About the Registrar

Pride in our work: Our overarching aim is to provide high-quality service while fostering and supporting a culture of academic integrity and excellence. We ensure local, state, and federal compliance, pursuing all aspects of our work through a commitment to respect and professionalism.

Enjoyment of our work: We value professional growth and development that aligns with individual goals, and we do so through a commitment to collaboration and teamwork, and through the spirit of diversity and inclusion. We recognize the significant amount of time and effort that individual staff put into their work and collaborative projects. Therefore, we strive to position team members in ways that not only leverage their interests and abilities but also strengthen their relationships with colleagues. 

Proactive inquisitiveness & creativity: We embrace innovation and creative problem solving, flexibility and adaptability, and continuously strive toward organizational and operational improvement.

Collaborate to attain university goals: We pursue and collaborate in high-quality service supporting the success, retention and achievements of students, faculty, and staff. We work to stay university-minded, supporting the goals of the university as well as the specific goals of the Registrar, doing so in partnership with other offices. 

Joining UB’s staff in 2000, and having held numerous administrative leadership positions since, Kara Saunders now serves as the university registrar, a post that she assumed in 2010. In this role, Kara oversees the Office of the Registrar’s stewardship of programs and systems that support students, faculty and staff in reaching their academic pursuits. Additionally, Kara serves as the university’s instructional facilities lead and is regularly called upon to participate in or lead various university initiatives, as well as strategic committees and working groups. Regularly engaging in important and timely discussions in the broader registrar community, Kara is passionate about advancing our nation’s professional organizations for registrar personnel, while likewise advancing UB’s reputation among these organizations and peer institutions. Kara holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester, a master’s degree from Harvard University, and a PhD from UB in Higher Education Administration. Outside of her professional life, Kara is a lover of flowers, Mah Jongg, and spending quality time with family and friends.