Conference Sessions

This year we are excited to offer one of the most extensive conference programs in the history of the organization! With over 36 breakout sessions to choose from covering everything from admissions and registrars topics to Kansas Board of Regents updates and financial aid...we have sessions guaranteed to provide excellent professional development!

Tuesday, September 22

Wednesday, September 23

Planning For College
(2 hour session) The Planning for College Workshop is a required training program for individuals interested in presenting the Planning for College Workshop at Kansas high schools. The training is designed for professionals beginning their second year in the admission profession.
Presenter:
Mysti Byrd, Recruitment Specialist, Johnson County Community College

Welcome to KACRAO! Navigating the Skies - New Recruiter Workshop (Part 1)
Intended for new admissions recruiters, this introductory session will help give you an overview of the best state admissions and registrar’s organization in the country.  The history, values, and services offered to members will be presented as well as opportunities on how new members can get involved in the organization. Fly into our session where we’ll equip and guide you through what to expect in your new admissions profession.  Be prepared to participate and have a little fun in the process.
Presenters: Chris Meiers, 2008-09 President, KACRAO
Jim Allen, 2008-2009 Vice-President of Admissions Services
April Evans, Assistant Director of Admissions, Kansas Wesleyan University
Terri Van Slyke, Assistant Director of Admissions, Kansas Wesleyan University

Proposed Changes to KACRAO Executive Council
KACRAO’s strategic plan includes a goal to examine the structure and responsibilities of the executive council.  This session will review the work of the  ad hoc committee and the proposed changes to our executive council and KACRAO constitution. Come hear and ask questions about the changes that will affect your organization.
Presenter: Gina Crabtree, Associate Registrar, Wichita State University
Facilitator: Ben Schears, Cowley College

Data Integrity - Can it really be improved?
Decisions based on data……. How accurate can they be if the data is not correct? This session will discuss the approach Butler has taken to monitor the accuracy of data entered and stored in their student information system.
Presenter: Cindy McGraw, Data Integrity Analyst, Butler Community College
Facilitator: Connie Craft, Butler Community College

Using Financial Aid as a Recruitment Tool
You’ve taken them on the tour, you’ve given them your viewbook, and you’ve directed them to your website. But now it comes down to the $$$$$$ before the student is ready to make a commitment to your institution. Learn the who, what, when, where, and how to communicate the financial aid process to your prospective students from a recruitment prospective. Knowing what to say, when to say it, and how to communicate it effectively can be the make or break for many students and parents.
Presenters: Marla Sexson, Director of Admissions, Southwestern College
Rodney Worsham, Associate Director of Admissions, Southwestern College
Facilitator: Casey Wallace, Johnson County Community College

Executive Council Mini-Retreat
This session is for new and returning members of the 2009-10 Executive Council. "Nuts and Bolts" of how Executive Council operates will be discussed as well as goal setting for next year.

Welcome to KACRAO! Navigating the Skies - New Recruiter Workshop (Part 2)
Intended for new admissions recruiters, this introductory session will help give you an overview of the best state admissions and registrar’s organization in the country.  The history, values, and services offered to members will be presented as well as opportunities on how new members can get involved in the organization. Fly into our session where we’ll equip and guide you through what to expect in your new admissions profession.  Be prepared to participate and have a little fun in the process.
Presenters:Jim Allen, 2008-2009 Vice-President of Admissions Services
April Evans, Assistant Director of Admissions, Kansas Wesleyan University
Terri Van Slyke, Assistant Director of Admissions, Kansas Wesleyan University

International Student Recruitment in Community Colleges
Bringing more international students to your campus can have both financial and cultural significance for community colleges.  This session will discuss the benefits of recruiting more international students to our campuses and explore various strategies, both local and national,  for recruiting them.  Participants are encouraged to share their experiences and learn from others.
Presenter:
Dr. Randy Bush, International Academic Advisor, Butler Community College
Previous service as Kansas State Represenative, Regional Community College Representative, and Coordinator of the Community College Interest Group in NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
Facilitator: Lory West, Cowley College

Why  Should Anyone be Interested in the History of Higher Education in the United States!
As we look toward an unknown future we must understand the forces that have brought higher education to the present day.  The future we envision depends on it.
Presenter:
Dr. James Rhatigan, Senior Vice-President (Retired), Wichita State University
Facilitator: Kim Sandlin, Wichita State University

Admissions Mentor/Mentee Workshop
Opportunity for new and seasoned admissions professionals to interact and develop networking opportunities.
Facilitator: Jim Allen, Director of Admissions, Kansas Wesleyan University

Thursday, September 24

Technology & the Registrar's Office: Trials and Errors
Most of our students today have grown up with technology. This has put institutions in the position of trying to do things in new and innovative ways. Come see what one community college is doing to promote technology in the registrar’s office and share your stories of trial and error.
Presenter: Christina Long , Registrar, Hutchinson Community College
Facilitator: Debbie Greve, Pittsburg State University

Training your staff online: Putting your college's LMS to good use!
Angel, Moodle, Blackboard, WebCT...it doesn't matter which LMS your college uses! Learn exciting new ways you can provide consistent, engaging, and high energy training to your staff and student workers using Web 2.0 technology!
Presenter: Ben Schears, Exec. Director of Enrollment, Cowley College

Preparing the ground crew for departure:  Parent orientations
The experience of going to college is one the entire family goes through, not the just the student.  This program is an example from Pitt State of a successful, short parent orientation program, including what to expect in the first year, what parents need to know about FERPA, how to help your student to succeed and other transition issues.
Presenter:
Penny Cook, Senior Admissions Counselor, Pittsburg State University
Jon Bartlow, Assistant Director of Admission, Pittsburg State University
Facilitator: Eric Wilkinson, Pittsburg State University

Frozen H20 Breakers
Prepare yourself for a high octane session that will leave you begging for more! Big groups...small groups...it doesn't matter! Ice breakers are always a win when you're trying to up the energy a notch and pull people out of their shells. Learn the latest and greatest ice breakers that you can take back to your campus!
Caution: Two high octane presenters with loads of energy!!
Presenter:
Kirsten Allen, Director of Admissions, Butler Community College
Sherri Conard, Admissions Counselor/Housing Liaison, Butler Community College
Chad Steinkamp, Assistant Director of Admissions, Butler Community College
Facilitator: Mysti Byrd, Johnson County Community College

High School Guidance Counselor Panel
Area high school counselors will share their experiences and perceptions of college admissions and how it impacts them and their students.  Professionalism, high school visits, college fairs, and policies, etc. will be discussed. This will be a great Q & A session and highly beneficial for those new to the profession.
Counselors:
Lyn Burton-Brown – Maize High School
Billie Landes – Andover Central High School
Kim Hoetmer – Goddard High School
Matt Gallagher – Wichita East High School (IB)
Facilitator:
Jim Allen, Director of Admissions, Kansas Wesleyan University

Targeting Promotions to Attract New Students and Increase Student Retention
(Vendor Session) An excellent session dedicate to promotional goal setting, conducting effective product searches, examples of effective promotions, and product showcase.
Presenter: Mike King, Midwest Single Source, Inc.
Kevin Ulwelling, Midwest Single Source, Inc.
Facilitator: Ben Schears, Cowley College

What would you do? Ethical Registrar Decisions....
Every day we are faced with situations that require us to make ethical decisions. This sessions will utilize the column by the same name within "The Successful Registrar" newsletter. Determine if your answer would be the same as the respondent in the newsletter and we'll open it up for discussion on your own thoughts. Come prepared with your own questions and learn from your peers their best advice.
Presenter: Debbie Greve, Registrar, Pittsburg State University
Facilitator: Mark Britton, Cowley College

Identifying and Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a TEAM
Join us for a new perspective on Pat Lecioni's bestselling book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.  We'll summarize the 5 dysfunctions and provide examples of how they may reveal themselves to KACRAO professionals.  Through guided discussion and participatory activities, you are sure to gain valuable perspectives about how your staff functions and what you can do to build trust, encourage constructive conflict, and ensure commitment and accountability while focusing on team goals.  Everyone who is a part of a team--whether you are a leader by title and experience or new to the profession, a fan of Lecioni's model or new to it--is invited to attend.
Presenter:
Lisa Pinamonti Kress, Dir. of Admissions & Scholarships, University of Kansas
Dr. Lee Furbeck, Senior Associate Director, University of Kansas
Facilitator: Pete Belk, Johnson County Community College

Are we ready to embrace our military veterans with PTSD?
(EEO & KCCASession-a Division of KCA)
This session will outline the basic issues related to PTSD. Colleges across the nation are now facing growing numbers of Vet's coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan, who are experiencing the affects of PTSD. This session will also focus on understanding the issues of PTSD when developing the services and resources needed to help the military student and their families.
Presenter:
Paul Kyle, Dean of Student Services, Johnson County Community College
Phyllis Goldberg, Counselor, Johnson County Community College
Randall Dawson, Counselor, Johnson County Community College
Facilitator:
Leslie Quinn, Registrar, Johnson County Community College

Education Funding: Alternative Loans, State Scholarship/Aid Programs
Despite how much we would like it to be...college tuition isn't getting cheaper. How then do we promote higher education to a market that is super conscious about how and where their money is spent? Learn about alternative available funding in this creative and thought provoking session!
Presenter:
Glenna Alexander, Director of Enrollment & Financial Services,
Kansas Wesleyan University
Facilitator: Jon Bartlow, Pittsburg State University

Millions of Transfer Students, One Solution: The Transfer Evaluation System (TES®) from CollegeSource
(Vendor Session) TES® is an innovative service for researching, evaluating, tracking, managing, and reporting transfer course equivalencies online. Desktop access to over 40 million course descriptions and a suite of powerful tools means tremendous time savings for transfer credit evaluators and fast, accurate service to transfer students.
Presenter: Dr. Troy Holaday, President of CollegeSource, Inc.
Facilitator: Shayla McDonald, Cowley College

Turning Freshmen (and Transfer Students) into Family: PSU’s Student Transitions Program
This session will highlight first year programs at Pitt State that assist new students in making a successful transition to the university. A pre-semester event for incoming freshmen, as well as the freshman seminar course will be outlined. Attendees will receive the course curriculum for freshman experience and for a course called Transitions, offered for students who are new to PSU, but not necessarily
freshmen.
Presenter:
Heather Eckstein, Director of First Year Programs, Pittsburg State University
Facilitator: Rikki Hettenbach, Cowley College

Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Web 2.0....What is all of this new jargon?
Do you feel like you are in the dark when it comes to Web 2.0 technologies when promoting your institution? Today's students are online, in touch and in tune to the latest trends on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more. This session will provide an overview of the latest web 2.0 trends and provide examples of how these new communication tools can be helpful in getting your message out across various web 2.0 platforms.
Presenter:
Andy Stanton, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies,
Fort Hays State University
Facilitator: Kathryn Shepherd, Wichita State University

Kansas Board of Regents Update
Question and answer session with representatives from the Kansas Board of Regents.
Presenter: Dawn Ressel, Associate VP for Accountability, Planning, and
Institutional Effectiveness, Kansas Board of Regents
Joan Warren, Director of Academic Affiars, Kansas Board of Regents
Jean Redeker, Director of Academic Affairs, Kansas Board of Regents
Facilitator: Aaron Hamilton, Wichita State University

Veterans Affairs: More than Your Basic Training...
With the recent expansion of the GI Bill, like many colleges, you may find yourself swimming in inquiries from veterans looking to utilize these well-earned benefits. You won't want to miss this session as we have a representative of the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs on hand to field your questions and curiosities!
Presenter: Dave Murach, Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs
Facilitator: Nikol Nolan, Colby Community College

International Affairs of the Heart'burn'
From SEVIS fees and embassy appointments to international transcripts and tearful goodbyes, international admissions can be both rewarding and perplexing at the same time. Swing by this session where you'll learn about the best practices for international admissions.
Presenter:
Lynn Perez, Associate Director of Admissions, Pratt Community College
Nikki Geier, Director of Admissions, Garden City Community College
Facilitator: Ben Schears, Cowley College

Social Media 101: Discussion
The way colleges connect with students is changing.   Several online mediums offer unique ways to communicate with high school students.  We will review and introduce various social media outlets.  Come prepared for a discussion on how to make the best use of these options and share your ideas.  
Presenters:
Kathryn Shepherd, Admissions Representative, Wichita State University
Trish Inslee, Admissions Representative, Wichita State University
Cassie Keefer, Communications Coordinator, Wichita State University
Facilitator: Tricia Cline, Fort Hays State University

Where does my job end and my life begin?
Many of us struggle with the never-ending challenge of feeling remorse when we spend too much time at work and being anxious at home when we aren't doing more work.  This session will discuss setting boundaries and finding a way to achieve a better balance between earning a living and living your life.
Presenter: Debbie Greve, Registrar, Pittsburg State University
Facilitator: Ben Schears, Cowley College

Sending and Receiving Transcripts in the Electronic Age
(Vendor Session) Learn how you can send and receive transcripts electronically at little or no cost to your institution.  Eliminate paper work and speed the delivery of documents by using the National Student Clearinghouse’s Transcript Ordering Service and their Electronic Transcript Delivery.
Presenter: Dannette Sullivan, Regional Director, National Student Clearinghouse
Facilitator: Donna Boese, Southwestern College

Who Is In My Freshmen Class?
There is no doubt the economy is playing a role in the decision making of high school seniors. This session explores the changing demographics of the freshmen
class and the effect the current economy is having on their decisions.
Presenters:
Dr. David Wright, Statistical Project Analyst, Wichita State University
Todd Moore, Director of Admissions & Promotions, Barton County Community College
Jim Allen, Director of Admissions, Kansas Wesleyan University
Dr. Joey Linn, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs/Registrar, Fort Hays State University
Facilitator: Lory West, Cowley College

Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century
How do we prepare students for their future?  How do we ensure we are building a workforce for the future? Are we creating strategies for educational and economic opportunities?  How do we make our students not only knowledgable but knowledge-able?  What is our vision for the future?  Join me as we discuss these compelling responsibilities and challanges.
Presenter:
Sheree Utash, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Learner Services,
Wichita Area Technical College
Facilitator: Ben Schears, Cowley College

Admissions Ambassadors: Hiring, Training, and Retaining
This session will be an open discussion on the process and procedures of hiring, training, and retaining Admissions Ambassadors. Come prepared to share your ideas and maybe pick up a few different ideas yourself.
Presenter:
Chad Steinkamp, Assistant Director of Admissions, Butler Community College
Ev Kohls, Admissions Counselor, Butler Community College
Facilitator: Nikol Nolan, Colby Community College

FERPA Update
The session will review some recent FERPA changes and provide for group discussions of FERPA issues and/or questions.
Presenters:
Gunile DeVault, Associate Registrar, Kansas State University
Dr. Carla Rasch, University Registrar, Washburn University
Facilitator: Mark Britton, Cowley College

Keeping a Positive Attitude in Student Services
Day by day we work with students, faculty, staff and parents, what does it take to remain positive and keep moving forward?  Find new ways to stay positive regardless of the stacks and stacks of paperwork waiting for you. 
Presenter:
Brenda Carmichael, Director of Enrollment Management, Flint Hills Techncial College
Facilitator: Michael Lang, Flint Hills Technical College

Registrar Town Hall Meeting
Got a question, concern or issue related to the Registrar world?  This is the place for you.  An open forum discussion of current topics solicited from Registrar offices state-wide prior to the conference.
Moderator: Connie Craft, Registrar, Butler Community College

Admissions Town Hall Meeting
This will be an open discussion to inform and update on what is happening in the world of admissions.  This is a great time to see what other institutions are doing about issues currently affecting the admissions profession.
Moderator: Jim Allen, Director of Admissions, Kansas Wesleyan University

Friday, September 25

KJCCC/NJCAA Question and Answer Session
Have a question regarding the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference or National Junior College Athletic Association?  If so, don’t miss this session as you’ll have a chance to ask questions to the commissioner himself!
Presenter: Bryce Roderick, Commissioner, Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference
Facilitator: Chad Steinkamp, Butler Community College

The Summer "Jumpstart" Program
Learn how one college helped graduating high school seniors get a jump start on their fall semester through an innovative and successful summer program. Find out how this grassroots effort convinced nearly all of the summer program students that Cowley was their college of choice.
Presenter: Sue Saia, Vice President of Student Affairs, Cowley College
Facilitator: Ben Schears, Cowley College

Revisiting Your Campus Visit Program
Has it been 100 years since you took a good look at your campus visit program? This sessionw ill take you through the steps we took at Wichita State University to improve our visit program which annually has one of the top matriculation rates of any recruitment program we offer.
Presenter:
Kim Sandlin, Assistant Director of Admissions, Wichita State University
Facilitator: Lory West, Cowley College