Registrar Gwenn Sherburne is preparing to step away from the institution she has served for nearly three decades, departing with a reputation among her colleagues as a model of patience, kindness and student centered leadership.

Sherburne, who first came to Hamline in the fall of 1997 and has been the Registrar since 2013, is not retiring but “looking for her next adventure.” Throughout her 28 years on campus, she has approached her demanding role with a clear personal philosophy. “The students here are my purpose,” she said, a sentiment echoed by staff across the administration.

Colleagues praised Sherburne both for her personal demeanor and professional acumen. Associate Director of Financial Aid Cheryl Dooley called her a “Hamline Superwoman.”

“She is a phenomenal problem solver, deep thinker, great communicator, strong leader and all around excellent, caring human being,” Dooley said via email. “She embodies Hamline’s student centered mission.”

Sherburne’s personal qualities have been essential in managing the Registrar’s office, which oversees academic records, registration systems and academic scheduling. Manager of Student Accounts and Finance Sirena Huppert, who has worked closely with Sherburne since 2016, noted her consistent composure during challenging times.

“What truly sets her apart is her patience and kindness.” Huppert said via email, “Through all the stressful, challenging times, Gwenn approaches each situation calmly, patiently and never forgets to be kind.”

Huppert added that she admired Sherburne for how knowledgeable, professional and experienced she was when Huppert was a new college graduate.

This patience was a hallmark of her supervisory style as well. Associate Registrar John Lynch, described Sherburne via email as an encouraging supervisor who was always willing to answer questions and ensure staff were supported in their roles.

“She was always willing to go into detail and dive into the inner workings of processes to show me the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of the way things worked,” Lynch said via email.

He also noted that Sherburne was a valuable campus resource, often being the starting point for anyone – student, faculty or staff – who didn’t know where to find an answer.

Sherburne’s commitment to her staff and to students helped guide the Registrar’s office through complex projects. For example, the office met its goals for the implementation for the Workday student information system, even though the challenging roll-out coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Associate Registrar Katrina Kaiser said that Sherburne was instrumental in keeping the office on track during this period.

Sherburne was “very patient and understanding and always focuses on helping the students, faculty, and staff as much as possible,” Kaiser said via email.

One of Sherburne’s major successes involved using the Workday software to streamline the online waitlisting process. This change allowed the system to automatically notify students when a spot opened, transferring the burden away from individual instructors who previously had to manually monitor waitlisting. This new process greatly reduced confusion and stress for both students and instructors alike.

Beyond her professional life, colleagues noted Sherburne’s creative personal side, adding an extra layer to the ways she will be missed. Dooley highlighted that Sherburne is a “wonderful baker” and has “tons of creative talent in sewing, set building, and several other craft areas.”

As she prepares for her departure, Sherburne hopes her replacement maintains a “student centered view of how a university works.” Dooley’s email summarized the feeling across campus that Sherburne will be “greatly missed for all the things she had done by everyone in Student Administrative Services, the Hamline faculty, Hamline staff and especially the student body.”

Reflecting on the university’s future and her own, Sherburne expressed a bright outlook. “I’m excited to watch from the outside and see where Hamline goes next,” she said via email.