Farewell tribute to Frank Benginia

Frank, Lafayette is so pleased that you joined us as our registrar on Oct. 15, 1997. As the leader for more than two decades of the office that is considered to be the brain of the College, you were an inspiring source of wisdom that fostered our ability to effectively prepare our students for their careers. Through your efforts and the insights that you offered, you not only helped the College draw the very best students here to study and tracked their progress in earning their degree, but you also collaborated with our faculty in establishing a Lafayette education that would empower our graduates to successfully make a difference for our world. 

On those occasions during which we made a revision to the common course of study, you were a source of wisdom about what would be practical and feasible and what would enhance the quality of our curricula. You always ensured that Lafayette kept our students’ best interests at the pinnacle of our priorities. Your dedication has been a catalyst for our success. Time and time again, as all sorts of difficult questions were raised, you constantly motivated us to consider what is in the absolute best interest of the students involved in this decision and encouraged us to start our discussions from that principle. As a result, you enabled us to have the greatest impact on our students. 

At the College, you created supportive tools that enabled our students to gauge their success in meeting the requirements of their degree and that offered their advisers the insights that allowed them to give outstanding guidance to them. As Lafayette’s registrar, you were the foundation on which we made effective upgrades to Banner. The online course catalog, which you and your team created and maintained, was an important tool in our evaluation of our students. The degree audit system, of which you led the implementation, was a vital tool that students and their advisers used to ensure that our students met their graduation requirements. 

As we recall your wonderful service to Lafayette, we often focus on your thoughtful and caring methodology of dealing with our students and their families and explaining to them our policies and how they work. While a registrar’s office at institutions of higher education is often perceived as a bureaucratic organization, the Lafayette College community thought of your office as a deeply caring organization. Your benevolence, honesty, openness, reliability, and competence built trust in all the members of the Lafayette College community. In 2009, we recognized your outstanding contributions to the Lafayette College community by presenting you the Cyrus S. Fleck Administrator of the Year Award. 

Frank, the compassion and wisdom that you brought to Lafayette are missed. Thank you for all that you have done to enhance the Lafayette experience for our students and build the prestige of the College. We hope you enjoy a wonderful retirement.