Meet the new Admission Practices (AP) Vice Chair

The Admission Practices (AP) Committee welcomes a new Vice Chair - Dale Bittinger. 

The Admission Practices (AP) Committee is charged with an annual review of the Statement of Principles of Good Practice (SPGP) of the National Association for College Admission Counseling and of the monitoring procedures that are used when a member institution of NACAC makes a formal complaint of an ethics violation against another member.  The AP Committee is expected to be aware of evolving new practices and procedures within the admissions counseling community and to recommend appropriate changes in the SPGP to the NACAC Admissions Practices Committee.

Here's more about our new Vice Chair of AP!

Dale Bittinger

Assistant Vice Provost

Undergraduate Admissions, Orientation, and School Partnerships

UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland

How long have you been in admissions/college counseling? Share your College counseling journey story!

Over twenty years.  I started at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) before following one of my mentors to work at Georgia Perimeter College (then DeKalb College) in Atlanta before returning to Baltimore.  I was subsequently hired as the Assistant Director of Transfer Admission at UMBC moving up to ultimately becoming the Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Admissions, Orientation, and School Partnerships.

How did you get started in college counseling/admissions?

While in graduate school – in the counseling program (ironically community counseling and not school)  – I received an assistantship to be an academic advisor.  This lead to my first position at BCCC where I made the move to enrollment management and admissions.

What's your favorite admissions/counseling memory?

I worked with a student – Matt Courson – who moved to Baltimore after being paralyzed in an ATV accident.  He played baseball at Arkansas and went through his rehabilitation at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.  He was told he would never walk again, but he has.  His story – which can be found at http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/tag/matt-courson-human-factor/ - is truly inspirational to all of us and is another example of the diverse student population at UMBC.   

What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue leadership in PCACAC and/or NACAC?

Follow your passion, whatever it may be.

If not working in admissions/college counseling, what else could you see yourself pursuing?

Probably something with youth sports or something completely different – a landscape architect. 

What's one thing that most people don't know about you?

I have a big interest in girls' education and all the messages they receive at young ages.  Most likely this is because I have three young girls currently in school and I want them to have a strong sense of self – whatever that may be.

What's a current trend or future issue you're passionate about right now? And why?

Affordability and the amount of debt students have once they leave college.

What made you decide to join the AP committee?

I have always enjoyed working with Jake Talmage, the AP Committee chair, and consider Lou Hirsh, my “moral compass” in our profession, so the opportunity to connect with them and,  hopefully leave a similar mark, was too good to pass up at this time.