Join the campus community, alumni and friends on Friday, Oct. 14, 3:30 - 6 p.m. in the Barrington Student Union as we celebrate the dedication of the Richard J. Del Guidice Student Forum in memory of Dr. Richard Del Guidice (Hon. '92).
The College Council unanimously approved the naming resolution on September 9 in honor and recognition of Dr. Del Guidice’s extraordinary service and career. The Richard J. Del Guidice Student Forum, made possible through gifts from his former students, will continue to provide a safe space for students to participate in activities that develop leadership, enhance learning, build connections and encourage discourse.
Following the dedication, there will be a one-hour pre-law forum with alumni panelists and a gathering of alumni and students. RSVP by Friday, Oct. 7, by emailing donorrelations@potsdam.edu.
Dr. Del Guidice began as an educator at SUNY Potsdam in 1968 and went on to serve as pre-law advisor, valued mentor to junior faculty, superb academic advisor, esteemed politics department chair, academic advisor to the women’s basketball team and respected dean of liberal studies. His courses were tough, demanding and among the best the College offered. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Del Guidice was awarded the highest honors given by the College and the SUNY System in recognition of his superior professional achievement and pursuit of excellence.
Dr. Del Guidice’s passing on January 12, 2021, broke the hearts of all who knew him, including the thousands of individuals who crossed his path over five decades at SUNY Potsdam. To help keep his legacy and memory alive, a group of alumni whose lives were forever changed by Dr. Del Guidice came together to name the student forum in his honor.
In addition to this room, these donors—with the support of many others impacted by Dr. Del Guidice—created the Dr. Richard J. Del Guidice Fund Encouraging Civil Discourse. This fund supports and encourage students and student experiences that bolster civil discourse—a difficult yet rewarding function of free speech that enhances understanding, supports societal good and stimulates critical thinking. A strong proponent of civil discourse, Dr. Del Guidice never sought to change people’s minds or prove a point but to make others think critically and gain a deeper understanding of the surrounding world.