The Institute's Leader-in-Residence program allows persons who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in their field and career to assist Claflin students and faculty – and the University itself – in any number of ways.
The Leader-in-Residence can lend their expertise to specific projects (either "in residence" at Claflin University or from a remote location), provide advice and suggest improvements to the Claflin curriculum, help with establishing project partnerships, and so on. The Leader-in-Residence position is, by nature, designed to be very flexible in order to allow the Leader-in-Residence to participate in a variety of ways of his or her own choosing.
James I. Gadsden
In October 2013, U.S. Ambassador James I. Gadsden, a retired career U.S. Foreign Service Officer, and currently Senior Counselor for International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in Princeton, New Jersey was in residence at Claflin University.
Ambassador Gadsden engaged Claflin University students and faculty in a number of well-attended forums. In his forums he encouraged students to aspire to greatness; to explore opportunities and to be engaged internationally with the U.S. Foreign Service. Ambassador Gadsden in his meetings with faculty members provided thoughtful and well informed advice on pedagogy, encouraged experiential learning, and offer insight into the development of a new International Studies program at Claflin University.