H.E.A.R.D., An AACRAO Podcast

In this episode, AACRAO’s Director of Government Relations Scott Filter and Associate Director for Public Policy, Mike Bilfinger follow-up on their recent government relations webinar. You’ll hear aboutook us on a journey deeper the most recent changes to Duration of Status, which affects international students, and the work of the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization or AIM Committee, introduce a lot of changes affecting transfer credit. Be sure to mark your calendars for their next webinar on November 11, and they’ll be back on the pod in December for another debrief.

Tashana, Portia, and Ingrid are joined by Rhonda Kitch, University Registrar at Cornell University for a conversation about accessibility in higher education and the role of enrollment professionals in recognizing and removing barriers. Rhonda shares her own experience navigating a path to higher education as a first generation college student from a rural area and highlights the barrier students face in accessing the fundamental tools required to learn. Rhonda's passion for this topic is alive in this episode, as she shares how she has advocated for her own children and what she appreciated about a candid college tour conversation and her mission to make sure we all use a microphone.

In the Cultivating Community Plenary, HEARD was joined by filmmaker and author Loki Mulholland son of civil rights icon, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland. The conversation centers around Loki's book, "Get Back to the Counter: Seven Lessons from Civil Rights Icon Joan Trumpauer Mulholland," and the connection between her lessons and the reality of today . Loki also shared a number of clips from his documentary, "An Ordinary Hero: The True Story of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland," so audio of those clips is included in the pod which brings in multiple voices and perspectives of what it was like to be part of a movement. This is a rich conversation, and a unique HEARD listening experience.

Join the HEARD hosts in their conversation with Luis Alarcon, Director of Recruitment and Admissions and Designated School Officer at Lincoln Land Community College, as they discuss counter-storytelling and Testimonios as a way to expand on dominate and limiting narratives about the human experience.  Individual stories matter, and this conversation explores why and how to make that happen in your work in higher education. 

In this episode, HEARD welcomes  Mike Bilfinger, Assistant Director of Public Policy at AACRAO, for a look back at what went down in the first year of President Trump's second term, and what is coming up in 2026 and beyond. We discussed Project 2025 details that came to fruition, changes to the Department of Education that are likely to last beyond this administration and the impact to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and new ways we will all be asked to measure the value of higher education. We round things up with how we can (and currently do) make a difference in affecting positive change for students and our institutions. 

This episode features a series of brief conversations at the 2025 AACRAO Leadership Meeting. At the end of June, members of AACRAO staff joined volunteers from the AACRAO Board, Program Committee, Community Liaisons, and state and regional leaders to kick off another year of content delivery. HEARD asked attendees how they were feeling, what they were taking away, and if (and how) they could make a difference. This episode also honors Dr. Whitney West, former AACRAO leader, community member, and HEARD guest who passed away earlier this summer. 

You'll have to listen to the full episode for that nugget.

HEARD was joined by returning AACRAO pod guest Ed Clark, Chief Information Officer at The California State University System, to talk about CSU's significant investment in a far-reaching AI strategy and how he believes it will support the nation's largest 4-year public, highly diverse, university system. We about the "sweet spot" where AI can make a difference, and where it can be destructive; the challenges AI presents for diversity, equity, and inclusion and, also, how it can empower new research and ideas across a variety of disciplines. A key takeaway from this conversation: You have to be a part of what is going on if you want to understand it, and if you don't understand it, you can't make it better. Also, please revisit Ed's interview on For the Record, "Demystifying Information Technology Services," (season 6, episode 4).

On this episode, the HEARD crew spoke with David Williams, Law School Registrar at North Carolina Central University (or NCCU for short) in Durham, North Carolina. NCCU is a historically black college and university or HBCU, and David shared his passion for customer service and how it was influenced by his own experience attending an HBCU. We talked about customer service as less of a function of the workplace and more of an attitude and experience that can make all the difference in creating a sense of inclusion for students (and everyone). David talked about his hands-on approach, how he leverages technology during busy times, and how his background as a music educator helped him with patience. 

In this special episode recorded live at the 2025 AACRAO Annual Meeting, HEARD hosts Portia LaMarr and Ingrid Nuttall spoke with Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries on how resilience can help us thrive in times of uncertainty. Dr. Jeffries is a College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Associate Professor of History at The Ohio State University where he teaches courses on the Civil Rights and the Black Power Movement. Dr. Jeffries spoke with the AACRAO community on how resilience is more than weathering a storm; it is taking action today to build the future we want a generation from now.  As a celebrated scholar, educator, and public historian, Dr. Jeffries provided insights into how higher education and the role of enrollment professionals have created gateways and opportunities for global citizens. This is an emotional, at times funny, and compelling conversation.

At the 2025 AACRAO annual meeting, attendees will have the opportunity to join today's guests for an exploration of neurodivergence in their session, Firing the Synapses of Connection. In this episode, HEARD welcomes Ellissa Thomen, Associate Registrar at the University of Iowa, Sara Sullivan, Associate Registrar at Cornell University, and Sara's son Will Sullivan, currently a student at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids Iowa for a very personal conversation about their own journey on the spectrum of neurodivergence. This conversation brought some tears and a lot of laughter. 

Big lessons: Be brave enough to be yourself, listen to the people around you, and never hesitate to tell someone how awesome they are.

Here are some additional resources shared by our guests:

• ADDitude The ADHD Diagnosis and Testing Guide for Patients
• Diagnosis of ADHD in Adults
• Harvard Health: What is neurodiversity?
• What is the Neurodiversity Umbrella?