Final candidates for the vice president for Student Affairs position have been selected after "dozens" of candidates were initially considered, Associate to the President for Administration Tom Poole said yesterday.
Robert Bonfiglio, currently the vice president for Student and Campus Life at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo, is one of a few candidates being considered, Poole said. Bonfiglio, who began his interviewing process yesterday on campus, was the first of the final candidates to be interviewed, Poole said.
Poole said he could not release the names of the other candidates.
Bonfiglio holds a doctorate of education from Teachers College at Columbia University, according to SUNY Geneseo's 2006-2008 Undergraduate Bulletin. In 2005, he received the College Student Personnel Association's Distinguished Service to Higher Education Award for his work on the New York Campus Compact, which promotes "active citizenship as an aim of higher education," according to a press release on www.geneseo. edu/news. Under Bonfiglio's direction, SUNY Geneseo's Division of Student and Campus Life has received national recognition for its orientation programs, student activities and volunteer programs.
Bonfiglio could not be reached for comment by press time yesterday.
Bonfiglio will continue meeting with "administrators, faculty members, student leaders [and] community leaders" during a "two- or three-day" interview process, Poole said.
Some student leaders will meet with Bonfiglio for breakfast at 8 a.m. today, University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) President Hillary Lewis said.
The Sept. 13, 2007 resignation of former Vice President for Student Affairs Vicky Triponey triggered the search. Poole said the process has been underway since November.
Currently, Gail Hurley serves as the interim vice president for Student Affairs. Hurley said she is not involved in the selection process at this time.
Poole said he hopes for the interview process to be complete within a month.
"Once the interviews are over and one person has been selected, that person has to be approved by the Board of Trustees," he said.
While a final candidate will not be selected by Thursday's board meeting in Washington, D.C., Poole said ideally, a candidate would be presented to the board during its May 16 meeting.
Dan Cocco (senior-public relations), Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon overall chairman, said he was invited to the breakfast.
"The opportunity to ask the candidates what we'd like to ask them is very important, and I do know that Student Affairs and the administration do want a candidate who would be welcomed in and supported by the students," he said.
Poole said the university isn't looking to compare candidates to past administrators.
"You've got a list of qualifications, and you're trying to find the best person who matches those qualifications," he said.
UPUA Academic Affairs Chairman Ralph Crivello (junior-chemical engineering) said he is surprised more students hadn't been contacted about the meeting with Bonfiglio.
He said he had expected UPUA representatives to "be able to meet this person and make adequate judgements," adding that "UPUA at large has not been informed."
Poole said he received a list of students to invite from Student Affairs.
"It's not typical in a vice president for Student Affairs search to have them address the entire student government," he said. "Usually, the candidate meets with a variety of student leaders."
