ARUCC Webinar Series

ARUCC is excited to be hosting the 2024-2025 Webinar Series!

Join your ARUCC colleagues for engaging webinars hosted by your professional peers and members of ARUCC. The series endeavours to present a diverse range of topics to bring together ARUCC members to share knowledge and best practices. Members can participate in any or all of the webinars that are scheduled. Watch this space for updates on future sessions!

2024-2025 WEBINARS

Webinar 6: Monday, April 7, 2025
(10:00 am PT, 11:00 am MT, 12:00 pm CT, 1:00 pm ET, 2:00 pm AT, 2:30 pm NT)

Lessons in Leadership: Insights from the Registrar Community

As higher education evolves at an unprecedented pace, leadership within the Registrar’s Office is increasingly complex. This webinar provides a unique opportunity to delve into the real challenges facing today's registrars, highlighting effective leadership strategies drawn directly from the registrarial community. Based on comprehensive survey data and interviews with experienced professionals, attendees will learn practical approaches useful for every stage of professional growth. Participants will gain actionable insights to sharpen leadership skills, strengthen advocacy efforts, and elevate influence within the Registrar’s Office, institution, and broader community.

Presenters:
Julie Green, Associate Vice President, Strategic Enrolment Management and Registrar, MacEwan University
Adam Robertson, Assistant Vice President (Enrolment Management) and Registrar, Dalhousie University

Click "Register" below to RSVP for this session. Because of the popularity of these webinars, we ask that you don’t share the zoom link for these sessions with your peers at your institution. All those interested in attending MUST RSVP using the link provided below.

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Webinar 5: Monday, March 10, 2025
(9:00 am PT, 10:00 am MT, 11:00 am CT, 12:00 pm ET, 1:00 pm AT, 1:30 pm NT)

Unveiling Efficiency: Harnessing the Power of Blackbaud Award Management™

Join us on a transformative journey as we unveil the remarkable evolution of scholarship management in our presentation, " Unveiling Efficiency: Harnessing the Power of Blackbaud Award Management™" In this session, we will walk you through our challenges from traditional Excel-based systems and the strategic steps we took to transition to an innovative and automated approach with the purchase of a new system.

Discover the pivotal moments that led us to rethink our scholarship administration process and learn how embracing automation has not only streamlined our workflows but has also positioned us for unprecedented scalability. From manual data entry to a seamless, efficient system, we'll share insights into the technologies and methodologies that powered this revolution.

Whether you're a fellow administrator looking for inspiration, a technologist curious about the implementation details, or a stakeholder interested in the broader implications, this session promises to provide actionable insights and a vision for the future of scholarship management. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation as we navigate from Excel to excellence in scholarship administration.

Presenters:
Melissa Rodenburg, Functional Analyst, Enrolment Systems & Planning, University of Alberta
Carlo Dimailig, Manager of Operations, Student Financial Support, University of Alberta

A recording of this session along with presentation slides, can be found on the ARUCC website, in the Members Only area (you must login), under the "ARUCC Webinar Recordings" link provided in the right side "Members Only Menu".

Webinar 4: Monday, February 10, 2025
(9:00 am PT, 10:00 am MT, 11:00 am CT, 12:00 pm ET, 1:00 pm AT, 1:30 pm NT)

Introducing Personal Display Parchments

Increasingly, students have requested that their parchments be printed with preferred names or in languages other than English (e.g. Mi’kmaq and Mandarin). The parchment, being the official and legal document issued by Dalhousie University, certifies a student's degree completion and, as such, must feature the legal name for verification purposes by accrediting bodies, licensing authorities, employers, etc., consistent with the practices at most Canadian Universities. To address these requests, we developed the “Personal Display Parchment," a non-official document that allows students to have multiple copies printed with their preferred name or in another language. This initiative enables students to proudly display the credential they obtained at Dalhousie. This presentation will outline the conception and planned implementation of this innovative solution.

Presenter:
Nicole Douglas: Associate Registrar, Director of Academic Regulations and Services

Webinar 3: Monday, January 27, 2025
(9:00 am PT, 10:00 am MT, 11:00 am CT, 12:00 pm ET, 1:00 pm AT, 1:30 pm NT)

 Maximizing the use of digital transcript data for admissions processing: Unpacking XML transcripts

Is your institution or organization receiving electronic academic data, such as high school and postsecondary transcripts? The volume of exchange across the United States and Canada continues to grow at a rapid pace, both within and between states/provinces and regions, but many schools struggle with how best to use the data. Making the best use of data can save time by adding efficiencies to your admissions and evaluations processes and allowing better use of your valuable resources. Learn how new approaches to working with data, identifying worldwide institutions, and data exchange standards, developed by the Canadian PESC User Group and PESC, can help. Have no fear, we welcome all that are curious, from those who have yet to hear about our work to those who have been by our side all along!

Presentation Learning Objectives:

Gain insight into the efficiencies your staff and processes can achieve.
Gain an understanding of how to put the data received via an electronic transcript to further use (e.g., standardized visual transcript) even when automated processes cannot.
Steps for implementation/integration.
Suggestions for XML beginners.

Intended Audience: Beginner (less than one year of experience), Intermediate (one to five years of experience), Experienced (more than five years of experience)

Presenters:
Ben Harper, OCAS
Jennifer Kitching, CATNS
Joseph Minichini, University of Toronto

Webinar 2: Monday, December 9, 2024
(8:00 am PT, 9:00 am MT, 10:00 am CT, 11:00 pm ET, 12:00 pm AT, 12:30 pm NT)

The Impact of Entrance Awards on Yield Rates

The simplest way to evaluate the effectiveness of any intervention is to apply that intervention at random, building an intervention group and a control group. Such a randomized controlled trial is not possible for entrance awards due to ethical issues in randomly offering awards to some students and not to others. To overcome this limitation, we compare the observed yield rate among students who received an entrance award to the predicted probability that each would yield, as generated by a machine learning model that did not incorporate entrance awards.

Presenter:
Dr. Alexander Ondrus, NAIT, Senior Research Specialist

Webinar 1: Wednesday, November 27, 2024
(9:00 am PT, 10:00 am MT, 11:00 am CT, 12:00 pm ET, 1:00 pm AT, 1:30 pm NT)

A Beginners’ Workshop on ChatGPT Prompt Engineering

Dive into the world of ChatGPT with the Webinar, “A Beginners’ Workshop on ChatGPT Prompt Engineering.” Designed for registrarial professionals taking their first steps into the realm of ChatGPT, this session offers a practical and interactive approach to prompt engineering. Led by fellow learners, this workshop acknowledges the beginner’s perspective. No prior expertise is assumed; participants will gain insights into the fundamentals of constructing effective prompts. (It is recommended that you create an OpenAI account to engage with the session).

Through engaging activities, we’ll explore the nuances of language generation and equip you with a foundational framework for leveraging ChatGPT. Join us for an informative session that balances theory with hands-on experience, providing participants with the tools needed to integrate ChatGPT seamlessly into their professional endeavors. Elevate your communication strategies and discover the practical applications of ChatGPT in marketing, communications, and admissions. Participants will learn prompt-crafting basics and see how an AI language model can support daily tasks with ease (e.g., responding to common student inquiries, generating policy summaries, or creating documentation templates).

Don’t miss this opportunity to embark on your journey with ChatGPT in a supportive and educational environment.

Presenters:
Kari Pasick Stewart, Director, Marketing and Communications, University of Waterloo
Emilia Klassen, Specialist, Communications, University of Waterloo

2023-2024 WEBINARS

Webinar 7: Monday, May 6, 2024
(9 am PDT, 10 am MDT, 11 am CDT, 12 pm EDT, 1 pm ADT, 1:30 pm NDT)

The First 90 Days: Support for Registrar Leaders Taking a New Step in their Career Path

As registrarial leaders, one of our chief concerns is ensuring that we have the right leaders in place at all the levels of our organization. This includes managing our own career path through role transitions, and also hiring and mentoring leaders in our portfolio as they work through their own transitions.
The first 90 days is a critical period for any registrar leader taking on a new role. It is a time of great pressure and sadly also a time fraught with many pitfalls and perils. Failures in the first 90 days can create bad impressions that are difficult or impossible for registrar leaders to overcome.
Based on the Harvard Business Reviews’ international bestseller The First 90 Days, this presentation explores the principles and plans that leaders can employ to avoid pitfalls and transition more successfully and quickly. These principles apply not only to first-time leaders, but any leader taking on a new role. The session also describes how these principles were implemented into a leader development program at one Canadian PSI.

Presenter:
Jonathan Nituch, Director of Enrolment Services and Operations, NAIT

Webinar 6: Tuesday, April 16, 2024
(9 am PDT, 10 am MDT, 11 am CDT, 12 pm EDT, 1 pm ADT, 1:30 pm NDT)

Peer External Reviews: Reflections on intentions, process, and outcomes from reviewers and reviewees

This session will be a panel with individuals who have done reviews and have requested reviews.

Topics will include:

Peer review over private review
Costs / return
Impact and connection to strategic planning and directors

Presenters (Panel Format):

Moderator: Darran Fernandez - Assistant Vice-Provost & University Registrar, York University
Panelist: Adam Robertson - University Registrar and Assistant Vice-President Enrolment Management, Dalhousie University
Panelist: Charmaine Hack - Vice-President Strategic Enrolment Management , Centennial College
Panelist: Ray Darling - University Registrar, University of Windsor
Panelist: Melissa Padfield - Deputy Provost (Students and Enrolment), University of Alberta

Webinar 5: Wednesday, March 27, 2024
(9 am PDT, 10 am MDT, 11 am CDT, 12 pm EDT, 1 pm ADT, 1:30 pm NDT)

Leveraging CI to strategically align resources to portfolios

The term change management has recently become synonymous with pricey change consultants that share advice but do little to impact projects, teams and organizations. Participants in this session will learn that all change is neurological, and that by recognizing different types of responses to change, one can ensure matches between personalities and portfolios. The session includes an overview of the change intelligence© model and two brief case studies where use of the model positively impacted portfolio and project outcomes.

Presenter:
Jodi Tavares, Executive Director MyCreds/MesCertif (ARUCC)

A recording of this session can be found on the ARUCC website, in the Members Only area (you must login), under the "ARUCC Webinar Recordings" link provided in the right side "Members Only Menu".

Webinar 4: Friday, December 15, 2023
(9 am PST, 10 am MST, 11 am CST, 12 pm EST, 1 pm AST, 1:30 pm NST)

Best Practices in Detecting Fraud in Academic Credentials

This session will explore best practices for detecting fraudulent documents in university and college admissions. From paper documents to email attachments, the presenter will discuss common red flags and documentation concerns. The presenter will also showcase recommended daily practices to enhance everyone's detective skills and build confidence in the admissions process.

Presenters:
Majka Drewitz, Senior Manager of Evaluation Staff at Educational Credential Evaluators Inc.

Majka is a Senior Manager of Evaluation Staff at Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). She studied English at the University of Adam Mickiewicz in Poland, and Linguistics at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Majka’s areas of interest include research, selected education systems (Europe, former USSR, Middle East) and fraud detection. In 2005, Majka authored ECE Insights: Evaluation Tools for Russian Credentials, and in 2011 co-authored ECE’s Education in the Commonwealth Caribbean series chapters on British Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and nursing education. Majka is an experienced presenter and the lead trainer on document fraud and forensics at ECE.

A recording of this session can be found on the ARUCC website, in the Members Only area (you must login), under the "ARUCC Webinar Recordings" link provided in the right side "Members Only Menu".

Webinar 3: Friday, November 17, 2023
(8 am PST, 9 am MST, 10 am CST, 11 am EST, 12 pm AST, 12:30 pm NST)

Holistic Admissions: The Path to Student Success, Program Success and Achieving Your Mission

How do we evolve our admissions requirements and practices to deliver decisions that are both defensible as well as equitable and fair, while admitting students who will succeed in their programs and their future careers?

A holistic approach to admissions is a path forward, one which looks at the ‘whole’ applicant rather than focusing only on academic measures. Dr. Kelly Dore, Adjunct Professor at MacMaster University and VP of Science and Innovation and co-founder of Acuity Insights, walks you through a step-by-step approach to evolve your process, all the way from reviewing your requirements to getting stakeholder buy-in. You will take away actionable strategies to start using immediately.

Presenters:
Dr. Kelly Dore, Adjunct Professor at MacMaster University and VP of Science and Innovation and co-founder of Acuity Insights

Webinar 2: Friday, October 20, 2023
(10 am PDT, 11 am MDT, 12 pm CDT, 1 pm EDT, 2 pm ADT, 2:30 pm NDT)

Frequently Asked Questions: ChatGPT and generative AI in teaching and learning at the University of Waterloo

In November 2022, OpenAI released a free preview of ChatGPT, a highly advanced chatbot that uses predictive text to string words together in a way that mimics human conversational patterns. While generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are not new, the quality of responses generated by ChatGPT surpasses prior AI-based writing tools, sparking debate in the higher education community about its use in teaching and learning. Many questions centre around academic integrity, and effective uses of such tools. At Waterloo we know that innovations in technology often produce innovations in teaching and learning, and this new development is no exception.

Presenters:
Amanda McKenzie, Director, Office of Academic Integrity, University of Waterloo
Dr. Trevor Holmes, Associate Director, Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo

Webinar 1: Friday, September 22, 2023

Managing Exceptions: Discretionary Decision-Making to Resolve Complex Student Issues

Now, more than ever, higher education institutions are dealing with students who present complex circumstances that may be barriers to degree completion. With the added factor of the Covid-19 pandemic, the pendulum has swung to accommodate beyond what may have been tolerated even five years ago. Furthermore, each situation is different. How can we feel confident in the decisions we make, especially when they involve situations we haven’t seen before, or that aren’t explicitly addressed in policy? How do we ensure fairness when making decisions that fall outside written policy?

Presenters:
Josie Lalonde - Director, Student Experience, OISE, University of Toronto
Nicola Woods - Director, Academic Services and Registrar, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

A recording of this session can be found on the ARUCC website, in the Members Only area (you must login), under the "ARUCC Webinar Recordings" link provided in the right side "Members Only Menu".