Looking back on Chancellor Paydar's contributions to the Division of Undergraduate Education

With a career spanning almost four decades at IUPUI, Chancellor Nasser Paydar has always demonstrated a strong commitment to student success. Now, as Chancellor Paydar’s retirement approaches, we look at his impact on the Division of Undergraduate Education’s (DUE) work for supporting student success.

"If we didn't have Chancellor Paydar, there wouldn't be a Division of Undergraduate Education,” said Kathy Johnson, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer, who worked with Chancellor Paydar to establish the Division of Undergraduate Education in 2014. “At the time, there was a University College, which is now part of the division, but probably the most instrumental thing that he did was encourage us to coordinate more resources from across campus to form a division that focused on students beyond the first year."

The creation of the division allowed for greater coordination of campuswide efforts to support undergraduate student success. DUE paved the way for leadership of initiatives such as the Campus Advising Council, Career Services Council, Undergraduate Affairs Committee, and Student Experience Council, which bring together representatives from each academic school to connect on critical matters impacting students' persistence at IUPUI. Campuswide efforts that have been spearheaded through DUE, such as the ePortfolio and the Record, also support student success by providing opportunities for students to engage with and make the most of experiential learning opportunities.

According to Kristy Sheeler, interim associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education, Chancellor Paydar has always supported the many programs, student support services, and resources provided in the division.

In particular, Sheeler noted that Chancellor Paydar’s involvement within the Indianapolis community paved the way for many of the DUE programs that aim to give students the edge they need to succeed and to contribute to the community after graduation.

"Chancellor Paydar is also a vocal presence in the community,” Sheeler said. “He's on boards and meets with community members and community partners, making sure that organizations or businesses in the community know about IUPUI and know the great things our students are doing and thinking about pathways that can help our students move from higher ed into productive careers in the community."

DUE programs partnered with the community that have been able to flourish with Chancellor Paydar’s support include Indy Achieves and JagStart.

Jerry Daday, executive associate dean of the Institute for Engaged Learning, reflected on Chancellor Paydar’s efforts to uplift faculty work. In January 2020, the institute hosted an event with the Center for Teaching and Learning to celebrate the accomplishments of faculty. The event recognized faculty who engaged in significant professional development over the previous year. By attending the event and recognizing the commitment of these faculty members to enhancing their teaching, Chancellor Paydar affirmed IUPUI’s commitment to developing our faculty and improving students’ learning experiences.

“He wants IUPUI to be a welcoming place, inclusive place,” Daday said. “He cares deeply about this campus and this institution and the people that are a part of it."

Regarding Chancellor Paydar’s dedication to making IUPUI a more welcoming place, Johnson spoke on the impact of the initiative he launched at the beginning of his tenure.

“He launched The Welcoming Campus Initiative,” Johnson said. “Our task was simple: it was to think about what IUPUI could be doing differently to become more welcoming to students, to staff, to faculty, and to community members who visit our campus. That was such a positive endeavor, and it gave us a platform to envision changes that we could make with that very positive backdrop."

Chancellor Paydar’s Welcoming Campus Initiative supported the launch of numerous programs and projects within DUE, ranging from Developing a Positive Math Mindset to Reducing Social Class Barriers.

During the last few years of his tenure, Chancellor Paydar led the campus during a worldwide pandemic, an undertaking that did not go unnoticed.

Daday spoke on Chancellor Paydar’s leadership during the pandemic and the continued rallying of students. Even during such unprecedented and challenging times, supporting students and encouraging their success remained the focus.

“He really did try to convey ‘we're here for you,’ ‘we want you to reach out to us if you need anything,’ ‘the IUPUI campus is open for business,’” Daday said. “I think that especially applied in the Division of Undergraduate Education where we're very focused on advising and career development."

As part of the expansion of resources available for students, Chancellor Paydar also created new scholarships for students, addressing the long-standing issue of the lack of need-based aid available for students.

"Historically, we've had a lot of what we call merit-based aid that went towards the Honors College and other recruitment scholarships, but I think he very appropriately recognized that the vast majority of students attending IUPUI have a financial need that isn't met by what people get from the state or the federal government,” said Johnson.

"With his retirement, we're losing a leader who saw the institution from different perspectives,” Daday said. “He was a faculty member, he was an academic leader, and then he served as our chancellor, and I think that gave him a unique perspective: a student, faculty, and staff perspective. I think he always had that in mind when he was leading the place, and we were better off because of it."

Chancellor Paydar has been an outspoken, avid supporter of DUE and its many endeavors during his time at IUPUI.

“It has been my greatest privilege to work alongside the dedicated educators who make up the Division of Undergraduate Education,” said Paydar. “Throughout my time at IUPUI, I've watched with pride as the student resources in University College, the Honors College, and the Institute for Engaged Learning (IEL) expand their reach and support student success.”

Chancellor Paydar’s retirement celebration on Feb. 16 gave students, staff, and faculty the opportunity to thank him and celebrate his leadership. His final day as chancellor is February 28.