| Session | Time |
| Pre-Conference Workshops additional registration required | 9:00am - 12:00pm |
| Leadership Development Institute by invitation | 9:00am - 11:00am |
| Session Title | Session Abstract | Session Presenter(s) | Institution(s) |
| AI in Higher Education | Goals of the Discussion: Participants will share insights, raise critical questions, and identify actionable strategies for responsibly leveraging AI to enhance institutional effectiveness and student outcomes. The session aims to foster collaboration and build a shared understanding of how higher education can adapt to and shape the future of AI. | Sean Pattison & Arturo Torres | University of California Los Angeles & Central Washington University |
| Are You Ready to Rest? (for real though) | AKA Burnout pt4! Experts agree that the ideal time to rest is BEFORE you need it. The same way that Fun is more than just ‘not work’ rest is more than a nap. Lets examine our tendency to overwork and under rest; so we can work less and accomplish more! | Chelsea Peoples | University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
| Assess, Discern, Act: Increasing Agency through a 'What Is?' Mindset | What words do we use in challenging situations? Don’t get stuck in “If Only” or “What If”. In this session we’ll discuss the “What Is?” mindset and how it gives us power (and reduces stress) as we assess situations, discern actionable alternatives, and intentionally choose our response. | Jeff Williams & Julia Pomerenk | University of California - Riverside & University of Oregon |
| Automating a Language Graduation Requirement Waiver for Heritage Language Learners | At University of Puget Sound, students who are heritage language learners only need to take one class for the Language requirement instead of two. We will show you our workflow where students who self identify language proficiency are automatically assigned to a student group which helps fulfill this requirement. | Eli Gandour-Rood & Carol Odland | University of Puget Sound |
| Best Practices with NSC's Enrollment Reporting | Join the National Student Clearinghouse for an engaging session on the enrollment reporting process, NSLDS data flow, and practical strategies to avoid common audit and compliance issues. Learn how to strengthen your reporting practices and stay ahead of compliance challenges. All administrators involved in administrators involved in postsecondary enrollment reporting and compliance will find this session helpful. | Jennifer Hedrick Castrovinni & Julie Radakovich & Julie Esau | National Student Clearinghouse |
| Bloom Where You Are Planted: Managing your career for success in work and life | How do you determine which environmental elements you can control and navigate those you can't? Let's talk about best practices for managing your career, including the inevitable - change - in order to strive for a balanced environment in which you can grow and bloom. | Kristen Labrecque | University of Washington Bothell |
| Blooming in the Chaos: A Roundtable for Millennial and Young Professional PACRAO Attendees | Join fellow millennials and young professionals for a roundtable on navigating higher ed’s ever-changing landscape. Share challenges, wins, and survival strategies in a space built for connection and real talk. Whether you're thriving or just hanging on, if this sounds like your vibe, you’re welcome here. | Maggie Ramirez & Omar Saucedo | The University of Arizona & University of California, San Francisco |
| Blooming Integrity: Cultivating a Fraud-Resistant Admissions Process | Session focuses on nurturing a robust admissions process that tackles fraudulent applications while promoting transparency and trust. Join us to explore how a community college redesigned its admissions process to combat fraud. Explore innovative strategies and tools to safeguard the admissions process while ensuring a seamless experience for prospective students. | Helena Babiski | Coconino Community College |
| Comparing & Evaluating Academic Policies to Promote Student Success | In this session, we'll highlight the registrar's role in promoting student success through academic policy. We'll also review research into how other institutions are implementing common academic policies, and discuss best practices, successes, and challenges with these policies (or with not having them) at our institutions. | Joe Tate | University of Phoenix |
| Creating a Culture of Inclusion Between Staff and Faculty at Gonzaga University | Identifies a desired outcome, in which both staff and faculty feel included in each other’s work | Evan Schanzenbach & Morgan Anderson | Gonzaga University |
| Don't Ask the Blind Guy for Directions: A Book Club for Love, Confidence and a Sense of Belonging | Don't Ask the Blind Guy for Directions by John Samuel is a powerful story for professionals with disabilities and individuals working to create an inclusive culture, the themes in this memoir will empower you to accept yourself and others, break down barriers, and rebuild a world where everyone belongs. | Sarah Pishny-Foster & Jarrell Townsend | Diversity Development Committee & Oregon State University |
| Driving Student Engagement with Data-Informed Communication | Today’s students expect personalized, timely, and seamless communication throughout their educational journey. Institutions that meet this expectation not only strengthen enrollment pipelines but also improve student success and retention. In this session, Shea Eve from the University of Montana will join Mongoose to explore how campuses can optimize communication strategies by uniting CRM infrastructure in conjunction with AI-driven conversation intelligence. Shea will share her hands-on experience building and maintaining communication between Slate and Mongoose, designing to create enrollment campaigns, and leverage data to improve enrollment outcomes. Mongoose will provide a broader look at how institutions can extend their CRM investments with tools for text, chat, and WhatsApp that create high-impact student interactions. Together, the presenters will illustrate practical strategies for: Integrating CRM and communication tools to create cohesive student journeys. Using campaign performance data to adapt messaging across multiple funnel stages. Harnessing AI-powered insights to scale personalization and maximize staff efficiency. Attendees will leave with actionable takeaways on how to transform communication channels into strategic assets that not only drive enrollment but foster long-term student engagement. | Jason Porter & Shea Eve | Mongoose |
| Enhancing Transfer Evaluation with OCR: Challenges and Successes in Admissions | This presentation explores our experience integrating OCR into transcript evaluation, addressing challenges like document variability and system integration. We’ll share strategies to improve accuracy, reduce errors, and train staff. Attendees will gain insights into implementation lessons, best practices, and recommendations for using OCR to enhance efficiency and data consistency. | Kris Thrasher | University of Phoenix |
| Extending the Life Cycle of a Position Associated with High Burnout | Have you ever felt like Judi Hops as the “Meter Maid” in Zootopia? Working in a role associated with high burnout rates is exhausting. Come learn about UM's successes and challenges and share stories and tools on supporting high-burnout positions. | Sarah Corbin | University of Montana |
| Faculty Accommodations Dashboard: Enhancing Awareness, Supporting Students | Join us to explore the new Faculty Accommodations Dashboard at University of Phoenix and discover how it has increased faculty awareness while strengthening support for students with accommodations. | Audra McQuarie & Daja McCleve | University of Phoenix |
| Fool's Gold or Real Gold: Mining Student Data Through the Merger of IR and University Registrar Offices | In January 2023, Gonzaga University merged the offices of IR and Registrar. In this presentation, we engage in a conversation through a presentation highlighting what we have gone through in the last 2 years. We address the following:
| Maxwell Kwenda & Heather Teshome | Gonzaga University |
| From Build to Buy-In: Lessons Learned from Implementing Degree Audit Planner & Schedule Builder | Cal State Fullerton shares lessons from implementing a new degree audit planner and schedule builder system. Learn how cross-campus collaboration, project management strategies, and student-centered framing turned challenges into successes. Attendees will gain practical tools for managing change, building partnerships, and leading technology projects that improve student success. | Abril Vega | California State University-Fullerton |
| From Chaos to Clarity: Rethinking Course Scheduling at CWU | Central Washington University recently overhauled its course scheduling process, moving from spreadsheets and manual coordination to a more transparent, collaborative system. This session will explore what’s changed — how scheduling is managed now, where time is spent differently, and the unexpected benefits like improved room use and cross-department visibility. We’ll close with practical tips for evaluating scheduling software and strategies for gaining leadership support for change. | Carolyn Hollowell & Joey Thornton | CourseLeaf |
| From Seed to Service: Growing a Student Workforce That Delivers | Discover how the University of Arizona’s Office of the Registrar leverages a student worker team of nearly 50 to enhance services and productivity. Learn practical strategies to build, expand, and manage a student workforce that supports institutional goals while providing meaningful student employment experiences. | Jacob Brainerd, Maggie Ramirez, & Michael Davenport | The University of Arizona |
| Get Involved! Join the planning committee for PACRAO 2026. | Ever wondered how a PACRAO conference comes together? This session will give members a behind-the-scenes look at the planning process for PACRAO 2026. Whether you're new to PACRAO or a long-time member, come learn how you can shape the future of our next annual meeting. | Sean Pattison & Eduardo Leon Garcia | University of California Los Angeles & Loyola Marymount University |
| How to Bloom in a Drought: Leveraging Resources you Already Have | Two gutsy Associate Registrars took a new look at operations to revise processes on the fly and make the impossible possible. Focusing on progress versus perfection, we drastically reduced degree clearance time. Learn how we planted the seeds, separated plants from weeds, and emerged with a garden in full bloom. | Tina Miller & Leigh Miller | University of Washington |
| In Arid Times: Tactics for Nurturing Staff Growth | How can we engage operational staff in professional development opportunities when there just aren't any resources for it? Hear how some BC registrars leveraged collegial networks, shared enthusiasm, and technology to tend to and care for staff during lean times. | Christine Lee | Thompson Rivers University |
| It's Not About You: How to Recognize & Combat Managerial Fragility | A great opportunity for managers to learn about managerial fragility and the ways we can combat our vulnerabilities to better support our teams! An emerging theory in Higher Education scholarship, managerial fragility sits at the intersection of white fragility and managerialism in higher education. | Alex Underwood | The University of Arizona |
| Leading Through Ambiguity: Cultivating Positivity and Resilience | This session explores how leaders can navigate ambiguity with resilience, optimism, and trust. Blending research, practical tools, and timeless lessons from a 108-year-old WWII Merchant Marine, participants will gain strategies for cultivating grounded positivity, building resilient teams, and leading with clarity and steadiness in uncertain times. | Beth Warner | AACRAO & University of Wisconsin |
| Managing Unapologetically | It's easy to fall into the trap of over-apologizing and second-guessing decisions we make. "Managing unapologetically" isn't about being arrogant or dismissive; it's about being confident in your decisions, embracing vulnerability, and creating environments where everyone feels empowered to take risks, make mistakes, and grow. | Lindsay Stadler | Pomona College |
| No Degree Application? No problem! | At Oregon State, undergraduate students do not submit a graduation application. This presentation will cover our process we call Institutional awarding, discuss why we implemented this program and the impact on the university. | Jarrell Townsend | Oregon State University |
| Nurturing Core Strengths: Growing Teams & Adapting for Your Students | Join us as we explore how to cultivate and enhance unique strengths of your team and colleagues amidst the ever-changing climate of uncertainty. A golden opportunity for LDI alumni and anyone to unearth and harness their Clifton Strengths, much like a bustling farmers market full of diverse, fresh possibilities. | Helena Babiski | Coconino Community College |
| Our Burnout Journey: Where have we been & How are we doing? | Roundtable: We will discuss topics and lessons from the first three parts of the Burnout Series. This session can also serve as a review for those who haven't seen previous sessions or just want the information fresh for this year's Part 4! | Chelsea Peoples | University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
| Parchment Does That Too? Streamlining Admin Workflows from Admissions to Credentials | Tired of juggling disconnected tools and outdated processes? In this session, explore how forward-thinking institutions are using Parchment beyond transcripts. From streamlining staff workflows to supporting learner mobility, see how one comprehensive platform and trusted partner can help you connect your Admissions, Registrar, and professional learning initiatives in more efficient, learner-centered ways, including:
| Emelie Bauer & Mel Frey | Instructure |
| Reimagining Class Scheduling & Lessons Learned Along the Way | The University of Arizona will share highlights from the 5-year project to Reimagine the Room and Course Scheduling process. Attendees of this session will learn about our experiences, including project partnerships, approach to change management, and lessons learned along the way. | Jaclyn Pryor | The University of Arizona |
| Restoring Trust and Rebuilding Morale: Using Restorative Circles at Registrar's Office | This session explores how the Registrar’s Office used restorative circles to rebuild trust, morale, and team cohesion after a leadership transition. By fostering open dialogue and creating a safe space for staff voices, the approach helped break down silos, address tensions, and reestablish a unified, collaborative workplace culture. | Shelly Hsu | California State University-Fullerton |
| Rooted in Readiness: Growing Graduation and Career Success with uAchieve | Like a well-tended garden, student success flourishes with the right tools and support in place. The California State University system is sowing seeds of transformation through a system-wide implementation of the uAchieve digital degree planner (in partnership with CollegeSource). This initiative cultivates more responsive, student-centered advising by providing personalized, real-time planning tools to accelerate graduation outcomes and prepare students to blossom into career-ready professionals—especially historically underserved students. From transfer to planning to requirement tracking and enrollment, uAchieve brings everything together in one consolidated platform—empowering students to take root and thrive in their academic journeys. | Chris Starkey | CollegeSource, Inc |
| Sharpen Your Saw: Breaking Free from Career Stagnation | Feeling stuck in your career? Join our discussion for candid confessions and practical strategies to overcome workplace stagnation. Explore the art of “brave it until you make it” and learn to sharpen your saw professionally and personally to break free from routine, manage up and down, and embrace positive change. | Shelly Hsu | California State University-Fullerton |
| Slate Residency Portal Implementation Success! | On December 5, 2025, the University of Washington Residency Team will move from making residency decisions using a compilation of Excel spreadsheets, emails, appointment scheduling software, and random Word files to an elegant use of Slate to develop a new Residency portal. Come to see our new Slate Residency Portal. | Helen Garrett | University of Washington |
| Small to Mid-Size College Registrar's Office Roundtable | This session will be a round table discussion regarding various topics/areas of the registrar's office. We will focus on colleges with smaller enrollments. The intent is for attendees to share issues and solutions among the group with a narrow emphasis on small to mid-size colleges. | Steven Stubbs | North Idaho College |
| Strategies to Maximize Outcomes as an Influential Leader on Campus | We have all been there before, you are not formally in charge of an initiative and yet you are “somehow responsible” for it all. How then do you maximize your ability to lead when the solid and dotted lines on an org chart are unclear? Join us to find out! | Marc Booker | University of Phoenix |
| Streamlining Academic Operations at Pomona College With Coursedog | Pomona College implemented Coursedog's Scheduling, Curriculum, and Catalog tools in 2023, replacing outdated systems. This session highlights rollout strategy, user engagement, and configuration decisions that reduced scheduling conflicts and improved curriculum tracking. Attendees will gain insights into change management, implementation, and efficiency wins realized since going live. | Greg Thomas | Pomona College |
| Streamlining Graduation Evaluation: A Custom PeopleSoft Integration for Real-Time Deficiency Notifications | Our institution struggled with static candidate lists in the ACCESS database, resulting in outdated graduation evaluations. To address this, our IT department developed a dynamic solution—a customized PeopleSoft page that integrates with our degree audit system (u.achieve). This tool revolutionizes how we updates and notifies students’ academic deficiencies. | Shelly Hsu | California State University-Fullerton |
| Supporting Student Parents through Policy and Practice | Student parents face unique challenges navigating higher education systems. This roundtable invites registrar and admissions professionals to share insights, examine common barriers, and explore practical strategies for more inclusive, student-centered practices that support student parents. Let’s learn from each other and re-imagine how we serve. | Peyton Coronas | University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
| Table Talk: Classroom and Academic Scheduling Roundtable | Join our roundtable to connect with colleagues and discuss Classroom and Academic Scheduling current topics. This session is well suited for new and seasoned scheduling professionals alike to convene and share best practices. | Jaclyn Pryor | The University of Arizona |
| TES and Transferology - The Heart of Transfer | The number of students who will transfer is expected to rise, and many institutions hope to close the enrollment shortfall gap by recruiting and admitting more transfer students. TES® and Transferology® from CollegeSource® work together to help you create a more transfer-friendly environment with powerful features, workflows, and reports for staff, faculty, and students. TES, the Transfer Evaluation System, is a powerful all-in-one solution for researching transfer credit, exploring changes in curricula, routing and tracking evaluation tasks, and managing equivalencies. Transferology is a nationwide network that provides students with fast answers regarding how their credits may transfer and includes the ability for students to view programs, pathways, and institution profile information. Both systems are underpinned by a database of more than 160,000,000 course descriptions and 190,000 college catalogs and are used by thousands of institutions and systems across the U.S. Together, these tools create a full-circle, student-centered experience that’s paperless, cost-efficient, and scalable. Come see a demo of how to leverage these tools to create a seamless and superior transfer student experience. | John Panzica | CollegeSource |
| The Art of Articulation: Building Bridges for Student Mobility | This session offers a high-level look at the articulation process that supports student mobility. Learn how partnerships and MOUs are established, how transfer guides & alternative credit providers are evaluated, and how internal databases sustain accuracy and efficiency. Attendees will gain insights to strengthen transfer pathways and streamline evaluation processes. | Deslie Ghiorzi | University of Phoenix |
| The Changing Face of DEI: Challenges, Realities, and Opportunities | This round table will provide education professionals a collaborative space to discuss DEI challenges and strategies amid evolving policies. Participants will explore legislative impacts, campus climate, and resource allocation while sharing innovative approaches to fostering inclusion. Attendees will gain insights and actionable strategies to sustain DEI efforts in changing landscapes. | Jarrell Townsend | Oregon State University |
| Trained Team, Modern Tool: Transforming the Transfer Credit Evaluation Process | This session examines strategies implemented to streamline our transfer credit evaluation process. It will focus on how transfer guidelines were established to enable Registrar staff to evaluate transfer coursework for general transferability and University Core applicability. The presentation will also examine the integration of an OCR software (DigiScript). | Eduardo Leon Garcia | Loyola Marymount University |
| Transfer Credit Best Practices | Join us in what will be an entertaining discussion of best practices regarding the review and awarding of transfer credit. Please bring your issues, ideas, and solutions to the session. We will be facilitating a discussion as therapy for your frustrations as well as ingenious solutions to share with colleagues. | Steven Stubbs & Audra Eiting | North Idaho College |
| Unleashing Potential: The power of multipliers in leadership | Exploring concepts from "Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter" we will explore differences between good leaders (Multipliers) who enhance team performance and bad leaders (Diminishers) who stifle it. Attendees will identify their diminishing tendencies and learn how to get the most from their teams. | Ronald Venegas | La Sierra University |
| What are the Compliance Issues Besides FERPA That I Need to Know? | We often think of just FERPA when it comes to compliance, but there are a myriad of additional federal and state laws registrars need to know. We will provide a comprehensive overview of additional compliance laws in addition to FERPA to make sure you are staying current and compliant. | Helen Garrett | University of Washington |
| When Leaders Bloom Together: The Transformative Power of Friendship in Higher Education | In a time of disconnection and burnout, three seasoned leaders explore how friendship can sustain, restore, and empower higher education professionals. Through honest storytelling and practical strategies, this session celebrates relational leadership as a source of strength and resilience while helping us all bloom in even the hardest seasons. | Josh Hibbard, Erin Mason, & Julia Pomerenk | Whitworth University, University of Utah, & University of Oregon |
| Why Healthy Habits Matter: Energy, Resilience, and Well-Being | This session explores why healthy habits matter for energy, resilience, and well-being, focusing on four key pillars: nutrition, physical activity, sleep hygiene, and stress management. Participants will learn the science of habit formation under stress, practical strategies for change when exhausted, and actionable steps to support sustainable self-care. | Deslie Ghiorzi | University of Phoenix |
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