I had wildly underestimated the impact that a college president had to convene and request and engage and inspire. All over our country, we in higher education could do a lot more if we used the moral juice that comes in our food basket and let others have a sip. Claire Gaudiani has good reason to speak. During her presidency at Connecticut College (1988-2001), she was at the helm of a panoply of innovative efforts that placed her in a leadership role in the local, state, and national community.
Nationally, Gaudiani used her presidency to be a leading advocate for civil discourse and civic engagement in American society. In October 1996, the college published Democracy Is a Discussion, a collection of essays on democracy by renowned international leaders designed to foster civic discussion in communities and countries worldwide. The book was translated into eleven languages by the United States Information Agency and was used as the basis for a series of discussion on the responsibilities of citizenship, sponsored by Connecticut College in cities throughout the United States. President Gaudiani encouraged this kind of thoughtful discussion on the state level as well. Working with the Connecticut Secretary of the State, she helped convene representatives of nonprofits, business, and government to encourage civic participation. On the local level, President Gaudiani became known as the most successful community developer in New London. After being appointed the director of the city s development corporation last year, Dr. Gaudiani convinced a major employer to move to New London, shoring up jobs that had been lost as industry moved out in recent years. This began a revitalization that had appeared impossible only a few years earlier. For more information read about the New London Social Justice Initiative.
The president sees her work in and for New London as deserved repayment to the community. The college itself was originally founded by residents of New London who raised money to buy land which they donated to start the school. Now, the school has repaid the favor by opening a new downtown center that houses the Center for Community Challenges, a new academic initiative that helps Connecticut College students to engage in service-learning in collaborative projects to benefit the community. The college has also instituted a new Certificate Program in Community Action that highlights the ways in which students can learn to give back to their community.
Even on the most local level, Dr. Gaudiani s commitment remained clear. With all of her activities to promote community engagement in New London, Connecticut, and the United States, President Gaudiani still found time to teach Literature, Service, and Social Reflection, a service-learning course at Connecticut College.