SACRAO Winter/Pre-Conference 2024 Newsletter

SACRAO | 2024

2024 PRE-CONFERENCE NEWSLETTER Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers

O Annual Meeting SACRA

February 3-7 Lexington, KY

A tradition that breeds success President's Update It is hard to believe that we are only a few weeks away from the upcoming 77th SACRAO Annual Meeting. It feels like just yesterday that we were all gathering in Charlotte and racing into the new year. Now here we are about to gather in Lexington, KY to celebrate the tradition that is SACRAO, as we breed success for the year ahead! As we prepare for not only the Annual Meeting, but also for the year ahead, I would encourage you to look for opportunities to become involved within the organization by completing the I’m Available Form. Like most organizations, SACRAO would not be where it is today without the help of so many amazing volunteers over the years. And in order for us to continue this amazing success, we will need the help of many more equally amazing volunteers in the years to come. Don’t just view getting involved as an added work responsibility. Instead, view it as an opportunity to learn more about your profession, to grow both personally and professionally, and to make lifelong lasting connections and friendships that are more valuable than anything else.

We have an amazing Annual Meeting in store for everyone, and if you haven’t registered to attend yet, there is still time! Nathan Congleton and his Local Arrangements Committee have worked tirelessly over the past year to create a memorable experience for us all. Ed Trombley, the Program Vice Presidents, and all of the Program Committees have gathered a slate of sessions that will truly help you grow professionally, and I would like to thank them all for their hard work over the past year. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing members of the Executive Committee for all of their time and hard work over this past year to ensure the continued success of the organization for years to come.

WHAT'S INSIDE THIS ISSUE: TO UPDATE

President's Update President-Elect Report Treasurer's Report Topics in Higher Ed Annual Meeting

SACRAO | 2024 President's Update cont’d If you’re like me, this past year was a year of challenges, changes, and choices that made the year feel like it passed by in the blink of an eye. But it also was a year of growth, opportunity, and memories that will last a lifetime. I am proud that I had the honor to serve you all as the SACRAO President this past year. I am thankful for the opportunity that you all gave me in selecting me for this role, and I will be forever grateful for all that helped me attempt to serve you the best that I possibly could over this past year. One thing is certain though. I am extremely excited to see what the future has in store for SACRAO! I look forward to seeing you all in Kentucky soon. Safe travels!

President-Elect Report

Patrick Frazier SACRAO President

Ed Trombley SACRAO President-elect preselect@sacrao.org

With the fall semester and 2023 behind us, we turn attention to the 2024 spring term and to SACRAO 2024 in Lexington, Kentucky! Registration for the 77th Annual Meeting is still open! Local Arrangements Chair Nathan Congleton and the entire Kentucky Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) have planned an amazing event, and your Program Committees are finalizing one of the best conference experiences that you could ask for. From the opening session of the conference on Sunday afternoon to the concluding roundtables on Wednesday morning, the event will be packed with opportunities to learn, grow, network, and reflect.

Hotels are filling fast for the event, but rooms are still available. Please consult the SACRAO website, on the ”Book Your Hotel” page, for additional information and links to the Hilton Downtown Lexington and the Hyatt Regency Lexington.

For the many SACRAO members who are volunteering and sharing their knowledge and expertise at SACRAO by presenting a session, a quick reminder to complete your conference registration if you have not already done so, to bring a copy of your presentation along with you for the session, and to bring a laptop to the session to present with. Members of the AV team will be available to assist should you need help hooking up your laptop prior to the start of your session. Laptops are not provided in the presentation rooms.

The GoEngage conference app is already live, allowing you to review the sessions scheduled for the conference, and to see additional sessions and presenters in real time as they are finalized. If you haven’t already added it to your mobile device, download the GoEngage app from the Google Play Store (Android) or App Store (Apple), and then enter sacrao (all lowercase), as the verification code to get started. Select “Schedule” from the choices along the bottom edge of the app (the line reads: Discover – Schedule – More). Check in on the SACRAO website for detailed app instructions, under the “Conference” tab.

For all the many SACRAO LAC and Executive Committee members who are working behind the scenes to stage a successful SACRAO 2024, please allow me to share all best wishes for a safe and happy new year. We are looking forward to the opportunities for learning and friendship when we gather in Lexington in February!

Treasurer's Report Each year SACRAO employs an independent auditor, Jennings Cook and Company, to perform a review of our financials and file an IRS Form 990 on SACRAO’s behalf.

Jennings Cook and Company provided a final report of their audit of the 2022 year on July 24, 2023. Overall, Jennings and Cook found our practices to be sound, however, they did find three things that we can do better:

SACRAO account balances as of January 18, 2024

Checking Savings 2024 Conference Account 2025 Conference Account

$8,795.08 $286,125.67 $152,598.95 $10,500.00

Total:

$458,019.70

Tighter controls on cash receipts and deposits, as well as tighter controls on non-payment of dues and conference registration fees.

Perform the reconciliation of accounts on a monthly basis.

Ensure complete records for conference financials.

I will note that the second bullet has been taken care of. I assumed the treasurer role in January of 2023 and have made a point to make sure all our accounts are reconciled no later than the 10th of the subsequent month. I will work with my colleagues on the executive committee and the local arrangements committee to ensure bullets one and three are addressed.

Should anyone have any questions about the independent audit process, don’t hesitate to contact me. This newsletter’s fun money trivia is a few tidbits about our coins.

Quarters and dimes have ridges because people used to “shave” the edges of the coins when they were pure metal.

Pennies in your garden deter pests.

The average person has $56 of loose change in their house.

(Source: moneysmartguides.com)

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you have about SACRAO’s accounts or financial processes.

Amy Gleason Duke University

Topics in Higher Education Greetings from your (outgoing) Program VP for Topics in Higher Education!

We’re so excited to gather with hundreds of higher education colleagues to share in discussion and learning about all kinds of topics – recruitment, admissions, student records, graduation – the list goes on and on. With President-Elect Ed Trombley’s leadership and steady efforts of our program VPs and chairs, sessions are plentiful and diverse. In November, we held a nocost webinar addressing email management, and we received positive feedback about the presentation (thank you, Melissa Hyatt!) and the opportunity. We intend to offer more no-cost webinars on topics that transcend all our higher ed niches.

With that in mind, should you have any suggestions or presenter recommendations that your SACRAO colleagues could benefit from, you may reach out to me via sofia.almeda@utrgv.edu. Our hope is to offer a handful of these in the year to come.

As things do in our lives – professionally and personally – two years have flown by! Serving in this role has been an amazing experience and I’m grateful not only for all the support, but the opportunities I was afforded to establish new connections and make new, lifelong friends. Enjoy every minute of the annual conference and get out of it everything you can, because you – and our students – deserve it!

Sofia Almeda Montes

SACRAO | SUMMER 2023 Annual Meeting Schedule

ACCOMMODATIONS

For the most up-to-date annual meeting schedule we recommend downloading the GoEngage conference app. Any and all updates made to the conference schedule are reflected in the app.

HILTON DOWNTOWN LEXINGTON 369 West Vine Street, Lexington 859-231-9000 The Hilton is located across the street from Central Bank Center.

Overhead pedways allow attendees to travel to Central Bank Center (via connection to the Hyatt) without going outdoors.

The GoEngage conference app provides the following information: A detailed conference schedule with session descriptions Information on speakers, presenters, coordinators, and corporate partners Hotel and venue locations Materials to review for the

HYATT REGENCY LEXINGTON 401 West High Street, Lexington 859-253-1234

annual business meeting

The Hyatt Regency is adjacent to Central Bank Center. There is an indoor connection between the two structures allowing attendees to enter Central Bank Center without going outdoors.

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TRANSPORTATION

Shuttle Service from Bluegrass Airport The Hilton Downtown Lexington and the Hyatt Regency Lexington offer complimentary shuttle service between Blue Grass Airport (LEX) and their respective hotels. Attendees are free to utilize other services if they desire. More information about transportation options can be found below.

Travel Around Town Lextran is Lexington’s public transit bus service. Service routes run all throughout the Lexington area. In addition to public transit, Lexington also has a variety or taxi and ride share services available to help you get around should you wish to see more of the city.

DINING OPTIONS

ATTRACTIONS

Looking for a little something extra to enjoy your trip to Lexington? The downtown area has a variety of entertainment options and unique experiences. For those willing to grab a ride, the distillery district near the downtown area offers additional unique entertainment attractions and social venues to catch up with colleagues.

Want to join your colleagues for a casual meal, or perhaps you want to let your inner epicurean shine with a fine dining experience? Some of the best restaurants in Lexington are within walking distance of the conference, many featuring unique atmospheres and locally sourced ingredients. No matter your taste, Downtown Lexington has you covered!

PRESENTERS’ PREP

Presenters should bring their own laptop and PowerPoint presentation. If you utilize a device such as a MacBook or Microsoft Surface we encourage you to bring an adaptor to ensure connectivity issues with the A/V setup. Specialized adaptors will be available, but may be limited by type.