Scott Klaehn synthesizes hard work and affability in his job as assistant registrar
A native of Madelia, a town of 2,300 people on the Watonan River in a county of the same name in southern Minnesota, Scott Klaehn graduated in 1996 in a class of 34 Mustangs from Granada-Huntley-East Chain High School. GHEC is located in Granada, Minn., which is considerably smaller than Madelia, having a population of just over 300. Scott considers Rochester, Minn., some 90 miles from Granada, his hometown. Most of his family lives there today.
Scott attended Crossroads College, a private Christian four-year in Rochester, earning a B.A. in Theology in 2002. He minored in intercultural studies and spent a summer in the Ivory Coast, aka the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, on the west coast of Africa.
“Right when I was graduating from Crossroads, I accepted a counselor position that opened up in the college’s Admissions department,” Scott said. “I loved working in admissions. I worked as a counselor for three years and then for six years as the director of admissions.”
Scott accepted the job of assistant registrar in the Enrollment Center at Inver Hills Community College in March 2011. He enjoys working at a two-year community college. “I work with great people and that makes my job fun,” he said. “One of the things I like best about Inver Hills is our community college mission. I believe in our mission.”
reg·is·trar noun \ˈre-jə-ˌsträr\
a : an officer of an educational institution responsible for registering students, keeping academic records, and corresponding with applicants and evaluating their credentials
— Merriam-Webster
Enrollment Center duties at Inver Hills are extensive and for starters include:
- Course registration
- Student records keeping
- Enrollment verification
- Graduation verification
- Commencement ceremony coordination
- Admission communications
“We are central to the student experience,” Scott said. “What we do touches all students at the college in one way or another.”
On-the-job philosophy
“Work hard and enjoy your work.”
When asked about life on campus, Scott emphasized the numerous opportunities for students to get assistance at Inver Hills. “We have lots of people here to help,” he said. “You’ve got us in the Enrollment Center plus the great people in Admissions, Counseling and Advising, Financial Aid, and Veterans Services as well as Equity and Inclusion, which includes diversity initiatives and disability services. We’ve got plenty of resources to help students get through the enrollment process.”
Residents of South St. Paul, Minn., Scott and his wife, Jackie, have three children, Natalie, 6, Eliana, 4, and Thomas, who is a year and a half. Natalie is in kindergarten and Eliana starts pre-K this fall. Except during the winter, Scott bikes to and from work, five miles each way. He is on track to earn his Master of Higher Education Administration, or MHEA, from North Park University Chicago December 2014.
For more information about the Enrollment Center at Inver Hills Community College, contact:
- Enrollment Center
College Center
651-450-3503
