Poehls begins to settle into role

Alice Poehls' office in Hanes Hall is in a state of transition, marked by disarray. Dozens of binders scatter the shelves and desks, waiting to be read.

Less than a week after stepping into her role as University registrar, Poehls has set herself to studying the annals of policy and data.

"I have a little bit of reading to do," she said. "I have to read all the policy briefs. - I'm gradually getting acclimated."

Poehls, who served as registrar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for six years, is adjusting to the intricacies of the position, which includes overseeing registration and class assignments.

"I have sat in on meetings where the level of analysis actually knocked my socks off," she said. "The level of discussion made me realize that I'm going to have to do my homework."

David Lanier, the departing registrar, underscored the importance of gaining that institutional knowledge in making the transition to UNC.

"It takes a while to learn the registrar's position at each University, and she's an experienced registrar already," said Lanier, who stepped down in July after 20 years as registrar.

"So I bet she'll catch on pretty fast - but each University has its own way of doing things."

It will have to be a quick transition, as the registrar's office already is in full swing in preparing for next semester.

Less than a week after Poehls moved in, registration for spring semester began. Seniors signed up for classes Saturday, and juniors will log on en masse to register this weekend.

Poehls said Friday that senior staff managers in the registrar's office have handled the registration process as she adapts to the position.

The managers were trained by Lanier and are well-prepared for the strains of the transition, he said.

"When I was there, they were the ones that were running it anyway," Lanier said with a laugh. "They did a great job when I was there. I'm sure they'll do a good job for her."

Poehls said she is confident in the staff's ability to keep operations efficient in the midst of the transition.

"Everything's running very smoothly internally," she said.

If she had major concerns about how the office is being run internally, she said she would intervene. "But that seems to be managed very well," Poehls added.

As Poehls adjusts, on the horizon loom even larger changes for the registrar's office.

In less than two years, the entire registrar's office will move to the Student and Academic Services facility, which is under construction on South Campus.

The two-building complex will serve as a hub for the registrar, advising and other campus offices. Poehls said the upcoming move will require an exhaustive look at how the registrar's office functions.

"You really have to dig in and take a look at things - open every file, every drawer," she said.

Poehls met with the staff in the registrar's office and discussed the reasoning behind the upcoming changes.

"We're not just going to sit back and let this system deteriorate," she said.

But there's no rush to immediately upturn the office, she said. "I feel like we have a year to do this."

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.