Brandywine Hosts DVACROA Conference

Penn State Brandywine had the honor of hosting this year's Delaware Valley Association of Collegiate Registrars and Officers of Admission (DVACROA) conference on Thursday, March 10. Representatives from approximately 50 other institutions in the region joined together to participate in this third annual conference.

DVACROA is a volunteer organization dedicated to professional development and building professional partnerships. The conference explored leadership, working together, recruiting and retaining veteran and active military students, social media, increasing retention and graduation rates and understanding generation Y.

Campus Registrar Joanna McGowan, who serves as DVACROA treasurer, worked to bring the group to campus and encouraged a number of staff to join her in presenting on various topics to the larger group of professionals.

"Since the Delaware Valley has so many institutions of higher education, I thought it was important to highlight our unique features--that we can provide students the benefits of a small college and offer a close-knit community, individual faculty relationships and guidance and leadership opportunities, while at the same time boasting the name recognition and award-winning faculty of a larger University," McGowan said. "I also wanted the attendees from other Delaware Valley institutions to know about our campus and see what we have to offer, and to change our status as the best kept secret in Delaware County."

Representatives from the Brandywine campus presenting at the conference in addition to McGowan included Admissions Counselor Jeremy Branch, Director of Student and Enrollment Services Deb Erie, Assistant Director of Enrollment Management Dennis Mejias, Assistant Director of Student Affairs Ronika Money, Director of Student Affairs Matthew Shupp and Assistant Coordinator for Advising Programs Jennifer Traubel.