Asha McCauley to serve as chair of the National Student Exchange

Asha McCauley was recently appointed national council chair for the National Student Exchange (NSE), a study away opportunity available to undergraduate students in any major. As current assistant director of the SPAN Division and NSE campus director at IUPUI, McCauley has served on the NSE national council since 2020.

"I’m so excited for Asha to move into this national leadership role and continue to shape the conversation around the value of study away experiences for students," Dean of the Honors College Kristy Sheeler said.“Her commitment to helping students find creative avenues to explore their academic and personal goals in affordable ways is clear. Students who have participated in NSE have enriched their academic experience beyond what our campus offers with additional research, internship, and professional development opportunities to set them up for success after graduation." 

IUPUI joined the NSE consortium in 2005, and McCauley began working with NSE in 2007. She was recommended for the coordinator position by her supervisor at the time, Cathy Buyarski. 

“She thought I would be a good fit for the role given my prior work experience as a study abroad advisor,” McCauley said. “I was able to continue my work with NSE when I moved to the SPAN Division, my current department, in 2011. The exchange program was eventually added to my job description, which made it easier to dedicate time to running the program.”

McCauley is responsible for all aspects of the program on campus, including recruiting, admitting incoming students to IUPUI, sending IUPUI students out on exchange, and other administrative tasks.

For McCauley, her favorite part about working with NSE is seeing how it impacts students.

“I’ve seen students develop life-long friendships, become fluent in French or Spanish, and learn new skills that made them more competitive when applying for jobs or graduate school,” McCauley said.

According to McCauley, through NSE, students have had the opportunity to take classes that are not offered at IUPUI, such as courses in animal science, medical illustration, and sea kayaking. Students have also had experiences that are not attainable in Indiana, like mountain hiking on the weekends and living on an island.