Conn welcomes President-elect Andrea Chapdelaine for first campus visit

President-elect Andrea E. Chapdelaine, who last month was unanimously appointed to serve as Connecticut College’s 12th president by the Board of Trustees, made her first official visit to campus Wednesday, April 24.

Chapdelaine was welcomed by hundreds of students, faculty and staff at a community meeting in the College Center at Crozier-Williams. After introductory remarks by Board of Trustee Chair Debo P. Adegbile ’91, who co-chaired the 15-member Presidential Search Committee, Chapdelaine took to the podium to address the Conn community.

“This is such an exciting day and I’m thrilled to be here,” Chapdelaine said. “I am very much looking forward to coming to an institution that is fully focused on a rich undergraduate experience, fully dedicated to the liberal arts and putting it into action for our students.”

A strategic leader and compassionate community builder, Chapdelaine has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, having served as a professor, dean, provost and, since 2015, president of Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.

In his introductory remarks, Adegbile said the faculty, staff, students and trustees on the Presidential Search Committee were particularly impressed by Chapdelaine’s academic background in psychology and social justice, her substantial experience as president of a residential college with a diverse student body and her commitment to and belief in the transformative power of the liberal arts.

“There was no person more excited about the possibilities of serving as Connecticut College’s next president, and that exuberance came through throughout the search process,” Adegbile said.

“In President-elect Chapdelaine, we have a leader who is a good listener and mentor, a person who’s deeply committed to educational opportunity for all students and an experienced manager and collaborator who understands what is necessary to make a residential campus community thrive.”

Chapdelaine commended the search process and the “incredibly thoughtful, insightful and committed” committee members. “I felt the strength of the community through their hard work and I feel that they have done an excellent job helping me understand the priorities, the hopes and the dreams for the College as we go forward together,” she said.

During the meeting, Chapdelaine shared with the community how her experiences as a first-generation college student have shaped her career and spoke about how she is excited to be returning to her New England roots. She took questions from the audience, introduced her husband of 29 years, David Tetreault, and told the audience about the other member of the new first family who will be moving onto campus, 15-month-old bernedoodle Koda. “She’s about 70 pounds of love, and, as I like to say, she is exuberant in her response to humanity,” Chapdelaine said, smiling. “She’s a campus dog, and she takes her role very seriously.”

Chapdelaine’s visit also included a tour of the campus, a meeting with her newly appointed transition committee and a lively lunch with students. She will officially begin her tenure at Conn on July 1.

“I cannot thank all of you enough for the warm support and the welcome I have received,” Chapdelaine told the students, faculty and staff.

“You will find in me—and I say this as a promise to all of you today—an accessible leader who is excited to work with you and alongside you.”