Colleen Bench, director of the Syracuse University Parent’s Office, has been named assistant vice president of student affairs.

Bench will continue to serve as director of the parent’s office in addition to performing her new duties as assistant vice president of student affairs, said Thomas Wolfe, senior vice president and dean of student affairs.

Assistant vice president of student affairs is a newly created position that involves crisis management. Bench will coordinate with other offices and departments at SU when unexpected incidents occur involving students or the SU community, Wolfe said.

“She has a great set of skills and knows many people through her years here,” he said.

Bench’s connections will be very valuable, as she will work with the Office of Alumni Relations, the Office of Advancement and External Affairs and the Office of Admissions in her new position, Wolfe said.

“I am looking forward to strengthening the relationships that I have built over the years with campus partners and coordinating our work with students and families in crisis situations,” Bench said in an email.

In her new job, Bench said she wants to improve the crisis management process, as relationships with students are very important.

“Our response to students in this regard is critical and requires our best efforts,” she said. “My goal is to better define our process and ensure the communication between the experts that do this on a daily basis.”

Published on September 13, 2012 at 12:57 am

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