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A study of college registrars in British Columbia

University of British Columbia

This study dealt with college registrars in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The purpose of this study was three-fold: (i) to gather information concerning the personal characteristics, career paths and academic preparation of college registrars, (ii) to identify the types of professional development activities to which these individuals subscribe, and (iii) to determine the professional development needs and preferences of college registrars. A review of the scholarly literature revealed a limited number of studies dealing with college registrars. No Canadian studies were found which dealt with this subject matter. Other related literature was sought out, particularly studies which dealt with the personal characteristics and work histories of other nonacademic post secondary educational administrators. A questionnaire was mailed to all college registrars in British Columbia (N = 18). Seventeen individuals responded. From the information gathered via the questionnaire, several conclusions were drawn and a profile of the average college registrar in British Columbia was developed. This profile identifies the registrar as being a male who is roughly forty-six years of age. He is employed by a comprehensive community college and earns approximately $64,000 annually. He has held this position for close to eight years. This individual has completed an undergraduate degree in the field of science or mathematics although, he believes that there is no "preferred" form of undergraduate education for potential registrars. He has developed an understanding of the computer technologies utilized at his college through "hands-on" experience and is largely self-taught. Prior to becoming a registrar he had worked full-time for twelve years and had held at least two other positions within a college or university. When desire or circumstances necessitate a job change, this person would seek a position such as Dean or Director of Student & Ancillary Services or Vice-President, Student Services and Administration. This individual did not actively pursue the goal of becoming a college registrar. Given that this individual did not intend to become a registrar, it is not surprising to find that his academic preparation was not planned with a view to future work as an administrator in an institution of higher learning. The college registrar enjoys attending workshops, seminars and meetings sponsored by the British Columbia Registrars' Association (BCRA). He is a member of this organization as well as the Association of Registrars of Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC) and, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). Several conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-02-25

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/5066

Administrative, Adult and Higher Education

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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