December 3, 2024
Dear alumni, families and friends of Connecticut College,
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to more celebrations in the month to come.
Last month, I launched the Working Group on Freedom of Expression and Assembly. Consistent with our commitment to shared governance, this working group has representatives from senior administration, faculty, staff and students. Their charge is to review and clarify Conn’s institutional values and commitment to freedom of expression, while also ensuring compliance with existing policies and regulations, as well as the safety of the campus community.
Earlier this fall, Conn took an important step in strengthening our relationship with our Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot and Eastern Pequot tribal neighbors with the repatriation of the remains of an Indigenous person who was unintentionally unearthed on campus in 1981. Also, in 2022, a tribal archaeological site was unintentionally disturbed during the waterfront revitalization. Both incidents spurred the creation of the College archeologist position and new procedures to protect important archaeological sites and cultural heritage resources on campus. I want to thank Associate Professor of Anthropology Anthony Graesch, who is the College’s inaugural archaeologist, for his leadership. Next steps include the formation of a working group to determine how to continue to collaborate with the tribes and steward the cultural heritage resources on Conn’s campus.
We hosted the sixth annual All-College Symposium on Nov. 7, where 202 seniors presented the results of their transformative academic experiences. The culminating conference for Connections, Conn’s signature curriculum, the symposium highlighted students’ integrative learning through four years. In talks, panels and poster sessions, the students showcased the connections they have made among their courses and research, their jobs and internships, and their work in local communities and around the globe. I was in awe of what I observed and am so proud of all our students.
Good luck to our men’s soccer team, which plays in the NCAA Division III semifinals at 9 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, Dec. 5, in Las Vegas. You can watch live at the NCAA link. Go Camels!
Finally, I look forward to seeing many of you at the Boston and New York holiday parties this week and next. I hope you are enjoying this wonderful time of year
Sincerely,
Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D.
President