探花楼

探花楼_Connect_logo_final

Connect with concepts, colleagues & community

Questions, comments or suggestions?

Contact the Editor

探花楼's biweekly professional development e-newsletter Connect offers timely information, actionable tips, and expert guidance relevant to your career; stories about interesting colleagues doing inspiring things; and news about association services, activities and resources.

Like a virtual, on-demand 探花楼 conference-between-conferences, Connect keeps professional conversations alive and helps you stay engaged with the association that advocates for and believes in your career. 

探花楼 Hill Day Advocates Dr. Sara Sullivan and Emily Gallagher of Cornell University, and Vicki Walker of NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine-Arkansas, stand together with the Capitol building behind them.

探花楼 Hill Day 2025 Lessons: Policy to People

Aug 4, 2025

Emily Gallagher of Cornell University describes the power of advocacy when policy is humanized and discussions go beyond statistics and jargon to the lived experiences of people in our institutions and learning communities.

探花楼 Hill Day advocates Will Lipske and Yasmine Hill stand in front of the Capitol building.

探花楼 Hill Day 2025 Lessons: Remarkable Relations

Aug 4, 2025

Will Lipske of the University of Wisconsin鈥揗adison reminds us that while it may be human nature to predict how some conversations might unfold, we need to be cautious of assumptions and remain open to unpredictable conversations.

Dawn Renta, Jonathan Helm, and Kaitlyn Roberts in front of the U.S. Capitol at 探花楼 Hill Day 2025

探花楼 Hill Day 2025 Lessons: First-Timer Confirmation

Aug 4, 2025

When Dawn Renta of West Chester University received the acceptance email as a Hill Day advocate, she wondered if she had stepped too far outside her comfort zone鈥攂ut only temporarily.

Project Infuse Future Credential Exchange

Project Infuse: A Collaborative Leap Toward Learner Mobility and Digital Credentialing

Jul 18, 2025

A future exists where credentials are not just static PDFs, CSVs, or SIS records. Dr. Mike Simmons and Alex Kaplan of 探花楼 launch Project Infuse in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation鈥檚 T3 Innovation Network.

Raised hands

Your Voice, Your Vote: Understanding 探花楼 Leadership Nominations and Elections

Jul 18, 2025

Now is the time to understand what it means to be an 探花楼 voting member and why your participation matters. We need your curiosity, your civic-mindedness, and your participation in the voting process.

Letter from the Editor July 2025

Letter from the Editor: July 22, 2025

Jul 18, 2025

To me, the name of this newsletter reflects the ties that bind us to our learning industry and historic profession.

Ask the FERPA Professors

Jul 18, 2025

The FERPA Professors answers a question regarding the requirement of institutions to provide students with the opportunity to review records.

Kristina Rosales, ASCEND Cohort 5

How to ASCEND in Your Career Path: A Success Story

Jul 18, 2025

Kristina Rosales, a recent ASCEND alum of Cohort 5, transitioned to a new leadership role approximately four months after completing the ASCEND Leadership Development Program.

Letter from the Editor July 2025

Letter from the Editor: July 8, 2025

Jul 7, 2025

Our systems of learner recognition and documentation are on the brink of something exciting.

Learning Mobility: Empowering Educational Journeys Beyond Traditional Pathways

Learning Mobility: A New Kind of Blue Book For a New Kind of Learner

Jul 7, 2025

探花楼 released a new e-book on Learning Mobility for rewiring how we recognize learning. Dr. Wendy Kilgore of 探花楼 and Dr. Carolyn Gentle-Genitty of Butler University set the tone: learner-centered change isn鈥檛 optional鈥攊t鈥檚 overdue.

Polaroid pictures with snapshots of data visuals

What the Latest International Data Tells Us

Jul 7, 2025

This spring's IIE survey captured responses from 559 higher education institutions that host 53% of international students in the U.S. Julia Funaki of 探花楼 suggests the data reveals an international education sector being tested but not broken.

Will Lipske

What We鈥檙e Bringing to 探花楼 Hill Day 2025: Part 2

Jul 7, 2025

Before setting foot on Capitol Hill, Will Lipske of the University of Wisconsin-Madison had an honest conversation with a fellow first-time Hill Day newcomer to spark insights about professional identity, purpose, and showing up when it counts.

Emily Gallagher, Hill Day Advocate

What We鈥檙e Bringing to 探花楼 Hill Day 2025: Part 1

Jul 7, 2025

What does it mean to 鈥渂e ready鈥 for the Hill? Two enrollment professionals interviewed each other for prep tips and encouragement. Emily Gallagher of Cornell University wonders, 鈥楢re we already advocating in our day-to-day work without knowing it?鈥

A group of 探花楼 members showing their 探花楼 socks.

From First Names to Next Steps at the 2025 Leadership Meeting

Jul 7, 2025

From authentic off-the-cuff introductions to energizing conversations about strategy and transparency, the 2025 Leadership Meeting sparked connection and momentum across the 探花楼 volunteer leadership community.

探花楼 Connect Letter from the Editor June 2025

Letter from the Editor: June 24, 2025

Jun 23, 2025

There鈥檚 power in knowing when to rush and when to reflect. If you have the luxury of time, take it when you can. Moderation is its own kind of courage.

View from standing on a rope bridge with the end in sight entering a beautiful forest.

Sometimes You Need to Retreat to Advance

Jun 23, 2025

Tammy Aagard of 探花楼 Consulting offers critical factors and key tips for planning your next leadership or office retreat.

Camera viewfinder

Session Preview for #TechTransfer2025: Dual Enrollment, Unified Guides, Equity Research

Jun 23, 2025

Catch three #TechTransfer2025 session previews from UNC, Tarrant County College District, and the RP Group, offering a fresh take on how institutions are building smarter, more student-centered pathways.

SEM-EP Evaluators Incoming and Outgoing 2025

In Conversation: SEM-EP Evaluators Reflect on Service and Growth

Jun 23, 2025

Meet the two outgoing evaluators, Dr. Sara Kelly and Richard MacLeod, who are wrapping up their service and welcome the two incoming voices, Laurel Rea and Sam Matheny, in a reflective conversation.

A row of pencils on an upward slant with a graph line above showing the increasing height

Two Critical Services Your Institution Can Offer to Learners and Families

Jun 23, 2025

Kenneth McGhee of the DC Tuition Assistance Grant Program suggests that increased levels of specific career and financial aid support can help address the ongoing public questions about the value of attending college.

Meet the LER Inaugural Cohort 2025

Building the Future of Credentialing: LER Accelerator Cohort Gets to Work

Jun 23, 2025

The coalition approach transforms what could be fragmented, competing initiatives into a coordinated effort that leverages each unit's strengths while ensuring the final LER system truly serves learners navigating complex education-to-employment pathways.