides as part of Microsoft 365.
3C – Federal Student Aid Top 10 Findings and Why You Should Care
Presented By: Gena Boling – Cornell University
Each year the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid organization provides the top 10 school audit findings and top ten school program review findings. It may surprise you to see that many of the findings listed are related to areas which aren’t immediately associated with Financial Aid operations but instead are related to activities across campus. Join this session to learn those top finding areas and discuss the role you or your office may play in helping your institution avoid your own findings.
3D – Trends in Scheduling: Leveraging data to optimize timing, rooms, and student outcomes
Presented By: Amanda Staebler – Leepfrog Technologies/CourseLeaf
Shifting enrollment trends, hybrid learning, and staffing issues add to the complexity of scheduling. Learn how you can take advantage of student data, easily plan around other courses, optimize your rooms, and integrate with your SIS. See how similar institutions are saving time, increasing accuracy, and helping students secure the classes they need to graduate on-time.
