Office of the Provost

Associate Provost Susan Forquer Gupta, Ph.D., oversees Graduate Studies, Global Education, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and Online Instruction, and the Center for Student Success. As associate provost she provides leadership on accreditation and new academic program development for schools and departments as well as coordination of University accreditation. Gupta also assists with faculty development, faculty hiring, the faculty bargaining unit and related issues, and Academic Affairs policies.

Gupta joined Monmouth University in 2006 as an assistant professor in the Leon Hess Business School, earned tenure in 2012, and previously served as the director of the MBA program. Gupta earned her Ph.D. in business administration with a concentration in marketing from the University of Tennessee and her M.S. in human environmental sciences and B.S. in housing and interior design from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Associate Vice President Christine Benol oversees Institutional Research, the Office of the Registrar, and the Office of Grants and Contracts. Benol is the accreditation liaison for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, providing support for programmatic accreditation processes as well as internal program reviews. Her role is to provide internal and external constituencies with relevant information that will be used to shape effective and efficient institutional planning, policy formation and decision making in support of the University’s goals and strategic plan initiatives.

Benol has been a part of the Monmouth University family for over 30 years, first earning her B.A. in Criminal Justice, then earning her M.S.Ed. Before joining Academic Affairs in 2015, she worked for Enrollment Management for nearly 25 years. Benol co-chaired the Monmouth University Strategic Plan process in 2014 and in 2015 was honored with the Stafford Presidential Award of Excellence for all her contributions to the University.

As the executive assistant to the provost, LoriAnne Perrine supports the provost and oversees the operations of the Office of the Provost. She is the initial contact person for the provost. She plays a major role in drafting all office communications and manages the provost’s calendar. She also coordinates initiatives and events that originate from the provost’s office, including Scholarship Week, Middle States Commission on Higher Education reviews, and faculty events. She works closely with the staff, deans, and chairs to ensure that we properly execute any academic related policies and procedures, including the MU-FAMCO Collective Bargaining Agreement. She also coordinates and submits new academic programs and academic program changes to the state of New Jersey.

Perrine joined Monmouth University in 2010 as an executive secretary in the Administrative Services division which later transitioned into the Campus Planning and Facilities Management division in 2021. LoriAnne holds a B.S. in Management Sciences (Management Concentration) from Kean University.

Karen Van Wallendael oversees the business operations of the division of Academic Affairs. She assists the provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs with budget planning and serves as the academic financial liaison on fiscal policies and financial matters. She oversees faculty payroll/stipend administration and also serves as the provost travel coordinator.

Van Wallendael joined the division of Academic Affairs at Monmouth University in 2007 and has worked in the Office of the Provost since 2020. Prior to joining Monmouth, she worked for private and public accounting organizations. She earned her B.S. in Business Administration – Accounting from Monmouth University (College).

Alison Perruso supports the Office of the Provost through duties such as: creating and maintaining numerous electronic and personnel files; sending and documenting appointment letters and faculty correspondence; assisting with office memos, lists, and charts; providing faculty support in commencement ceremonies; and fielding daily phone, electronic, and postal mail inquires and paperwork…to name just a few. Perruso plays a significant role in gathering and tracking all letters and deadlines for the annual dossier review process. Additionally, she serves as the administrative secretary to Faculty Council where, among other duties, she sets up their meetings, takes and disperses the meeting minutes, and distributes and organizes all documentation necessary for their contractual meetings.

Prior to joining Monmouth University in 2017, Perruso held various positions at a publishing company in northern New Jersey for over 16 years. She earned her B.A. in English from La Salle University in Philadelphia.