Best Practices for Communicating Critical Messages from a Registrar's Office to Traditional-Aged College Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine what strategies are most effective for communicating critical messages to traditional-aged undergraduate college students and best practices in evaluating critical messages. A brief history of the function and organizational structure of a registrar’s office was explored. The characteristics of Millennials, the uses of technology among college students and in higher education settings, student engagement theory and social media, communication concepts, trends and strategies, and legal compliance and accessibility issues are also examined. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with four registrar professionals. The results of the telephone interviews led to the development of constructs and statements for a Delphi survey. Three rounds of Delphi surveys were used to gather feedback and to gain consensus from a panel of registrar experts to answer the research questions. The 26 Delphi experts were from 24 unique institutions; 17 different states were represented. The researcher summarized communication guidelines and best practices for registrar professionals. Suggestions for future research were also presented.