Division of Undergraduate Education reaches 10-year anniversary

This July, the Division of Undergraduate Education marked a significant milestone: a full decade of supporting student success.

Inspired by recognition of the need for a cohesive undergraduate student experience, campus leaders established the division in July 2014 by integrating several previously separate units:

• University College
• Degree Completion Office
• Office of Student Data
• Analysis and Evaluation
• Center for Coordinated Undergraduate Initiatives

Since its initial establishment, the division has continued to expand, incorporating additional units such as the Honors College and launching new units like the Institute for Engaged Learning.

Early in its tenure, the division directed its focus toward improving curricular coordination, promoting high-quality academic experiences, encouraging student engagement in high-impact practices, expanding academic support options, and improving student degree completion rates through collaboration with academic and administrative units.

The primary hope for the Division of Undergraduate Education was to continually build on the university’s existing resources; honor predecessors’ efforts to develop student success; and maintain positive rates for student learning, retention, and graduation.

The drafts for the division were created by Kathy Johnson, current president of the University of New Orleans, and Stephen Hundley, then leader for planning and institutional improvement. At the time, Johnson was dean of University College and would become the first associate vice chancellor of undergraduate education.

University College, which was first established in 1997 by a series of faculty-led initiatives, was built on the foundation of serving as a central, shared intellectual center for undergraduate learning and as a stimulating academic environment with adept support services.

“It felt like we were building on the strengths of University College but creating something new and trying to ensure that, especially when students move from University College into their major, they would still have the same sort of holistic support available to them,” Johnson said.

According to reports at the time, Johnson said students who left University College indicated that they sometimes felt like they were falling off a cliff. From that feedback, Johnson and the leadership team understood how imperative it was for student success strategies to extend beyond the first-year experience.

To curate a conceptual framework for a division focused on undergraduate student success, Johnson wrote a white paper to envision potential approaches for the division’s structure. Johnson sought feedback on her efforts from members of University College, the leadership team, faculty, and the University Faculty Council.

“I’m very mindful that, in shared governance, we should be collaborating and not just making decisions behind closed doors, but involving as many people as possible,” Johnson said.

Johnson described the division's creation as a year-long process that included regular meetings where a taskforce would put plans together, articulate the budget, clarify the scope of the plan, and understand how University College would fit into the division.

Though units that would become part of the Division of Undergraduate Education had existing components to contribute, tasks such as the creation of new division functions and the process of hiring new faculty members were essential to the division’s future stability.

Even with the need to establish new structures, policies, and positions, Johnson was hopeful and viewed the implementation as an exciting change.

“The evolution was pretty dramatic, at least in the early days, because it was going from nothing to something pretty big and comprehensive,” Johnson said.

During the initial establishment, several main initiatives were pushed to fulfill the division’s mission. Initiatives included incorporating the Degree Completion Office, creating infrastructure to support the new division's work, developing curricular work for University College, overhauling the first-year experience, and refreshing curriculum.

Established in 2013, the Diversity Enrichment and Achievement Program (DEAP), became a part of the division to create more comprehensive support for underrepresented students.

Overall, Johnson referred to the division as an integral aspect of support for faculty, staff, and undergraduate students, with its offerings in guidance, data, and policy leadership.

“The goal was integration and just ensuring that there was more consistency and coordination in the undergraduate student experience,” Johnson said.

Today, the Division of Undergraduate Education serves as the catalyst for ensuring the highest quality undergraduate student experience and consistent on-time graduation rates.

Under its founding mission, the division commits itself to enhancing student experiences through collaborative learning in the community, incorporating accessible opportunities that foster an equitable education environment, and investing in initiatives toward effective faculty and staff growth.

With a purpose to serve as a synergy in making IU Indianapolis a supportive environment for learning, the Division of Undergraduate Education houses three main units: