Courtesy of Amelia Racicot
Colleges and universities serve as microcosms of U.S. society, reflecting its larger systems of power and oppression. Lately, institutions of higher education have become battlegrounds for debates over the country’s most polarizing issues: free speech, discrimination, and international affairs, to name a few. While smaller in size and relatively politically homogeneous compared with other U.S. institutions, Connecticut College is no exception.
Value of Higher Education
Beyond this discourse within higher education are debates that scrutinize the value of higher education itself. In her “February Update” message to the community, College President Andrea Chapdelaine cited “concerns about the cost and value of a college degree” as a factor posing challenges in the upcoming years. College degrees, especially those from private institutions, have significantly risen in cost. In 2023, Conn’s cost of attendance underwent a 3.5% increase to $82,697. The 2024-2025 comprehensive fee stands even higher at $85,800.
Chapdelaine and Dean of Admissions Andrew Strickler concur that conversations among senior administration regarding the value of a college degree are constant. “Making a Conn education as affordable as possible” is a top priority for Chapdelaine, who says the majority of her job is managing affordability in terms of financial aid, fundraising, and budget management. At the federal level, the Trump administration’s dismantling of the Department of Education calls into question the current and future value of education in the U.S. as a whole.
A fierce advocate for the value of higher education, Chapdelaine sees the U.S. higher education industry as “the strongest in the world.” She admits that small liberal arts colleges are facing unique challenges such as decreased enrollment. There is a “decline in public support for education in general, and especially liberal arts education,” says Chapdelaine. Strickler believes that “liberal arts [education] is absolutely paramount at this point in time” due to the emphasis on teaching critical thinking skills and the ability to analyze primary sources. As the current information landscape is full of “propaganda and disinformation,” primary source analysis is all the more important, according to Strickler. Liberal arts colleges like Conn foster “dialogue across difference with nuance and grace,” which Strickler sees as essential to progress.
College-educated people live longer, experience mental health benefits, and become more civically and culturally engaged, claims Chapdelaine. These “tremendous societal benefits” make higher education “central to our democracy.” Skills that are often called “soft” are actually critical, according to Chapdelaine. Employers seek candidates who are culturally aware and have experience working in diverse groups.
When asked what makes Conn unique, Strickler responded, “I try not to use the word ‘unique’…I try to talk about what makes us different.” Small liberal arts colleges in the U.S. have many similarities. To Strickler, what distinguishes Conn are the opportunities for an integrative education, the Honor Code and value of shared governance, and the robust career development program.
Bans on DEI and Affirmative Action
In a Feb. 11 email from Chapdelaine titled “White House Executive Orders,” she addressed the growing concerns among students and employees “about the impact of the White House’s recent executive orders on Conn as a private institution of higher education.” Chapdelaine assured the community that the College’s “senior leadership has been and will continue to monitor policy changes” and will communicate should there be any direct impact on our community. A newly implemented “U.S. Presidential Actions” section on CamelWeb provides further information and resources.
“We remain committed to our core values, including embracing differences in race, religion, gender identity and immigration status, as well as free expression,” concluded Chapdelaine in the message. Federal attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) branches and initiatives have left many wondering the potential impact on DEI at Conn and other institutions of higher education. The fact that Conn is a private institution does protect it from the impacts of some federal legislation; however, Conn still receives federal funding. Columbia University is a recent example of a private institution from which the Trump administration threatened to remove $400 million in funding if it did not adhere to his list of demands.
One new policy that can affect Conn is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) policy that prohibits transgender student-athletes assigned male at birth to compete in women’s sports, in accordance with the Trump administration’s transphobic executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” In order to continue participating in NCAA competitions, Conn must comply with this new policy. Chapdelaine hopes to advocate for “as liberal an interpretation as possible” so that transgender student-athletes can continue to participate in their sports without limitations. The Trump administration already paused $175 million in funding for the University of Pennsylvania because they allowed trans athletes to compete on women’s teams.
Conn’s division of equity and inclusion has experienced a high staff turnover rate in recent years. This academic year, Erika Smith served as both dean of the College and interim dean of DEI. However, in a Feb. 25 email, Chapdelaine announced the creation of a new division that would be led by Smith: the Division of Retention and Success. As the inaugural vice president for Retention and Success, Smith will oversee the former DEI and dean of the College staff. The old dean of DEI position will remain under this new division in some capacity, although the title and hiring process have yet to be determined.
Chapdelaine explained that former DEI staff members felt that they were only part of student life even though they were technically “institutional” equity and inclusion. This new division will “facilitate the ability of the combined team to support not only students, but also to meaningfully contribute to efforts to retain and invest in the success of faculty and staff.” As stated by Chapdelaine in her message, now, “equity and inclusion efforts will be woven into every aspect of the College experience…rather than being siloed within a single division.”
Chapdelaine rejects claims that Conn is removing its DEI branch in accordance with the Trump administration; if anything, Conn is making its DEI initiatives even more widespread to better support the campus community. “We do not want any student, faculty, or staff member to leave Conn because they didn’t feel a sense of belonging,” she said while describing the goal of the new division.
Recent federal changes also affect the college admissions front. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative action ban (Harvard University v. Students for Fair Admissions), Strickler made sure that Conn’s process still adheres to federal law. On Feb. 14, the acting assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) published a “Dear Colleague” letter regarding interpretation of the Harvard v. SFFA case. “In recent years, American educational institutions have discriminated against students on the basis of race, including white and Asian students,” the letter reads, clearly supporting the reverse discrimination ideology that affirmative action unfairly favors students of color over white students.
Many liberal arts colleges including Conn adopted the “essay loophole” to continue reaping the diversity benefits of affirmative action by allowing applicants to write essays about their lived experiences in relationship with their identity. However, the “Dear Colleague” letter states: “a school may not use students’ personal essays…or other cues as a means of determining or predicting a student’s race and favoring or disfavoring such students.” A follow-up FAQ document from the OCR clarifies: “schools that craft essay prompts in a way that require applicants to disclose their race are illegally attempting to do indirectly what cannot be done directly.” The line between legal and illegal becomes blurry here as most “essay loophole” prompts do not literally require applicants to disclose their race.
“The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal under controlling Supreme Court precedent,” reads the “Dear Colleague” letter, failing to acknowledge the nuances of racism.
Beating the Demographic Cliff
Strickler is not overly concerned about the future of affirmative action at Conn. He is confident that colleges would join together and pursue legal action should anyone advocate for a stricter enforcement of the affirmative action ban. He and Chapdelaine are committed to further increasing the diversity of Conn’s student body, despite the challenges posed by federal legislation and the demographic cliff: “a common term used to describe the fact that beginning in 2008 the birthrate declined significantly, meaning there are fewer 17- and 18-year-old students graduating from high school and going to college for the foreseeable future,” according to Chapdelaine’s “February Update” email. This demographic cliff will likely impact the Class of 2030 and future classes.
Strickler and his colleagues developed a long-term strategy to face the effects of the demographic cliff. “We need to build a fence around our traditional markets” (areas in the Northeast) while also expanding to other markets, says Strickler. He hired new recruiters who work remotely to find prospective students across the country. One recruiter focuses on the Deep South and Southern California, nontraditional markets for Conn. Strickler explained that Conn has become “way more active in the proactive recruitment market,” purchasing lists of student names from SAT/ACT testing organizations.
While there is no change in what Conn hopes to market to prospective students, the medium in which we market has changed. Chapdelaine says that the marketing team shifted from using data (graduation rate, job placement rate) to focusing on storytelling (testimonials, videos, magazine stories): “Statistics are good, but it’s the stories…[that are] more compelling.” Conn now relies on more secondary marketing initiatives, such as targeted promotional posts on social media.
“Advocacy makes a difference,” says Chapdelaine, encouraging students and alumni to continue telling their stories about the worthiness of higher education. While higher education continues to make headlines and serve as a subject of scrutiny, Conn strives to be a beacon of hope.
