Research Portfolio: 2025 Findings and 2026 Directions

AACRAO’s January 2026 Eye on Research update highlights a comprehensive suite of research outputs completed in 2025, reflecting both depth and breadth in topics central to higher education practice. Among the nine studies released are new benchmark analyses and sector-specific surveys addressing contemporary challenges. These projects include:

• High-School Dual Enrollment Benchmark Report (with NACEP): An updated national profile of dual enrollment participation and institutional practices, illustrating the growth trajectory of dual credit pathways for learners.
• Chief Admissions Officer Career Profile: The fifth iteration of this career series provides insights into evolving leadership roles in admissions, informing professional development and succession planning.
• 60-Second Surveys on Staffing, Community College Enrollment Management, Annual Scheduling, and Precollege Programs: These rapid-response studies identify trends and systemic bottlenecks in key operational areas. The precollege programs report is scheduled for release in early 2026.
• LEARN Commission Green Papers: Two green papers explore both credit mobility principles and the role of artificial intelligence in credit evaluation — foundational topics in the modernization of academic records and learner pathways.
• Blueprint White Paper: This capstone synthesis of over a decade of credit mobility research underscores that the principal barriers to seamless credit transfer are operational rather than technological, including manual transcript processing, inconsistent articulation rules, and fragmented system architectures. These insights provide a strategic framework for institutional reform.

Looking ahead in 2026, AACRAO plans to deploy additional surveys on transcript practices to inform the Academic Records and Transcript Guide update, extend the Chief Enrollment Management Officer Career Profile series, and examine transcript evaluation timelines — all designed to translate practitioner experience into actionable data.

Project Infuse: Modernizing Digital Credentials for Learner-Career Success

One of AACRAO’s most transformative initiatives emerging from 2025 is Project Infuse — a strategic, technology-forward program conceptualized to reimagine credentialing for the modern learner. This initiative is not merely an academic exercise but a response to evolving employer expectations and the shifting nature of postsecondary credentials.
The core objectives of Project Infuse include:

• Building an interoperable infrastructure for digital credentials that clearly articulates skills and competencies aligned with workforce needs.
• Leveraging artificial intelligence to automate the translation of traditional academic records into competency profiles that employers value, thus reducing administrative burden and improving transparency.
• Exploring blockchain technologies in conjunction with AI to ensure data integrity, security, and trust — critical factors for learner adoption and employer confidence.

Project Infuse represents a concerted effort by AACRAO to align institutional data practices with future-oriented frameworks, making credentials more meaningful, portable, and practical for learners navigating career transitions.

Learning Mobility and Credit Transfer Ecosystems

AACRAO’s sustained emphasis on learning mobility — the ability for learners to carry academic credit across institutional and credential boundaries — reflects a sector-wide priority for equitable and transparent pathways. Rooted in principles of learner-centering, equitable outcomes, interoperability, and comprehensive records, AACRAO’s credit mobility initiative advocates for:

• Standardized credit-for-prior-learning practices and comprehensive learning records that encompass both formal and non-credit learning experiences.
• Institutional policy reform and best practices that encourage acceptance and portability of evidence of prior learning, reducing redundancy and barriers for learners pursuing multiple pathways.
• Collaborative leadership across institutions and vendors to ensure that credit mobility does not remain an aspirational concept but becomes embedded in operational realities.

This initiative aligns with AACRAO’s broader research on operational constraints affecting credit mobility and underscores the importance of strategic leadership in institutional policy and systems design.

Strategic Enrollment Management and Scheduling Innovation

AACRAO’s research into academic scheduling and strategic enrollment management (SEM) reflects a shift toward more agile, learner-centric academic calendars. The Beyond the Next Semester research — including surveys conducted in 2025 — shows that a growing proportion of institutions are adopting or planning to implement annual scheduling models, moving away from traditional term-by-term frameworks. This approach aims to streamline institutional planning, improve student retention, and align academic delivery with learner needs.

Complementing this research, AACRAO’s SEM initiatives provide frameworks and professional development pathways for practitioners to integrate data analytics, governance structures, and cross-functional collaboration into enrollment strategies that respond to demographic shifts and resource constraints.

Conclusion: AACRAO’s Strategic Impact on Higher Education

Through its robust research agenda, forward-looking initiatives, and practitioner-driven frameworks, AACRAO continues to shape how higher education institutions conceptualize learner mobility, credentialing, enrollment strategy, and the operational backbone of academic records. The organization’s recent projects emphasize evidence-based practice, technological alignment with future workforce needs, and structural change that places the learner at the center of institutional ecosystems.

For administrators, policymakers, and higher education practitioners, staying informed about AACRAO’s work is essential for navigating dynamic sector challenges — from AI integration and credential transparency to data interoperability and enrollment innovation

Source : Dewatogel