July 1, 2024
Dear members of the Connecticut College community,
I hope you are having an enjoyable summer thus far. As this is my first day as your president, I want to take a moment to express how honored I am to be taking the helm of such a fine liberal arts institution. I can’t wait to get started and begin working with all members of the Conn community.
I wish to extend my gratitude to Les Wong for his service as interim president over the past year and for helping move Conn forward on all fronts. I also would like to thank members of the Presidential Search Committee and the Presidential Transition Committee for their support and wise counsel, as well as all Camels who have already reached out with warm greetings and support.
These are turbulent times in higher education, yet I am confident that Conn is well positioned for continued success in a rapidly changing world. Conn’s many strengths will fortify us as we meet the current formidable challenges. I am eager to begin listening, learning and collaborating with all of you to identify and act upon shared solutions and to chart a collective path forward.
To initiate that process, I would like to ask that you respond to two questions in an anonymous survey about what you consider the most important issues that Conn should be addressing. Your answers will help me to hit the ground running.
Dave and I will be transitioning to Conn and settling in for the next few weeks, but we are eager to be fully present on campus and begin getting to know each of you. In the meantime, do not hesitate to reach out. I remain committed to being accessible, transparent and collaborative in my service to Conn.
So let us begin, together!
Sincerely,
Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D.
President