It’s a new year and a new day, and while it’s VERY cold today, I feel optimistic about the year ahead and the hope that it holds. Our famous groundhog may have predicted six more weeks of winter, but I still smell (maybe it’s my floral candle that is burning) the hint of spring in the air and feel the expectancy and excitement that I often do with the approaching spring season.
I wanted to take a moment today as I’m thinking about the year ahead, to share a few updates and reminders with our membership.
• Recently, our executive committee approved a recommendation from our College Planning Committee to approve two KACRAO sanctioned Spring CPC virtual series. Look for more information coming out regarding this soon!
• The Glenn Lygrisse/KACRAO Scholarship application is on our website! Four (one per school type) $500 awards are available, which may be used at KACRAO member institutions. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is March 15, 2020 so be sure to share the scholarship information with your colleagues, any High School counselors with whom you work, and, of course, your prospective students.
• AACRAO Update: The Annual Meeting and conference for 2021 has shifted to an all virtual format and will be held 03/29/21 -04/01/2021. I would encourage our membership to check it out if you are able to do so. Since the conference isn’t in person, we won’t be hosting our normal KACRAO reception, but I would still love to host a virtual session to connect with other KACRAO members who attend the virtual AACRAO meeting. https://www.aacrao.org/events-train…/meetings/annual-meeting Details to follow!
• Our next Executive Council Meeting will be held on 02/23/21 from 10:00am-2:00pm. It’s tentatively scheduled to occur at Barton Community College, but we will be examining the logistics and looking at the need to convert to an all virtual format over the coming week.
• The Summer Drive-In Committee needs additional committee support. The Summer Drive-In Committee plans and promotes a workshop each summer for support staff in Admissions and Registrar offices of the Association. If you are interested in serving on this committee please contact Brian Crouch at [email protected]
• The Kansas City Metro Fair Committee, which plans and promotes the KC Metro college fair, one of the largest sponsored by KACRAO, needs a new co-chair due to changes in staff. If you are interested in serving in this capacity, please let me know at [email protected] . The committee is also in search of members!! This is a great opportunity to grow your leadership and even planning skills! To join, contact Jennifer McDaniels at [email protected].
• Share your latest information, KACRAO news & pictures! We want to hear and see our membership! Have ideas for news content? Please share with our Publications Chair, Samantha Garcia at [email protected].
As we think about warmer days ahead and we start to transition our focus to yield season, student orientations, the beginning of fall enrollment, final grade processing, and commencement exercises to name just a few, I would urge you all to pause and take a breath. While all of these things and our personal and professional lives may continue to look and feel a little different, at the heart of it the service to our students, and the excitement of the beginning and ending of new chapters of our student’s lives in the pursuit of education, better lives, and stronger communities remains the same. Our commitment to supporting one another, professional development, and finding new opportunities for the future remains intact, and I hope you too can find some optimism in the days coming ahead.
Stay well, stay engaged, in our profession, I trust.
April Cozine
#KACRAOSpirit
KACRAO President