Most Jumbos would agree that a certain buzz about "active citizenship" exists here on the Hill. Between activist student groups and volunteer opportunities, students at Tufts know that opportunities for community service and political activism abound.
But for some Jumbos, active citizenship extends well past their time as undergraduates. Through the Tisch College and the Tufts Alumni Advisory Council, former Tufts students are staying connected with their alma mater in a unique way: through community service and activism.
According to its Web site, the Tisch College sponsors "a broad range of activities that celebrate, educate, and engage Tufts alumni interested in building stronger communities and societies."
Such activities include service programs for alumni chapters across the country, an annual "Reunion Service Day" that brings alumni back to Medford for a community service event, and a workshop entitled "Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life," for alumni aged 50 and above.
Alumni are also invited to become involved through the College's "Connecting Alumni and Student Experiences Network," which partners students participating in summer internships with alumni mentors. Students in the program are typically exploring careers in government, media or nonprofit sectors.
According to Deborah Jospin (LA '80), one of four alumni currently serving on the Tufts Alumni Advisory Council, many of the alumni involved take their own initiative as well.
"The great story is how many alumni are themselves active citizens, either in their 'day jobs' or as volunteers," Jospin said in an e-mail to the Daily.
Jospin defined "active citizenship" as a personal commitment to making change. "It's about being fully engaged in your community and taking a leadership position to make a difference," she wrote.
By any definition of the term, Jospin exemplifies it. A former director of AmeriCorps at the Corporation for National Service, she is currently a consultant for nonprofit organizations "at the forefront of social change," she said.
Jospin also created the Dutko Fellowship Program, in partnership with the Tisch College, which awards two Tufts seniors Public Policy fellowships in Washington D.C. each year.
In addition to providing alumni with community service opportunities, the Tisch College also plays a vital role in keeping alumni connected with each other, Jospin said. "Not only do we feel great about giving back ... but it's a great opportunity for people from different reunion classes to meet and mingle," she said.
Barbara Clarke (LA '88), an active participant in the College's alumni activities, said that much of the "meeting and mingling" serves to propagate the value of active citizenship itself. Clarke recalled a dinner that she hosted at her home, in which 12 community-involved alumni gathered to share their stories.
"It's just so inspiring to meet these different alums," Clarke said. "I love learning about what they're doing."
Clarke is the executive director of The Children's Room, an organization that offers support to grieving children after the death of a family member. For Clarke, her own involvement with Tisch Collefe is a reminder of the university's focus on civic engagement.
"Every time I do something with Tisch, it has reinforced in my mind that Tufts really has a special place in the world," Clarke said.
Erin Cox Weinberg (LA '00), who has co-chaired and participated in several Tisch-sponsored activities, felt similarly.
"It has helped me stay connected to Tufts, friends I have made there and causes that are important to me," she said in an e-mail. "It has also helped to broaden my network ... to [include] countless alumni from many generations who have a similar commitment to community engagement."
According to Weinberg, Tufts' students focus on community service preceded the establishment of the Tisch College, then called the University College of Citizenship and Public Service, in 2000.
"There was absolutely a feeling of active citizenship on campus [before the establishment of Tisch College], with most students participating in some sort of community service, advocacy, and/or service-learning activity," she said.
Weinberg herself was active prior to the Tisch College's establishment. A volunteer and coordinator for several community service programs at Tufts, she became the president of the Leonard Carmichael Society in 1999. Since graduation, Weinberg has worked for Jumpstart, an early education organization that aims to improve literacy among preschool children from low-income families.
Clarke recalled less of an emphasis on community service in her own college days, which preceded Weinberg's by just over a decade.
"I don't think that people really knew what 'active citizenship' was in the '80s," she said. "Yes, the Tufts community was active and there were some outlets for it, but it's really when people left that they engaged in their communities even more."
In one example of increased engagement after graduation, Clarke noted that a donation from Pierre Omidyar (LA '88) - who graduated in the same year as she did - provided the funds for the establishment of the University College of Citizenship and Public Service in 2000. In 2006, Jonathan Tisch's (A '76) endowed gift of $40 million ensured the College's long-term survival and gave it its current name.
"The Tisch College itself, it itself obviously never would have happened if it weren't for alumni," Clarke said. "It's the excitement of alumni being active citizens that really drives it forward."
Interestingly, Jospin noted, alumni were not among the College's chief priorities at its inception. "We didn't get serious about intentionally working with alumni until perhaps 2002 or 2003," she said.
Clarke credits the efforts of the Tisch College as the underlying reason for her continued relationship with Tufts. "I'm not an active alumna out of nostalgia for reliving the past," she said. "I'm active because Tufts is relevant now, I like what Tufts is doing now, and I want to help Tufts now."
