Brunswick officials honored outgoing Bowdoin College President Clayton Rose for enhancing the “town-gown” relationship during his tenure.
Rose, who has served as president since 2015, will leave his position Friday. He will be replaced by Safa Zaki.
Bowdoin College President Clayton Rose will step down Friday. Derek Davis / Portland Press Herald file photo
“Under his tenure, the Town of Brunswick and Bowdoin College have enhanced the strong Town-Gown relationship by aligning key priorities for the College and the people of Brunswick,” stated a resolution that the Town Council approved last week. “This collaborative partnership between the Town and Brunswick helps to strengthen both entities by creating economic development opportunities to attract investment and build a diverse workforce to support our business industries.”
When Rose arrived, the college’s annual contribution to the town was $132,240; that amount steadily increased to $485,780 during the 2023 fiscal year.
“We recognize the important role the college plays in the Brunswick community,” Rose said in an interview. “We believe we’re in the right balance between the obligations of the community and the need to make sure we take care of the college at the same time.”
During his tenure, the college also made financial contributions to Veterans Plaza, the Kate Furbish Elementary School, a study for a new recreation complex at Brunswick Landing, the Brunswick Downtown Association and the Metro BREEZ transit line.
“We try to contribute to those things we believe serve the broad community where we can make a difference,” Rose said. “It’s a team sport.”
The council’s resolution commended Rose for avoiding layoffs during the coronavirus pandemic and overseeing new projects on campus that it said will benefit the community at large, such as the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies, which opened in May.
“We’ve built these fantastic facilities for the study of the oceans, Arctic environment and climate, and they’ve set the table for some amazing work to be done in generations to come around those areas, which are among the most critical issues that we face as a nation and as a world,” Rose said.
Reflecting on his tenure, he said he’s most proud of supporting efforts to increase diversity among the student body and staff and provide more financial assistance.
“We’ve significantly expanded access to the college for those students who come from the least financially advantaged backgrounds as well as middle-class families,” he said. “We’ve increased the diversity of our student body. … I’m very proud of that.”
Rose, who has a home in southern Maine, said he will spend the summer and fall traveling with his wife, Julianne, and visiting friends. Next year, he will move to Boston and return to the faculty of Harvard Business School — the position he held before he was named Bowdoin’s president — to teach an advanced management program for executives.
“I will miss the college enormously,” he said. “It has been a privilege to be president of Bowdoin College and a member of the Brunswick community.”
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