Cumming
KALAMAZOO—Western Michigan University has named Carrie Cumming to the position of registrar, effective March 11.
Cumming, who has held the position on an interim basis since late 2010, will oversee the Registrar's Office, which is responsible for the accuracy and security of all student records as well as course registration, class and facility scheduling, graduation audits, the preparation of transcripts and oversight of federal student privacy law compliance. She has been a staff member in the office for 20 years.
"Carrie Cumming has done a superb job as our interim registrar and has managed that office through several impressive improvements that are boosting our ability to serve students and faculty," says Dr. Timothy Greene, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "I am confident that she'll continue to build on that success in the months and years to come."
Carrie Cumming
During her two-plus years as interim registrar, Cumming led efforts to increase the use of new technology in areas that the Registrar's Office oversees. That includes providing mobile technology that allows students to access their schedules, grades and University catalogs on a smartphone; developing a new textbook requisition process; and implementing a new electronic transcript processing system that allows 24/7 online transcript requests and tracking.
She also helped select a new diploma vendor offering more options and reduced costs and helped implement reverse transfer agreements with seven community colleges. She is currently leading the implementation of Degree Works, a Web-based tool that helps students monitor progress toward degree completion. That large project is scheduled to go live in May.
Cumming, who earned her bachelor's degree from WMU in 1994, is currently working on a master's degree. She joined the University as a staff member in the Registrar's Office in 1993 and became a supervisor of academic records in 1996. She was named associate registrar in 2003 and senior associate registrar in 2007.