Photo courtesy of Sophie Mulvihill ’25
The following message was emailed to the Chair of the BOTs:
To: The Board of Trustees of Connecticut College March 8, 2023
From: Parent of the students currently enrolled at Connecticut College
Dear Members of The Board,
We are writing to you to express our discontent with the current crisis of leadership at the Connecticut College and the lack of action taken by the Board. We received your letter from 2/28/23 and we are disappointed in the decision of the Board not to take immediate action to remove President Bergeron.
This situation has gone on for too long, impacting our kids’ education and without any remedy. President Bergeron’s leadership has been put in question and students, faculty, and staff had clearly expressed their lack of confidence in her ability to move forward in a meaningful and decisive manner. In fact, the actions that she outlines in her most recent letter place accountability on everyone else around her, but her own accountability is unclear.
Student’s resistance and their protest are respected by us and we are proud of their civic stand. We do not see necessary actions being taken by The Board or by the President, and if this situation is not resolved as soon as possible – what lesson will our children learn, other then that their voices do not matter?
We feel that as parents, we need to add our voices to the voices of our children, faculty and administration, and amplify the message – President Bergeron has to resign.
Sincerely,
Anya and Andy Baehrle, P’24
Rebecca Ryan, P’26
Sandra Voremberg, P’25
Susan Lombardo, P’23
Gail Greenblatt and Michael Saporito, P’25
Alyssa Melanie Weiss, P’24
Sue Gabis-Fischer, P’26
Larissa Lewis, P’26
Sheryl Flanders, P’25
Sari Schumann, P’25
Janine Trudel Lamontagne, P’25
Meegan Donadio, P’25
Lisa Chase, P’25
Mike Wisenberg and David Brown, P’23
Teri Boken Halio and Jeff Halio, P’25
Amy Lewis, P’24
Kirsten Lincoln Ruffer
Kevin Cullen
… and many more
Since then additional signatures were collected:
Melanie and Rick Mayer P’26
Elisabeth Bassett, P’21
David Schoenberg, proud father of Benjamin, P’26
Karen and Steve Sell, P’23
Lisa Brody, class of 1981 and P’25
Heidi Blum Moylan, P’23
Rikki Lowy, P’23
Heidi and Tom Conner, P’26
“The past few weeks have restored my faith in Gen Z, in liberal arts educations, and yes, even in the Connecticut College administration. While some parents may worry about the disruption to classes, THIS is what I paid for.
I’ll take the past month of passion, debate, idealism, and action any day over the pandemic semesters of online classes and eating in dorm rooms. For the class of 2023 who were deprived of the education that happens outside of the classroom – in my opinion, the primary reason to pay for a liberal arts education – you’re getting it all at once before you’re out the door.
College is not about understanding the fundamental theorem of calculus or reading the complete works of James Baldwin. Trust me, you’ll forget all of that in time. College classes are all a means to developing the skills to think critically, to form an opinion, to communicate it effectively, and to make change in the world. THIS is what’s happening on steroids on campus, whether you are for or against the demands of the students. As President Bergeron said in her message to us, THIS is about “the ability to grapple with complexity in the pursuit of knowledge, truth, and justice.”
I couldn’t be more proud of my student, who recently told me she “hasn’t worked this hard in my life,” and she’s right. That’s both a sign of self-awareness and privilege. While grateful that we could give her that privilege – and I’m crystal clear that her attending Connecticut College IS a privilege – I worried that it allowed for good enough, for living life online, for way too many hours of binge-watching and gaming and Candy Crush.
So I celebrate the students who are putting DEI ahead of GPA, the staff and faculty who support them, AND the administration who recognizes the value of the movement and provides space for this type of dialogue. THIS is the best use of privilege.” – Helene Stebbins, Parent ‘23
“To whom it may concern,
Please take me off the RSVP list [for the San Francisco Defy Boundaries event at SFMOMA on Mar. 22]. I refuse to be a part of this event, given the ongoing protests on campus (which I support completely). I also am reconsidering my role as an alumna and fundraiser for Connecticut College. I served on the CC Alumni Board from 2012 until 2018, including as Secretary and Vice President.
I am very upset because of the devastating reverberations that Katherine Bergeron’s actions have had on the campus community, including current students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Her decision to try and host an event at the Everglades Club, a known racist and anti-semitic club, her inability to listen to feedback from Dean Rodman King and his subsequent resignation, his letter that shows a pattern of bullying, and her ridiculously performative letters to the community that take no ownership of her disastrous decision have convinced me that she must be removed. As a former professor and educator, the fact that over 150 faculty members have called on the Board of Trustees to immediately announce that it is searching for a new president is a canary in the coal mine. I know you are aware that students and faculty are demanding her removal, and I completely put my support behind their effort. Fanning has now been taken over for the fourth time, and I find it telling that yet again, Black and Brown students need to put themselves in harm’s way to show their anger regarding the lack of true initiatives with DEIA on campus.
I am one of many alumni heartbroken by this public relations disaster. I have donated very generously over the years, and her actions call into question my support of the College. I am committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and ability in my personal and professional life, and I cannot advocate for nor financially support a place that no longer lives these values.
I would ask you all to keep in mind how impacted your donor base will be if the Board does not take these demands from the campus community seriously. I myself may stop funding since it appears that the College does not embody my values. Perhaps it never did. Moreover, I will not attend any fundraising efforts nor help the College in any way if these demands are not met. These stakeholders are demanding action; the Board must act.” – Sarah A. Schoellkopf, Class of 1997
“We are parents of a Conn junior, as well as co-chairs of the Parent and Family Council. (The Parent and Family Council’s purpose is primarily to support Conn’s advancement efforts, as well as volunteer to support students in career development.) We have been very impressed over the last three years by both the administration and faculty both in how they have responded to the challenges of Covid and have continued to grow the institution.
We are very concerned about the serious issues around DEI that have been raised, as well as the strong statements made by the large numbers of the faculty. As parents, we are supportive of the efforts that are underway (as communicated to the community by both the Board and the Administration) and hopeful that positive change will be the result. These issues are both a governance issue – which is the responsibility of the Board, as well as operational, which is the responsibility of the Board and her administration. These are complex issues that deserve sustained attention.” – Marian and Hans Baldauf, Parents of ‘24
