The Judson Leadership Center, since 2007, has hosted the Women’s Leadership Academy. The Academy allows students of all gender identities the opportunity to engage with the community and learn leadership skills hands-on while learning about gender and social issues concerning leadership. The program, which students need to apply for, consists of two courses, one in the fall and one in the spring semester.
The fall class is a lecture-based class that looks into gender in leadership and social issues. There are guest speakers that make appearances, including the returning guest speaker, Alfred Uuniverity’s archivist, Lauri Louinsberry Meehan. The second semester is more hands-on, with students leading their own projects in the community, whether it be hosting an event or conducting research. “Teaching the academy is easily my favorite part of the job”, said Abby Hurley, the Judson Leadership Center’s Coordinator and the instructor of the Women’s Leadership Academy. “I feel very lucky to be able to teach students.” Hurley takes great pride in the Women’s Leadership Academy and how it can help students who take part, not only in developing their skills but also in getting a leadership portfolio and credit on their transcript.
The Judson Leadership Center, originally named the Women’s Leadership Center, was established in 2006. It was created in the wake of the disbandment of Greek life on campus when the school noted that without sororities, female students weren’t getting as many leadership opportunities as males. The building was named after a generous silent donor and alumna named Beth Robinson Judson, who passed away in 2010. Women’s leadership was really important to Beth Robinson Judson, which was why the Women’s Leadership Academy was the first program the center did. Don’t let the name fool you, though! The Academy is open to people of all gender identities; the name simply addresses the need for more women in leadership. The Academy carries the legacy that Alfred was founded on of striving for gender equality, and the name is a nod to this history. Abigail Allen, the wife of Alfred U’s second president, was a feminist, and was a large reason women could take the same classes as the men in AU’s early days. She is often quoted as saying “Be radical, radical to the core.” The center is run entirely on donations from alumni, unlike most places on campus– optional donations that had to be sent specifically for the center. The building itself is a symbol of generosity and alumni’s wishes that they had more leadership opportunities when they were in college.
The Women’s Leadership Academy is not the only thing the Judson Leadership Center has to offer. The Center also offers the Speaker Series and leadership awards, including the AKO Leadership Awards given to a sophomore and a junior each year. The Judson Leadership Center is a great starting block for getting involved with the community. In the future, Abby hopes to build the reputation of the programs to be recognizable community-wide and one day state-wide. This would add more credibility to the programs and get more students interested in being a part of it. She shared that she would love to expand and offer more activities, specifically for Women’s History Month. Last semester, the center hosted a Paint and Sip, and Abby described it as fun, with everyone sitting around chatting and painting tiles for a mosaic to Beth Judson. She also claimed that the center had to find more ways to help social strife in the community. As a community that prides itself on inclusion and diversity, there is always more that can be done.
If you are interested in participating in the Women’s Leadership Academy, applications are early in the spring semester, though applications for the 2024-2025 school year are already closed.