Skidmore advances civic preparedness, democratic engagement
Skidmore College President Marc Conner is joining the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, a new initiative convened by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars to facilitate learning and greater impact through partnership toward the goal of developing college students for democratic engagement as empowered citizens.
The initiative, which includes 25 leaders from higher education institutions across the country, advocates equipping students with the tools necessary to become active civic participants. The program’s goals align closely with Skidmore College’s mission of preparing students to engage in civic democracy — “to make the choices required of informed, responsible citizens,” as articulated in its mission statement.
“This project is very connected to what we do at Skidmore: We are training our students to think critically as we prepare them for their professional lives and careers. Regardless of the individual professional path our students follow, a vital part of our mission is to prepare them to participate in civic democracy and for leadership roles in their communities,” Conner said. “I look forward to working with two dozen other college leaders as we gather in common cause to enhance the education of our students for civic democracy and participation in the civic and democratic sphere.”
According to College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, colleges and universities are among the few places in America where people from a range of backgrounds, cultures, and political orientations come together to wrestle with the complexity of what it means to be a democratic community. For many students, a college campus is the most diverse community they have ever been part of — and for many, it is the least. At college, students have the opportunity to develop the skills and practices essential to living in a multicultural and interconnected democracy.
Since joining Skidmore in 2020, Conner has spearheaded multiple efforts encouraging students for the responsibilities of citizenship. On his first day as president, he announced the launch of Skidmore College’s Racial Justice Initiative aimed at addressing the realities of racial injustice locally, nationally, and globally.
In spring 2023, he convened the Speech and Expression on College Campuses Symposium, which brought national thought leaders to Skidmore to consider some of the most challenging issues of academic freedom and freedom of speech and expression on college campuses and beyond. Frederick Lawrence, CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and one of the nation’s leading experts on free speech, will continue those conversations during a multiday residency at Skidmore this coming March 19 through 21. Conner has been unwavering in affirming the importance of supporting academic freedom, the right to express many and often contrary views, and the importance of free expression especially surrounding contentious topics.
Skidmore is planning to explore the integration of the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness program into multiple efforts, ranging from how students are welcomed to the college to curricular and co-curricular programs; continuing programming on speech and expression; its Racial Justice Initiative; and Skidmore’s Visions and Values initiative, a collaborative community reflection on Skidmore’s identity in the College’s second century. Members of Skidmore faculty will also be invited to participate in programming.
“We’re thrilled to add President Marc C. Conner to our new initiative College Presidents for Civic Preparedness,” said Rajiv Vinnakota, president of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars. “He joins a diverse coalition of college presidents — from institutions large and small, private and public — united in its commitment to ensuring students are civically well-informed, productively engaged, and committed to democracy.”
Other colleges who are participating in the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness program include leaders of large public flagship universities, STEM-focused institutions, liberal arts colleges, and faith-based institutions such as Georgetown University, Howard University, The University of Notre Dame, Wesleyan University, and Wellesley College, among many others.
President Conner recently spoke about the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness and other important issues facing higher education in a recent interview with local NPR affiliate WAMC.
