Courtesy of Sean Elliot
On Saturday, April 26, Connecticut College celebrated the inauguration of its 12th president, Andrea E. Chapdelaine, PhD. Chapdelaine officially took office in July 2024. She previously served as the president of Hood College in Maryland from 2015 to 2024.
The weather did not exactly cooperate, and raindrops adorned the regalia of professors and speakers who walked in a procession from Fanning Hall to Palmer Auditorium. A bagpipe player led the group down the sidewalk lined with flags representing the countries from which students hail. Chapdelaine briefly removed her umbrella as the procession passed photographers and videographers. She promptly raised it back up as the rain fell harder.
Marc Forster, Henry B. Plant Professor of History and the College Marshal, delivered the opening remarks. He highlighted the College’s mission of providing a quality liberal arts education: “we must prepare students for purposeful living and doing.”
This event was attended by members of the board of trustees, professors, alumni, and community members. The theme of the inauguration was “Forward Together.” In a private conversation prior to the ceremony, Associate Dean of Campus Life Geoff Norbert spoke about what students will gain from this new era for Conn. He highlighted the ongoing construction around campus, including the pedestrian promenade and renovation of Cro, as potential game changers for student engagement and campus atmosphere. He also highlighted the festivities of inauguration week, including the ‘InDOGuration’ of Koda, Chapdelaine’s dog, and the ‘Chap Swap,’ where she swapped places with a student for a day, as adding levity to campus.
“President Chapdelaine is extremely accessible to students,” Dean Norbert says. She can be seen walking Koda around campus and also hosts monthly office hours, open to all students to ask questions or get to know her better.
Chapdelaine smiled as each speaker mentioned her collaborative approach to leading. One of the more emotional moments came when her son Daniel David Tetreault took the stage. He told the story of a president and a mom, one who has an enduring “sense of justice” and empathy. He promised that she would be cheering on the community through thick and thin, especially when “Conn inevitably beats Amherst,” referring to Conn’s loss to the Mammoths in the 2024 DIII NCAA soccer national championship. As he exited the stage, he handed Chapdelaine a package of tissues.
A prominent theme in speeches was spotlighting the forward-thinking of the College and New London—the relationship between the two dates back to before the College’s founding. In fact, the first 135K of the College’s endowment was raised by the people of New London, who wanted a place where women could access higher education. New London mayor Michael E. Passero ’79 M’89 was present, representing this relationship.
Conn College has frequently been called ‘the College on the hill,’ overlooking its host city, New London. The campus is indeed situated on a hill, but the extent to which the College and its community look down upon its city is an ongoing debate on campus. In her speech, Chapedelaine purposely addressed this rhetoric, stating that Conn is not an “ivory tower.” Chapdelaine expanded on this commentary in a conversation following her inauguration, insisting that Conn “is not a place people should feel they don’t have access to.”
There remain doubts about how Conn will continue strengthening bonds with New London. Some of the president’s plans include expanding the reach of the Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy. The Holleran Center is an academic program on campus that promotes interdisciplinary learning through community action and civic engagement. This year, funding was added to the Summer Civic Leaders program, where students intern at various non-profit organizations.
Chapdelaine took to the stage as the audience applauded. She detailed her belief in the enduring power of education, specifically its ability to “topple the mighty and elevate the weak.”
Courtesy of Sean Elliot
“The power of the liberal arts lies not just in what students learn, but in how they apply that learning to the world’s most urgent challenges. At Connecticut College, we prepare students to think deeply, act ethically, and lead with purpose,” she said.
Chapdelaine spoke candidly with the audience about the challenges and changes she has faced in her first year as president. As a runner, she talked about becoming accustomed to the hilly terrain of Conn and its surrounding area. She decided to embrace the challenge and tackle the steep climb. This climb represents not only her personal goals, but the challenges faced by all institutions in the current socio political climate.
Her call to action centered around this metaphor. “Some days, the climb feels steep. And some days, I want to stop. But in those moments, I repeat the following mantra: Forward is a pace…So I ask each of you to join me—let us climb together with courage and purpose.”
