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Changing Course Mid-Stream

By Janice Crampton posted 04-22-2020 07:04 PM

  

Like any number of others involved with education, I’ve always taken comfort in the cyclical nature of the school year. There’s always been a certain rhythm and cadence that lends itself to the planning I need to accomplish to do my job well. And now, needless to say, that calendar has not only been turned upside down – it’s been thrown out the window. So how do I pivot mid-stream?

As admission and enrollment professionals, you are going through a similar ordeal, and we acutely feel your pain.  By way of example, to host our Annual Institute, there are a tremendous number of moving parts that lend themselves to certain times of the year – and nearly all of them have been rendered obsolete by the situation we are all currently facing. Coming from someone who considers herself incredibly goal-oriented and highly planful with a healthy dose of cockeyed optimism, it’s been challenging to remain unchanged in the face of mandated quarantine and isolation.

But, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, we should never let a good crisis go to waste. So in these challenging times, I’ve resolved to challenge the norm. Rather than being satisfied with the following procedure and tradition, it’s time to adopt a more open, questioning work environment. For AISAP, that begins with avoiding clichés in our messaging. It seems like every email, blog post, event announcement, and intro to a zoom gathering contains the same words – unprecedented, uncertain, unpredictable, etc. – and I get it. But at the same time, I want AISAP to move beyond the clichés with valuable content that speaks directly to the new world our members are currently facing.

That’s why our (now) Virtual Institute will feature a COVID-19 perspective in every teaching session. You may be grappling with the challenges associated with marketing your school in the absence of in-person school visits. Or responding fairly and equitably to COVID-related appeals to your financial award decisions, or massively readjusting your budget in the face of an anticipated decline in enrollment. But regardless of the specific issues you’re facing. You have my word that we aim to give you the planning and training you need to address them NOW.


Janice Crampton
Janice Crampton
Executive Director/CEO
AISAP
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