Connecticut College

Dear Members of the Connecticut College Community,  

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I write to share the news that President Katherine Bergeron has informed us that she will be stepping down as President of Connecticut College after the current semester concludes. As we acknowledge this moment of transition at the College, we also recognize many of the significant initiatives and achievements under President Bergeron’s leadership. During the past nine and a half years, President Bergeron:

• Supported the development of Connections, Conn’s signature curriculum, fulfilling our mission of the liberal arts in action
• Guided the creation of our 10-year strategic plan, Building on Strength, which puts full participation at the center of academic, student, and community experience
• Celebrated more than $4 million in faculty research funding and an impressive roster of prestigious student honors, including 42 Fulbright Fellows, 4 Watson Fellows, and the very first Marshall Scholar in the College’s history
• Spearheaded the Defy Boundaries campaign, raising $260 million to date, including more than $110M for the College’s endowment, along with the largest gifts in our history
• Created the College’s first Division of Institutional Equity and Inclusion (DIEI),
• which, in turn, led to the launch of the Gund Dialogue Project, the development of a comprehensive Equity and Inclusion Action Plan, and the expansion of the Posse Scholars program
• Oversaw $70 million in campus renewal, including the Walter Commons for Global Study and Engagement, the Hale Center for Career Development, the Athey Center for Performance and Research at Palmer Auditorium, and the Kohn Waterfront and Archibald Way
• Cheered on Conn’s first NCAA Division III national title, achieved in men’s soccer
• Deepened connections to New London through the sharing of the College’s resources, personnel, and students, including the first downtown student residence
• Enrolled the largest first-year class in the College’s history 

The Board thanks President Bergeron for her visionary leadership and steadfast commitment to Connecticut College. During her tenure, she has championed the College in advancing our mission and goals, led us through the challenges of the pandemic, and recommitted our community to put the liberal arts into action. We are very grateful for her years of dedication and service.

We will now begin the process of selecting a new President. As is customary, this will involve appointing a representative search committee that includes faculty, staff, students, and trustees. We will also be naming an interim president who, upon President Bergeron’s departure, will work with the Board and the senior administration in assuming the daily responsibilities of the office and in connecting constituencies across our College family. We will provide more information about the transition and the search process in the near term.

Over the last several weeks our focus has been drawn to areas in which the College can better execute its mission, including the area of equity, inclusion, and full participation. Constructive dialogue among students, staff, faculty administrators, and trustees has already begun to clarify an approach to the next phase of work we need to do to improve the Conn College experience for everyone. The Board remains committed to providing additional resources to advance campus DIEI work, and to assess ways to support the community more broadly as plans come into sharper focus. Our College is at its finest, after all, when students, staff, faculty, administrators, and trustees work together to deliver an exceptional educational experience for all.

As we reflect on recent events on campus, our focus turns now toward identifying the next leader of our community. During this moment of transition, we are guided as always by our values, mission and vision of the work we must continue to do to make Connecticut College an extraordinary institution of higher learning.

Cordially,

Debo P. Adegbile
Chair, Board of Trustees