From the 2015 Faculty and Staff Excellence Awards:
Cindy Baccar, Portland State University registrar, has served PSU for 15 years "as if in answer to a collective prayer," write her colleagues because of her commitment to students, her professional dedication, and her technological expertise.
With her sane voice of reason, her unwavering integrity, and her student focused perspective, Ms. Baccar is held in high esteem by those she supervises as well as faculty, advisors, and all levels of administrators on campus.
She has exceptional organizational skills and the ability to solve complex problems with a soft approach. She is noted to be one of the best thinkers, analysts, project managers and department leaders on campus. Her skills have improved student retention and graduation rates along with improving the student experience at our institution.
Some of Ms. Baccar's accomplishments include: leading the automated degree audit implementation team to successfully code and install the complex DARS software which revolutionized student advising; revising and improving our classroom scheduling methodology; and management of the PS_U Pathway System. She has provided outstanding leadership to the Online Major Change Mechanism system, which provides students with an efficient process to confirm their major and stay on track with their chosen course of study.
Her attention to fair and consistent policies and procedures has been an asset to our institution. With compassion, kindness, and concern for the successful student experience, Ms. Baccar embodies the spirit behind this award and has been instrumental in moving our campus forward to meets the needs of those we are here to serve.
The Mary H. Cumpston Award for Service to Students is given annually to an academic professional or unranked University administrator who has demonstrated excellence in the area of service to students. Mary H. Cumpston was a beloved colleague whose enduring contributions to Portland State University and to the community have enhanced the development and delivery of student services. Her gift was the ability to identify individual and University needs and to match these needs with creative and effective solutions.