Maine magazine profiles President Clayton Spencer

In the April issue of Maine magazine, President Clayton Spencer talks about her love affair with Maine and her philosophy of “shared enterprise.”

In a profile titled “Grit and Shared Enterprise,” Spencer tells writer Sarah Braunstein, “I loved what I did at Harvard. But if headhunters called asking if I was interested in a presidency, I would always say: ‘Call me when it’s Maine.’”

“Maine,” she continues, “is a granite state, not a sand state. What I respect most about New England — and Maine — is its substance.”

Substance, she says, is central to the important work that lies ahead for Bates, particularly her emphasis on financial aid.

“It’s critical that we’re on the side of opportunity, not on the side of greater wealth stratification or income inequality.”

As a leader, she tells Braunstein, she prefers the notion of “shared enterprise” over the concept of transparency. The latter, she explains, implies “others on the outside looking in.” She would much rather see the community working together on the issues and challenges facing the college, and viewing the work as a shared experience.

• Read the complete profile from Maine Magazine, April 2013.