Mansfield Promoted
Director of Residential Life Tim Mansfield has been appointed to the new position of Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Director of Greek Letter Organizations. Assistant Dean of the College Jennifer Adams will serve as acting director of the Office of Residential Life when Mansfield’s promotion takes effect this fall. The new position was created to stabilize and reinforce Greek life at Colgate after the University’s acquisition of all Greek letter houses last year. Mansfield will oversee the operational needs of the Greek houses and provide programmatic support. His duties will include everything from supervising house repairs to assisting with philanthropy efforts, organizing recruitment and improving alumni relations. Former Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Kelly Opipari had similar responsibilities, but Mansfield’s position is different in that he will also work closely with student groups outside the Greek community. The position is meant to be beneficial both to Greek organizations and to the Colgate administration. Mansfield plans to serve as an advocate for Greek organizations and to help improve communication between the administration and fraternity and sorority groups. Mansfield also aims to further integrate Greek life into the broader Colgate culture.”[I hope to] embed the Greeks into the vision of Residential Life and the future of Colgate,” he said. Mansfield hopes to facilitate and promote the notion that Greek life is a significant part of campus life by highlighting its efforts beyond social events, with special emphasis on philanthropy and leadership. He will also work with the Panhellenic Board and the Inter-Fraternity Council on recruitment regulations and all Greek activities. Junior Panhellenic Board Chair Sara Duffy is excited about the new position as well as the choice of Mansfield. “He really cares about Greek life at Colgate, particularly the people involved, and has already submersed himself in trying to master this position. I feel really positive about this upcoming year,” she said. Junior Inter-Fraternity Council Chair Jake Seip agreed that Mansfield is right for the job. “I personally know Tim to be a great guy, and as a dean, he has the authority to make important decisions that will meaningfully impact the experience of Greek organizations here at Colgate,” he said. What may be most notable about Mansfield is that he has good relationships with both the students and the greater administration, two entities whose interests do not often overlap. He hopes this respect and credibility from both ends will help him be successful in this new position.This title should also dismiss the suspicions among many fraternity and sorority members who are certain that Colgate is looking to do away with the Greek scene as a whole. Mansfield thinks this should be taken as a sign of the opposite, and that the administration is looking to foster a good relationship with and strengthen the existing Greek organizations.