Introducing the College’s New Registrar, Aimée Pfeifer

The Office of the Registrar is like the engine of a car: invisible, but absolutely essential to keep the wheels turning. The registrar’s office has a wide variety of responsibilities, from publishing the academic calendar to clearing students for graduation. And, as the College of Charleston’s new registrar, Aimée D. Pfeifer is overseeing it all.

With over 20 years of experience, 60 registration cycles, 50 graduation ceremonies and the distribution of over 350,000 diplomas – Pfeifer certainly knows what it takes to run a successful registrar’s office – and she’s excited to get to know the current registrar’s office staff and their individual areas of expertise, and how she can best serve the needs of the office.

“I have found that it is so valuable to work together and come up with solutions as a team, encouraging everyone to be individual thinkers as well as problem solvers,” says Pfeifer, who joined the College in June 2022. “I believe a strong team is then able to see the bigger picture and work toward finding solutions and finding ways to be more efficient. My hope is to create a team that is well-versed in multiple areas of the office to better assist students, faculty and staff.”

We caught up with Pfeifer to find out how things are going as she settles in with her new team and her new role at CofC (and acclimates to the Charleston humidity!). Here’s what she had to say:

At the University of West Virginia, where you’ve been for the last 12 years, your office served almost 30,000 students. How will your role be different with 10,000 students at the College?

My hope is that my role will be more inclusive and more hands-on. I want the Office of the Registrar to be a valuable player in the success of students and be a resource for the College moving forward. When I started my career in higher education and the registrar’s office, I enjoyed working with students one on one, and I am very excited to have that interaction again.

What are you looking forward to the most about your new post at the College of Charleston?

I am looking forward to being more involved with student success and working as a team with other departments on campus. In my experience, at smaller institutions we tend to wear multiple hats, which lends itself in a positive way. Having more collective knowledge of more areas within the College allows us to be more collaborative and, overall, more efficient.

In what ways can the Office of the Registrar contribute to student success?

Ways we can contribute to student success are being clear and transparent in the way we communicate and the services we provide. Our goal is to not only provide student-friendly services, but also to look deeper into our policies to ensure we are acting in the College’s best interest, which promotes a progressive path to student success.

What do you see as the most important role of the registrar’s office?

I see the registrar’s office’s role as an educator in policy, services and systems. We should be a valuable and positive resource on campus for students, faculty and staff. I also believe that our role is to be innovative and open to change, and to provide a new perspective.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Great question, and one I don’t take enough time to think about and enjoy. I would say having a team that is well respected as well as innovative. I take pride in my team’s skills and watching them grow into leaders.

What about living in Charleston are you most excited about?

I am always excited about new adventures, trying new things and enjoying the beautiful beaches.

What do you like to do when you’re not at the office?

I love to read, swim and go boating, fishing and snow skiing, and take spontaneous road trips. But more importantly, I love to relax with my husband and two children, Aidan (20 – a junior at WVU) and Anneliese (18). I also don’t want to forget: relaxing with our two dogs, Bentley and Brett. 😊

What is something your campus colleagues would be surprised to know about you?

I was an exchange student in Mexico City my entire junior year in high school, and, to this day, my host family is still very active in my life.