The Student Leadership Association strives to serve and represent the needs of the student body, faculty and staff. And promotes student leadership development, according to the SLA handout.
On June 1, the SLA office welcomed Chris Bridges as the manager of SLA and student judicial affairs.
His position he said he doesn’t take lightly.
“My position, at the end of the day, is about helping students succeed,” said Bridges. “That may be through the Student Code of Conduct, the Honor Code or through our leaderships programs and student activities.”
For two months, he has been listening and speaking with students, faculty and staff to understand the needs that the campus has. So that the SLA office can try to meet those needs.
Bridges said one of SLA main priorities is to encourage and help students get involved.
“When students are involved on campus, and in campus life, they are more likely to succeed,” he said. “Time and learning opportunities outside the classroom are also important for success, and we strive to provide these learning opportunities for students.”
As Bridges gets more familiar with his new position, he said he has faced some obstacles. One of the main obstacles, include finding his way around campus, inside and out.
Another obstacle is time.
“I just wish I had more time. We are working on a lot of exciting possibilities in the office right now,” Bridges said. “And I am looking forward to sharing them with the campus.”
In March, Bridges obtained his PhD at Ohio University for a doctorate in higher education leadership and administration. At that time, he was juggling school, full-time work and a family.
“In my experience, I found that focusing on the task at hand is important for success in my various roles,” he said. “There is always more work at work, home or school, but having clear expectations for when I will be working on each helps.”
Outside of Sinclair, he spends most of his time with his wife Corinne and his three children, Gabriel, 13, Kelly, four and Edward, eight months.
He said he is a voracious reader, mostly sci-fi and fantasy and loves watching the Bengals play on Sunday’s.
“[To work for the SLA office] has been a great experience. The staff here is wonderful and everyone is genuinely excited about serving students,” Bridges said.