2019 - 2020
Annual Report
CONTENTS Greetings from the Registrar......................................................2 Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values...............................3 Core Functions.............................................................................5 By the Numbers............................................................................7 Registrar Trainings.....................................................................10 Staff Member Highlights...........................................................11 Community Involvement & Team Building...........................13 2020: Registrar Office Retrospective.......................................15 Industry Affiliations & Campus Partnerships........................17
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GREETINGS FROM THE REGISTRAR
Welcome to the 2019-2020 Annual Report for the Office of the Registrar!
It is my pleasure to share with you some of our recent achievements and highlight several ways in which we have been actively involved during the past year – A year that was certainly unlike any other. As I reflect on the unforeseen challenges that 2020 presented to us all, I am extremely proud of our accomplishments and the many obstacles we overcame together. I believe they illustrate our endurance, dedication, and continued commitment to serving our students and institution. While these unprecedented times certainly presented its challenges, they also afforded us the opportunity to pause, regroup, reassess, and refocus our attention on enhancing and creating innovative solutions to meet the needs of our students and the campus community we serve. Our ability to empower on another became a testament to our strength and leadership, as we developed and adapted to new ways of collaborating in pursuit of our collective goals. Our perseverance and strength became even more apparent, as we encouraged and supported each other more than ever before, further demonstrating our unity and our resilience. Although we were physically apart, we grew even stronger together! The Office of the Registrar is fortunate to have a talented and dedicated team of individuals working in partnership with the many exceptional leaders throughout our colleges, departments, and campus community, all of whom are vital to our continued collaboration and future initiatives. Excellent service to our students and our University is of utmost importance, and we consistently strive to foster efficiency and effectiveness in our performance standards and practices. I sincerely thank you all for your positive contributions to our goals, our mission, and our future. We invite you to celebrate our achievements with us and hope you find the information in our annual report to be useful and informative. I welcome any questions or comments that you may have regarding the contents of this report or any of the services we offer. We look forward to continue developing and cultivating strong working relationships that allow us to pave the road to success every step of the way! Thank you to our Texas Tech Community for your continued support!
Bobbie Brown, Registrar Office of the Registrar
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Our Mission, Vision, & Core Values The mission of the Office of the Registrar is to serve students, alumni, faculty, and staff by ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and confidentiality of educational records.
The Office of the Registrar strives to:
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Provide consistent high-quality service, collaboration, and leadership in facilitating the needs of students, faculty, and staff.
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Promote a friendly and encouraging office environment that supports personal and professional growth.
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Employ efficiency and innovation in the use of resources and solutions to benefit our campus and the higher education community.
Teamwork
Foster efficiency and excellence in our commitment to serve students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Establish professionalism and leadership through our collaborative efforts and strategic initiatives.
Education
Ensure accuracy, integrity, and confidentiality of education records. Serve as partners in education by supporting institutional goals, and providing guidance and innovative resources to the university community.
Communication
Share expertise and facilitate collaboration among campus cohorts in support of our collective mission.
Honor
Uphold honesty, responsibility, and accountability in our standards, practices, and processes. Protect the rights and privacy of students under university, state, and federal guidelines.
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Core Functions Academic Records
Ensure the accuracy and completeness of all student registration, grading, and transcript information. Assist students, faculty, and staff with questions regarding grading issues, registration, test credit, enrollment verifications, FERPA authorizations, transcripts, and student information.
Athletic Certification
Review and determine eligibility of student-athletes in accordance with NCAA bylaw requirements.
Course & Section Inventory
Ensure the correct coding and building of courses and sections for each registration cycle. Coordinate with departments for effective room and time scheduling, as well as plan and schedule final exam times and locations.
DegreeWorks
Build and update the official degree audit system of Texas Tech University. The audit system ensures compliance with state and institutional requirements for graduation.
Federal Enrollment Reporting & Maintenance
Manage reporting of current institutional enrollment via the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) in accordance with federal requirements and regulations. Research, maintain, and ensure accuracy of institutional student information within the NSC database and DegreeVerify system.
FERPA Compliance
Review institutional compliance with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations. Investigate and respond to FERPA issues and reports of non-compliance with FERPA. Provide FERPA guidance, resources, and training to the university community. Review and respond to requests for student information via subpoenas, court orders, and directory information requests in accordance with FERPA regulations.
Core Functions
Marketing & Communications
Facilitate Registrar news, updates, and information distribution via print, online, and social media platforms.
Programming & Systems Support
Maintain Registrar systems, as well as create technical solutions and enhancements to make business processes more efficient for internal and external staff.
Registrar Reporting & Analysis
Query and report on information to assist with making informed decisions on future projects.
Study Abroad
Ensure credit earned via institutional study abroad programs are awarded and documented according to established guidelines and procedures.
System Training
Provide training in areas related to student and course systems, such as Banner, Raiderlink, Curriculog, and FERPA.
Test Credit
Apply test credit to student records in accordance with established departmental and Academic Testing Services guidelines.
Transfer Evaluation
Apply transfer credit from other institutions, and coordinate with departments to determine appropriate course equivalencies.
Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Compliance
Evaluate and maintain student records to determine college readiness in accordance with established State of Texas guidelines. Coordinate with various campus entities to ensure institutional compliance with state-mandated laws and regulations. 6
By the 61,321 Transcripts Produced
59,080
252,996
Transcript Requests Processed
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Transfer Courses Evaluated
3,453
7,346
29,001
Grade Replacements Processed
Test Credits Awarded
Transfer Transcripts Evaluated
Numbers 42,438
21,429
Midterm Grades Collected
Grade Changes Processed
340,546 Final Grades Collected
58,633
College Processing Requests Completed
35,080 Records Reviewed for TSI Compliance
9,239
49,836
Rooms Scheduled for Sections
Total Number of Sections
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Registrar Trainings Banner for Beginners: View Access
This Banner for Beginners class is suggested for individuals who only need to view student records for informational purposes, but who will not manage student records.
Banner for Beginners: Record Management Access
This Banner for Beginners training is suggested for individuals who will access student records in Banner for management purposes (e.g., registration assistance, holds, permits, time ticketing).
Curriculog Training
Curriculog training is intended for individuals who are responsible for submitting or approving courses and program proposals. Individuals will be given access to utilize the Curriculog software for adding, updating, or deleting courses or programs within the Texas Tech University course and program inventory.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Training
FERPA training is available online and is also offered in person for departments and large groups (e.g., New Faculty Orientation, Departmental Training for staff, instructors, and faculty).
Registrar Dashboard
Overview of the new Registrar Dashboard system that provides information queried from the following systems: Student Banner, DegreeWorks, Student Xtender, and Advisor Tab, and also provides reporting capabilities per college and major.
For Me Friday
For Me Friday was established in an effort to provide additional personal and professional development opportunities for all internal staff (e.g., managers, coordinators, student assistants). The ultimate goal is to create a training program to enhance collaboration, increase professionalism, and promote overall well-being in areas such as health, financial wellness, cyber security, customer service, stress management, social media etiquette, and cultural awareness. 10
Taking A Ashlea Watley Lead Specialist
Ashlea Watley was born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico. After high school, Ashlea attended the University of New Mexico. In 2018 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English while receiving two minors: one in Criminology and one in Communications. Ashlea also received a certificate of Professional and Technical Communications. After graduating, Ashlea became a permanent substitute for her alma mater, Roswell High School. She taught Child Development and Hospitality Services to all grade levels. Ashlea loved working with students which ultimately led her to apply for the Lead Specialist position in the Office of the Registrar at Texas Tech University in 2019. Ashlea works in the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Compliance Office, where she reviews all new student records. Outside of the office, Ashlea enjoys working out, traveling, attending concerts and spending time with her friends and family. Ashlea loves being a part of the Red Raider family!
Timothy Hendricks Sr. Evaluator
Timothy Hendricks began working at Texas Tech University and the Office of the Registrar on August 1, 2005. He has held several positions within the Office of the Registrar and is now working in the Transfer Evaluation Office as a Senior Evaluator. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Sciences on May 17, 2014 from Texas Tech University. In his spare time, Tim is involved in genealogical and family history research. 11
Closer Look Teresa Diaz Coordinator
Teresa Diaz has worked for Texas Tech University since 2010 and has worked as a Course and Section Inventory Coordinator with the Office of the Registrar since 2018. Teresa graduated from South Plains College with an Associate Degree in General Studies in 2011. Outside of the office, Teresa enjoys volunteering with Girl Scouts and working on craft projects.
Yogi Castaneda Unit Manager
Yogi Castaneda joined the Office of the Registrar on February 5, 1979. Yogi served as a Clerical Specialist for five years before becoming an Assistant Supervisor when Undergraduate Admissions and the Office of the Registrar merged. Yogi oversaw the Processing Department for two years before becoming a Manager. She now oversees Academic Records as a Unit Manager, rounding out her time with the Office of the registrar to 40 years of service. Yogi received the Superior Achievement award as well as the Top Techsan award in 1989. In her free time, Yogi enjoys movies, dancing, reading a good book and learning new things with her grandsons.
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Community Involvement & Team Building Despite a global pandemic for the latter half of the fiscal year, the 2019 - 2020 year brought many opportunities for the Office of the Registrar to get involved in the community and participate in a variety of team building events and activities! To kick off the beginning of the year, our department hosted a very successful silent auction on behalf of the 2019 State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC). This year’s silent auction and individual employee donations raised a grand total of $7,388, which greatly exceeded our departmental SECC goal of $1,675.19. Proceeds from our SECC fundraising efforts were donated to the Lubbock Children’s Health Clinic, and personal contributions were donated to various local, state, and national charities. During Thanksgiving, our office collected and donated meal boxes that were distributed to families in need through the Lubbock Dream Center. Registrar staff members also participated in a community service and team-building activity while constructing winter cat shelters for Kat’s Alley Cats, a local nonprofit organization. Cozy winter shelters were then distributed to homeless community kitties in need throughout the Lubbock area. While most of our usual spring activities were held virtually, by Summer 2020, the institution remained committed to providing an on-campus, face-to-face experience for student services. Staff members participated in planning and hosting a series of welcome back sessions at the United Supermarkets Arena, during which the Division of Enrollment Management provided in-person assistance with a variety of student services.
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1. Delores Sanchez and Norma Ramos
participate in building cat shelters for a local charity.
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2. Vanessa Elizondo greets students at the United Supermarkets Arena.
3. Silent auction items are laid out and ready for bidding for our annual SECC fundraiser.
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4. Staff members participate in building winter shelters for community kitties in need.
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5. Yogi Castaneda and Irma Armenta present their finished cat shelter.
6. Brianna Garcia and Jasmine Flores are all smiles presenting their finished cat shelter.
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Supporting a Campus During a Pandemic By Brenda L. Martinez, Sr. Associate Registrar History is full of moments in time where people are
called upon to act and react in unique and different ways. Those moments are usually marked and associated with tragedies of one nature or another. It is easy to become mired in negativity, however, those events also serve as moments that allow great heroic action to come forward and shine as never before. It is often only in the rear-view mirror that we can fully appreciate and recognize those actions. While our annual report typically celebrates our prior academic year’s achievements, we would be remiss to not focus upon Spring and Summer 2020, where the staff of the Office of the Registrar met and overcame challenges never seen before. The global response to the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic proved what an ever-changing and interdependent world we now live in. In mid-March, during Spring Break and as COVID-19 numbers rose, the order came from President Schovanec: shut down the campus and move to remote operations. We took a deep breath and (after the shock subsided) went to work. All available laptops were secured and reassigned to staff who needed them. Some volunteered use of their personal equipment; some put together packages of office supplies; some helped to load equipment and resource boxes into vehicles. Vendors were notified to add messaging to our transcript and diploma order website. Only electronic processes would be available. A project to move FERPA authorizations to an online form was fast-tracked and made operational. Within two days almost all staff were equipped and working from home, and all Registrar processes were online with the exception of one: reissued diploma orders.
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The office had dallied in using Microsoft TEAMS, but now it became a critical part of negotiating communication and projects in the midst of chaos and ever-changing guidelines and instructions. There were so many questions to be answered. How long would we do this? Is this sustainable? What if this agency needs something, or this student has requested something else, or our internet goes down? Supplies still had to be ordered and there were meets arranged to pick up and exchange items. Leaders began to step forward from
all levels and areas of the office: those who stayed calm, those who figured out solutions, those who took on new responsibilities to help others. As higher education institutions across the state and nation began to look toward how to finish the term, the Registrar’s office researched and provided input on numerous ideas and suggestions: credit and no credit grading options, drop counts and state drop limits, state and national guard student options, extended deadlines, finals. There were laws, new opinions, and guidance from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to review and analyze. What could we do and how could we achieve it? All of this as we continued to steadily maintain service and responsiveness not only to our campus, but most importantly, to students and parents. Online advance registration came and went. We continued to do the best we could to answer the many questions coming our way from all directions. The spring term ended, and we faced a monumental task: optional credit or no-credit. The final process required faculty to submit grades as normal. Colleges ensured the lowest late grade submission rate we had ever seen. Advisors had been counseling students on the advantages and disadvantages of electing credit or no credit grading for each class, and once the final grading deadline passed, students had 48 hours to decide. The Registrar processing staff was approved to go to campus, and we got to work. All of the “normal” peak period end of term processing was still required, and then we added more than 15,600 manual record changes to our shoulders. There were long hours and few breaks. One mammoth session lasted until 3:00 a.m. in the morning before we took a four-hour rest break at the end of that 20-hour day. And we were not alone as our colleagues across campus feverishly submitted requests. During all of this, summer sections and schedules had to move to online formats. Honor roll recognition moved to an electronic format and was very well received as images of President List and Dean List certificates popped up on social media. Summer brought virtual orientations and new challenges for our TSI Compliance Office. Answering questions, encouraging test score submission, and ensuring students could be properly advised regarding TSI and registration
into required coursework seemed, from the outside, to carry on without a hitch, thanks to the efforts of our TSI Compliance staff. Immediately following end of term concerns, attention started to focus on Fall schedules. The outlook for a full return to campus was doubtful. Our office coordinated with the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost to assist departments in reworking schedules. Modalities had to be updated; rooms rescheduled to adjusted capacities. At the time, the state limited room capacities to 25%. With a measure of hope that COVID-19 might be better under control by Fall, schedules were planned around a 33% capacity. As the state moved toward a reopening, it seemed we could be more hopeful and reworked the schedule a third time for 50% capacities. These moves involved a Herculean effort from the departments and their schedulers to rethink how they have always done things and move it to a new approach. As some students and parents clamored for more in person classes, an equal number of students and parents demanded only online offerings. Hours were spent on communication, analysis, and recommendations. The Office of the Registrar Course and Section Inventory staff took their turn with overtime and applied creative solutions to help departments achieve goals. Auxiliary spaces were requested for scheduling. Technology orders for classrooms had to be reviewed and installed. Meanwhile, some staff were ordered back to the office to fill in any gaps in services, even as the doors remained locked. We resumed reissued diploma orders and paper transcripts. Office spaces were reconfigured and new furniture and more equipment ordered in anticipation of a return to semi-normalcy. Inventory and redistribution of hand sanitizer and other personal protective equipment were completed. Formerly closed and locked doors were opened for pass-throughs, while the exterior footprint of the office was more locked down. The institution remained committed to having an on-campus, in-person experience available for incoming freshmen. Plans began for a welcome back and service station at the United Supermarkets Arena. Instruction cards for commonly asked questions were printed and placed in both 103 and at the USA. Every means by which we could provide a high level of service while reducing the opportunity for COVID-19 to spread were discussed, developed and implemented.
In August, we split our office into two teams, Team Raider and Team Matador, to ensure we could keep a team available to be onsite. Each office area was represented on both and worked on new ways of communicating and coordinating our work. Supplies were ordered as we scratched our heads and wondered, “How long will we need to do this?” “For the foreseeable future” seemed to be the answer. The doors were opened to visitors, and we began to test our safety protocols. We were pleased with how everyone responded and tweaked and improved these protocols. Staff embraced daily sanitization of commonly touched surfaces to ensure an additional measure of safety. Our split staff split even further to service two on-campus locations (103 and USA). Students and parents began returning to campus. Our in-person traffic seemed slower than years past, as everyone seemed more used to going online first. We helped who we could and made notes about how to improve next year. Collectively, everyone who returned to the office worked together to support one another. Leadership by example was on display by everyone as we stepped out of our roles to help others and learn new skills. The level of teamwork involved was a reminder of what a great team our department truly has. At the end of August, there was no end in sight for our new normal. We continued to face challenges to arranging future term schedules and registration and drop counts. Workloads were different and increased. Resources were fewer. Each day we were anxious for information that would give us a little more solid clue about what we need to do to take care of our students and our institution. One thing is certain: the lessons we have learned and the ways in which we have seen each other grow and contribute to helping the office fulfill its responsibility to the campus, to each other, and to students current and past is encouraging and something for which each and every member of our team should be proud. As we move forward into the 2020 – 2021 academic year, we are confident that the dedication and commitment of our staff will continue to shine positively and allow us to continue to meet and overcome all challenges with grace.
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Industry Affiliations Ad Astra American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Big XII Business Officers & Enrollment Services Big XII Summer Rules Workshop CoHEsion Credentials, Inc. Advisory Board DegreeWorks Forum DigArc ELive National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators National Collegiate Athletic Association Regional Rules Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
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Campus Partnerships Academic Council Athletics Academic Eligibility Team Connect Tech Costa Rica Campus Implementation Credit by Exam Ad Hoc Committee Enrollment Management Luncheon Institutional Review Board International Admissions Appeals Committee Major Change Committee Missing and Incomplete Grades Ad Hoc Committee Office of Student Conduct Administrative Hearing Panel Provost Task Force for Student Success and Retention Raiders Who Rock
Red Raider Orientation Committee Staff Senate State Employee Charitable Campaign Student Co-Op Information Systems Committee Summer 2018 Planning Task Force Teaching Space Taskforce Texas Techspo Transfer Issues Ad Hoc Committee Undergraduate Admissions Advisory Committee
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Website
www.reg.ttu.edu
Mailing Address
Texas Tech University Office of the Registrar PO Box 45015 Lubbock, TX 79409-5015
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Campus Location
West Hall, Room 103 Campus Mail: MS 5015
Follow Us
@TTURegistrar
registrar@ttu.edu
Fax
806.742.0355
Phone
806.742.3661