Chapters
Offices, People, and Services
Our exceptional staff are key to the success of the College. They work within different offices, programs, and spaces across campus. Please see this Connecticut College Organizational Chart for information on Senior Leadership and their direct reports. Please view this list for links to all Offices and Services. Please use the Directory on Camelweb to search for information on individual people (note that you need to login to Camelweb to access this- see information in IS section for how to access Camelweb).
Office of the Dean of the Faculty
Danielle Egan, Dean of Faculty and Fuller-Maathai Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Intersectionality Studies
As the Dean of the Faculty, Dean Egan is the Chief Academic Officer and oversees all academic departments, centers, and programs at the College. She appoints academic department chairs and directors of interdisciplinary major programs, and he is also responsible for the appointment, promotion, tenure and termination of individual faculty members, as well as the academic quality of the College’s curriculum. She works closely with the President, and the Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion, to encourage and support faculty initiatives relating to diversity and full participation.
The Dean of Faculty office is located on the second floor of Fanning. The Dean’s office staff consists of:
Deborah Eastman, Associate Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Biology (x2445)
Jenny Doak, Director of Operations for the Dean of the Faculty Office (X2033)
Amanda Barnes, Secretary to the Faculty and Senior Assistant to the Dean of the Faculty Office (x2030)
Deb Dupuis, Budget Manager and Academic Grant Liaison (Ddupuis@conncoll.edu; x2013)
LaRonda Evans, Faculty Hiring Specialist and Administrative Assistant, (levans3@conncoll.edu; x2080)
The DoF Moodle Site contains information and resources of importance to faculty. This includes committee rosters, chairs and directors agendas, CAPT Personnel review materials, internal funding and other opportunities, submission sites for Faculty Awards and Annual Reports, sabbatical information, and staffing plans, among other items.
All members of this office are happy to answer any questions you might have!
Dean of Equity and Inclusion Office
Erika Smith, Interim Dean of Equity and Inclusion, Dean of the College
The Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion (DIEI) serves as the senior leader for fostering and coordinating efforts to create a diverse, inclusive and welcoming environment for all faculty, staff and students. As a collaborative member of the College’s administrative leadership team, including the Dean of the Faculty, Dean of the College, Dean of Students and Dean of Admission, Dean Hamlett shares the responsibility for recruiting and retaining faculty, staff and students from underrepresented groups and leads the campus in its equity and inclusion efforts.
The Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion serves as the Affirmative Action Officer (AAO) and has oversight for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for the campus community. In these roles, the Dean works collaboratively with the offices of Human Resources and Disability Services to monitor legal compliance and ensure equity for students and employees.
The Dean is a member of the Committee on Enrollment Strategy and the Student Experience (ESSE) a standing committee of the Board of Trustees and also serves as a member of the Priorities, Planning & Budget Committee. (PPBC) The Dean is responsible for overseeing the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program, advancing the principles of full participation in the general curriculum and the co-curriculum. Please see these links:
Equity and Inclusion Action Plan and DIEI programming and Staff.
Offices and areas reporting to the Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion, include:
Office of Religious and Spiritual Programs
Title IX Office and Coordinator
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Ally/Asexual (LGBTQIA) Center
Student Accessibility Services
Race and Ethnicity Programs at Unity House
The Joy Schechtman Mankoff Center for Teaching & Learning
Michael Reder, Director
CTL Mission & Values
The Joy Shechtman Mankoff Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) at Connecticut College promotes effective teaching that cultivates engaged student learning. The CTL fosters a campus culture that values a diversity of learning, teaching, and disciplinary styles; encourages honest discussion of teaching and learning; and cultivates intentional, evidence-informed teaching.
To achieve its mission, the CTL:
1.Organizes programming that facilitates the exchange of ideas about teaching and learning.
2.Seeks to cultivate a culture of critically self-reflective, evidence-informed decision making related to teaching and course design, and the creation of curricula and allocation of resources in the service of improving student learning.
3.Offers resources and support for early-career faculty, including programs that promote their smooth transition into the community and their success in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service.
4.Helps create both informal and formal sources of support for faculty members at all career stages, especially related to teaching and learning.
5.Collaborates closely with the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, Institutional Research, Information Services and Instructional Technology, and academic departments and programs in joint endeavors in support of faculty careers, teaching, and learning.
6.Engages in efforts to improve teaching and learning at small liberal arts colleges at the regional and national levels.
Mission Revised 2014
In addition to a variety of special CTL projects and serieses that vary from year-to-year, as well as special events, the CTL has three major ongoing programs:
1. The Class of ’57 Teaching Seminar for Incoming Faculty
Since 1998, Connecticut College’s Teaching Seminar for Incoming Faculty has been supporting faculty in their roles as teachers, scholars, and community members. Our monthly seminars address and model particular aspects of effective teaching and learning, as well as create a space where participants can share both their teaching challenges and successes. We also have a variety of informal meetings and discussions throughout the academic year, all aimed at supporting faculty and helping them become thriving members of the college community. Our “Peer Mentoring” model, which has been adopted by a variety of liberal arts institutions, utilizes second- and third-year faculty who serve as both the organizers of the seminar and mentors for first-year faculty. At least one tenured member of the faculty, the CTL Faculty Fellow, serves as an experienced and trusted voice and a more senior mentor to the participants.
Topics are chosen by the participants themselves, allowing the seminar to adapt easily to faculty needs. The Teaching Seminar also models effective teaching strategies for new faculty, and provides a supportive cohort for early-career faculty that crosses disciplinary and departmental boundaries.
One idea behind the Teaching Seminar is that teaching is “community property” (Shulman)—making it clear from the beginning of a faculty member’s career that teaching is something not only valued, but also shared, discussed, practiced intentionally, and can be continually refined and improved. Strategically, the Seminar also fosters a mindset about teaching that creates a user base for our other programming. In addition, the faculty connections as a result of the seminar have also led to interdisciplinary collaborations in research and teaching. To date over 75% of our current tenure-track/tenured faculty have participated in one or more years of the seminar.
Sample Topics for the Class of ’57 Teaching Seminar for Incoming Faculty
Fall Semester
1. August—Teaching at Connecticut College (local cultures & expectations); Syllabus Workshop;
Equitable Course Design; Ideas for 1st Day of Class.
2. September— What Do We Know about Student Learning at Connecticut College?
Strategies for Engaging, Challenging, and Supporting Our Students.
3. October—Mid-semester Check-In and Evaluation (grading, student evaluations,
mid-term evaluations, peer evaluations); Pressures on New Faculty.
4. November— Teaching Different Types of Classes Effectively.
5. December— Grades, Grading, & Beyond: Effective Practices and Alternatives.
Spring Semester
1. January—Optional Course Feedback Form Reading Party.
Optional Syllabus Workshop.
2. February— Using Writing as a Tool for Learning.
3. March—Creating an Equitable Classroom & Teaching a Diverse Student Body.
4. April— Student Learning & Cultures (with students as guests).
5. May— “Balancing” Teaching, Research, Service, and Life; Planning Your Summer.
Other recent topics include: Designing Your Course for Higher-Level Learning; Civility in the Classroom; Using Technology Effectively; Structuring Formal Writing Assignments; Passive to Active Classrooms (discussion, small groups, etc); End-of-Semester Syllabus Review & Revision; End-of-Semester Student Evaluation Reading.
The Class of ’57 Teaching Seminar is currently being led by Ana Lilia Campos Manzo, the CTL Teaching Seminar Fellow, as well as the CTL Director, in coordination with second- and third-year faculty who comprise the Teaching Seminar Organizing Committee (TSOC).
For more information about this faculty seminar and its role in creating a culture of critically reflective teaching & learning, see:
Reder, M. & Gallagher, E. V. (2007). Transforming a teaching culture through peer mentoring: Connecticut College’s Johnson Teaching Seminar for incoming faculty and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. In D. R. Robertson & L.B. Nilson (Eds.), To Improve the Academy: Vol. 25. Resources for faculty, instructional, and organizational development (pp. 327-344). Bolton, MA: Anker.
View the 2023-24 schedule for the Class of ‘57 Teaching Seminar.
2. Talking Teaching
Talking Teaching is a series of (typically) one-off casual events, anywhere from five to eight a semester, that address an ever-changing, wide range of topics mostly related to improving student learning and experiences. Talking Teaching (TT) is co-coordinated by one or two faculty members working closely with the CTL Director. Events are typically informal, with 6 to 8 faculty and staff “discussants” who come prepared to share their ideas about the topic at some point during the conversation. The discussants—typically from a wide-range of disciplines, points in their careers, varying personal identities as well as approaches to teaching—help attract other participants. Several times a year a Talking Teaching event may be more focused and run by a single leader with some kind of expertise, and are more closely resemble a workshop.
Wide-ranging in both the topics we cover and those who participate, Talking Teaching evolves and changes depending upon both the needs of the campus and the faculty coordinating the series. It has also spun off three related series: “Talking Teaching Too (which included students in conversation with faculty and staff); “Talking the Profession” (focused less on student learning and faculty teaching and more on faculty professional skills and issues); and, most recently, Talking Teaching “Pop-Ups.”
Most recently, our Talking Teaching topics (with co-sponsors) have included:
· How Is Your Teaching Going this Semester? Teaching through Covid (Again)
· Teaching & Advising Your First-Year Seminar: How Are Things Going?
· First-to-Second Year Student Retention: Trends, Practices, & Opportunities for Engagement
o Co-sponsored by the of Dean of the College & the Office of Institutional Research
· Understanding Neurodiversity: Removing Barriers for Equitable Learning
o Co-sponsored by the Office of Accessibility and the Office of the Dean of Institutional Equity & Inclusion
· Approaches to Challenging & Supporting Our Students: A Conversation with Teaching Award Winners
· Effectively Documenting Your Teaching for Improvement and Review
· Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Reflecting Upon Our Semester Teaching
· Take it to the Max: Making Your Semester More Efficient with Moodle & Google & More
o Co-sponsored by Research Support & Curricular Technology
· Alternatives to Course Feedback Forms to Improve Teaching & Learning
· Supporting Student Learning during Times of Disruption: A CTL Talking Teaching Pop-Up for Faculty & Staff
o Co-sponsored by FSCC, Staff Council, the Office of Dean of the Faculty and Center for Critical Study of Race & Ethnicity
· Responding to Current Student Needs: Sharing Support Among Colleagues: A CTL Talking TeachingPop-Up for Faculty & Staff
o Co-sponsored by FSCC, Staff Council, and CCSRE
· Reflection on the Semester Teaching & Mentoring so Far
· ‘A’ is for April, Assess, & Adjust
· Bias-Aware Teaching Observations
o Co-sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, the Office of the Dean of Institutional Equity & Inclusion, FSCC, and CCSRE
Talking Teaching topics are chosen based upon the current needs of the campus, suggestions from faculty and staff members (often collected on event feedback-forms or suggested via email to the Director or the organizers), the interests and expertise of the faculty members currently organizing the series, and solicited via an email sent to faculty. There is also a general call for volunteer “discussants” to share their reflections on and approaches to the various session topics, although most end up being recruited by the leaders of the series.
Since Talking Teaching’s inception a wide variety of faculty members have worked with Michael to organize or co-organize the series. The current faculty co-organizers are Ariella “Ari” Rotramel and Maria Rosa.
3. Camp Teach & Learn
In May, during the week immediately following graduation, the CTL sponsors several days of intensive faculty & staff teaching and learning opportunities. These workshops and discussions typically both expand upon previous programming and introduce new initiatives. Camp Teach & Learn (Camp T&L) also serves as further opportunity to offer workshops or discussions that we could not fit in to our programming during the year, as well as an opportunity for administrators, faculty leaders, departments, committees, and centers to “co-sponsor” and run events related to their own initiatives, priorities, and expertise.
The atmosphere around Camp Teach & Learn, at the end of the year when everyone is tired, is intended to be relaxed and festive, hence the name. In addition to meals and CTL-branded swag, the lunches include raffles for “fabulous prizes” (not that fabulous—typically donated gift certificates from local restaurants whom the CTL patronizes throughout the year).
Since its inception, Camp Teach & Learn has grown from a single day with a handful of different events and opportunities to a multi-day affair with, most recently, over three-dozen different discussions, workshops, and meetings, including breakfasts, lunches, and end-of-day receptions. Camp T&L has been (and continues to be) a place and time to engage faculty (and staff) in key curricular and college initiatives, such as Curricular ReVision, our Connections general education program (including First-Year Seminars), improving advising, and other strategic priorities. Major faculty committees and various Deans offices (Faculty, the College, Institutional Equity & Inclusion, Students) routinely offer sessions at Camp T&L.
Academic Department Assistants
Academic Department Assistants play a critical role in the functioning of academic departments and will be a key resource for you as a faculty member. Each department/program has a designated department assistant. The department assistants collaborate as a team, called the Faculty Administrative Support Team (FASTeam), and work closely with department and program chairs as well as many academic and administrative offices across campus.
Back row, left to right: Noel Brown, Computer Science and Math and Statistics; Stacey Lion, English, GSIS, Philosophy; Liz Smith, Biology, Botany and ES; Nancy Lewendowski, American Studies,Anthropology, Economics, Hispanic Studies, History, Sociology; Aimme Couture, Dance and Film Studies; Front Row, left to right: Dotty Scott, Physics and Theatre; Kristin Vegeto, Art and Art History; Timmee Kidd, EALC, French, German, Slavic Studies; Lili Visigli, Neuroscience and Psychology; Anna Scanlon, Education and Human Development; Sharon Moody, Gov/IR and Classics, Jewish Studies and Arabic Studies.
Athletics Facilities
Connecticut College Athletic Facilities serve all 28 varsity sports, more than 15 club sports and 9 intramural sports, as well as Connecticut College students, faculty, staff, alumni and their guests for recreational purposes. There are a broad range of facilities and programs that contribute to the fitness and wellness of our student body and also our faculty and staff. The Athletic Center comprises the Charles B. Luce Fieldhouse, the Lott Natatorium (pool, diving area, locker rooms), the Lee and Anne Higdon Fitness Center (2,900 square feet of cardio stations, weight training machines and free weights), and the Christoffers Rowing Tanks. Dayton Arena is adjacent to the AC and provides ice for our varsity teams, club teams and open skating for the community. The Silfen track and Artificial Turf lie behind the AC for runners, and our location on the Thames River (really an estuary) is perfect for varsity sailing and rowing.
Academic Resource Center (ARC)
The ARC is located on the second floor of Shain Library and provides academic support for all students. The ARC brings together a broad array of staff and services with a single goal: to make sure all students reach their highest academic potential. Professional staff in the center help incorporate best practices for student learning into First year orientation, pre-major advising, fellowship applications, funded internships and other signature experiences of the College. The ARC provides space for collaborative projects, quantitative analysis, research, tutoring and workshops. It is also home to the Roth Writing Center and the Quantitative Center. Noel Garrett, Dean of Academic Support and Executive Director of the ARC and the entire ARC staff are eager to work with faculty, and collaborates actively with the Joy Schechtman Mankoff Center for Teaching & Learning.
Accessibility Services
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, otherwise qualified students with disabilities are legally entitled to receive appropriate and reasonable accommodations that provide them with equal access to educational activities. Disabilities covered include sensory and motor impairments, chronic illnesses, psychiatric disorders, learning disabilities, and attention deficit disorder.
Accommodations can involve many campus functions and require adjustments in one or more of the following areas: residential life, transportation, scheduling, curriculum, classrooms, and coursework. Such adjustments are made in cooperation with various members of the campus community who are responsible for the areas affected. In the case of providing academic accommodations to students, faculty are asked to collaborate in providing modifications that will help to insure equal access to the classroom and coursework for students with disabilities.
In order to be certain that we meet our obligations to students with disabilities, please include the following statement on your course syllabus:
Office of Student Accessibility Services
Connecticut College complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you have a documented disability and have been approved for academic accommodations, please have your Faculty Notification Letter emailed to me through the Student Accessibility online management system (AIM) and schedule a meeting during my office hours as early as possible in the semester so that we can discuss the logistics of your accommodations. If you are not approved for accommodations, but have a disability requiring academic accommodations, or have questions about applying for accommodations, please contact Student Accessibility Services at 860-439-5428 or sas@conncoll.edu.
Students initiate the accommodation process by registering with the Office of Student Accessibility Services and requesting an accommodation. In order to qualify, the student must present adequate documentation of both a disability and the need for the accommodation(s) requested. Letters which list approved accommodations will be given to students who request them for delivery to each faculty member in person. Students are advised to schedule an appointment with faculty in order to discuss the accommodations in a confidential setting and make the necessary logistical arrangements. We hope that this approach will foster responsible self-advocacy among students and encourage them to communicate with faculty early in the semester.
Please contact the Office of Student Accessibility Services to speak with the Director or Student Accessibility Coordinator (Ext. 5428) if you have questions or comments about services to students with disabilities on campus. They are available to discuss your concerns about students with disabilities or suspected disabilities that may be interfering with equal access to learning. More information for faculty, including various accommodations and supports for faculty, can also be found on the Student Accessibility Services webpage at https://www.conncoll.edu/accessibility-services/faculty–staff/.
Bookshop and Post Office
The Bookshop and the Post Office are located on the first floor of the Crozier Williams College Center. At the campus Bookshop, you can buy office and art supplies, personal items, cards and gifts, books for recreational reading, books written by faculty members and alumni, and clothing such as t-shirts and sweats. All course books are sold in the Bookshop. A call for textbook orders will be sent out via email after registration each semester. For more information contact Paula Mohamed directly directly at p.mohamad@follett.com. Paula is our Course Materials Market Leader, and she will be able to assist you with all of your textbook needs. Please provide her with the Course Numbers (department, course number, section, and section key if applicable) and ISBN numbers of the textbooks you would like ordered. You can get stamps and send packages at the Post Office. Your mail will be delivered to your departmental mailbox. Check with your academic department assistant for more information.
Camel Colleagues
The goal of the Camel Colleagues program is to provide incoming faculty with support and guidance from tenured members of the Connecticut College faculty outside of the home department. Camel Colleagues meet throughout the year for coffee and/or lunch conversations on or off campus. There are also formal and informal workshops and gatherings as part of this program. The program is provided by the DoF Office, with one or two faculty fellows organizing the program. As a new faculty member you will be contacted by the ADoF, Deborah Eastman, and assigned “Camel Colleague” mentors. New faculty should always feel free to reach out to Deborah (daeas@conncoll.edu) with any questions, concerns, or suggestions.
Communication and Events
The Office of Communications, located in Becker House, directs and creates communications that support and advance the College’s strategic goals. John Cramer is VP for Marketing and Communications. His team is responsible for admission, advancement and athletics communications, digital marketing, news and editorial, creative services, media relations, social media, video, photography, web services and public affairs. The alumni magazine, CC Magazine, is a quarterly publication from the Office of Communications. There are hard copies available as well as online viewing. The Communications website has links for submitting projects and promoting your events on campus.
The Connecticut College Student Newspaper is called the College Voice. There is a weekly print and online version during the semester. You can pick up a copy in most academic buildings as well as Shain Library and in Cro.
Email and listservs
Formal information for faculty is sent through the allfac listserv, which is managed by the Secretary to the Faculty, Amanda Barne. As a faculty member, you are automatically enrolled and will receive allfac emails. If you would like to share information about an event or speaker to the allfac listserv please send a message to Amanda Barnes (abarnes@conncoll.edu). The faculty listserv provides informal communication among faculty. Anyone enrolled can post directly to this listserv. Please send a message to Amanda Barnes if you would like to join.
Events
Upcoming campus-wide events are posted on the events calendar.
Dean of the College Office
Erika Smith, Dean of the College
As Dean of the College (DoC), Dean Smith oversees the management and operation of offices and centers that provide advising and support for the academic program on campus and abroad. The Dean of the College addresses academic priorities related to general education, advising, inclusive excellence, international education, academic support, career advising, and life after college. The dean’s office staff consists of :
Emily Morash – Associate Dean of the College and Dean of First Year Students – emorash@conncoll.edu
Carmela Patton – Dean of Sophomores, International Student Adviser – cpatton@conncoll.edu
Ann Schenk – Dean of Juniors, Seniors, Transfer Students, Coordinator, Posse Scholars and MMUF Programs – alsch@conncoll.edu
Libby Friedman – Assistant Dean of the College for Connections – eofri@conncoll.edu
Paula Orbe – Assistant Director of Student Success – psorb@conncoll.edu
The Dean of the College is also responsible for implementing all elements of the new Connections curriculum, including first-year seminars, and team-advising, while supporting and supervising:
· Fellowships and Graduate Study
Dining and Cafes on Campus
There are currently two dining halls on campus. The main dining hall is the Harris Refectory, located in the Plex on the north end of campus. There is a smaller, more homey place to eat in Jane Addams, a dorm on the SW end of campus. Students can use their student ID in any dining hall, at any meal, and can invite faculty or staff. Faculty and staff can eat for reasonable rates in any of the dining halls and use their CamelCards, which you can add money to online.
There are several CAFÉS around campus. The fully renovated Blue Camel café and study space is located on the first floor of Shain. Coffee Grounds, in Katharine Blunt (across the street from CRO), offers a variety of fresh baked goods to complement a wide selection of hot and cold beverages. This student-run venture serves as a study space, meeting place, and venue for events of all kinds. Ruane’s Den, in Harkness Residence Hall, offers an espresso bar, comfy chairs, and big screen televisions; it is open to students, faculty, and staff during the afternoon and evening—a great place for small meetings and an afternoon cup of coffee or tea!
For more information and hours for each of the dining halls and cafes see this link.
Internal Funding
Internal Funding Information
Internal grant funding information can be found in this Internal Funding 101 document provided by the DoF office. Visiting and Adjunct Faculty are eligible for Faculty-Student Engagement Funds, which can be used for field trips, meals, student-run symposia, and other events that will enhance the interaction between the faculty member and students in a regularly scheduled class (not individual study or honors study students). These funds are awarded twice a year, once for each semester with the call for proposals sent out prior to the start of the semester. Visiting faculty are eligible for one round of R. F. Johnson Faculty Development Grants, with proposals due Oct. 15 or Apr. 15th.
Human Resources, Reginald White, Vice president for Human Resources
The Human Resources Office is located in Strickland, just south of the Williams School and Cummings Hall on the Route 32 side of South Parking Lot. This is the place where faculty members go for answers to all questions relating to benefits or their employment status. Cheryl Miller is the Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Professional Development. Most other questions that faculty members have are handled by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty.
Information Services and the Connecticut College Libraries
Matt Gardzina, Vice President for Information Services and Librarian of the College
Information Services
At Connecticut College libraries and technology services are merged as Library & Information Technology under the leadership and guidance of Matt Gardzina, Vice President for Information Services and Librarian of the College.
Shain Library and Library Collections
Shain Library is the main repository for the College’s print and media collections. The library holds a collection of some 445,000 print books, 1.2 million electronic books, the complete content of more than 82,000 electronic journals, 23,000 music scores, more than 200 databases, some 100,000 government documents, 24,000 sound recordings, and more than 9,000 DVDs. Rare books and manuscripts are housed in the Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives, located on the second floor of Shain Library. Shain Library also houses the IT Service Desk, the Digital Scholarship and Curriculum Center (DSCC), Reference Desk, Media Services, and the Academic Resource Center (ARC).
The library liaison program is especially important for new faculty in learning about the library’s resources and services. Liaisons can help you become familiar with library resources and services, whether it’s requesting the purchase of a book or film or directing you to the right people for course reserves. Liaisons assist faculty with their own personal research needs; Scholarship Support Services provides a catalog of services and resources we offer. As subject specialists, liaisons work with you to develop collections that serve the needs of the College’s academic departments.
Research support librarians offer many services to undergraduates. The library instruction program nurtures students’ curiosity and exploration of resources while building research skills and awareness of the intellectual and social issues surrounding information. Librarians assist students through individualized consultations tailored to their research needs. Please email the Assistant Director for Research Support and Instruction, Ariela McCaffrey, at amccaffr@conncoll.edu.
Shain Library’s Technology Commons has numerous resources that enable faculty to work with students to study, use, and create new technologies in their fields of academic interest. Resources include the Digital Scholarship & Curriculum Center, which provides tools such as scanning and video capture, and services such as digital project development, digital publishing, and grant funding; the Advanced Technology Lab, providing advanced graphics, audio and design software; and the Diane Y. Williams ’59 Visualization Wall, which provides for a range of wide-screen interactive visualization applications. A Recording Studio is available on the third floor for faculty, staff, and student use.
Media Services
Media Services, located in Shain Library Room 206, provides the Connecticut College community with equipment and technical support for classes and events. Once your classroom is assigned by the Office of the Registrar, contact us (mediaservices@conncoll.edu) to schedule a classroom technology consultation. If you have an AV issue during class, call 860-439-2698 or 2698 for immediate assistance.
Moodle
Connecticut College uses Moodle as a Learning Management System (LMS). Most regularly-scheduled courses are assigned a Moodle site each semester. Some types of courses (e.g. honors and independent studies, music lessons) are not automatically assigned a Moodle site, although one can be generated upon request. Moodle course sites are retained for a minimum of four academic years. For assistance with using Moodle, contact teachtech@conncoll.edu.
Computer Labs
Shain Library is home to three computer labs available for class use – one lab with 20 Mac workstations, one with 16 PC workstations, and the Advanced Technology Lab with 6 Mac workstations with additional, specialized software. To reserve the use of a computer lab, contact Sharon Brouillard at sbrouilla@conncoll.edu.
Google Workspace
Connecticut College is a Google Workspace for Education institution. Email and calendaring is provided through Google’s Gmail and Calendar apps and network storage is provided through individual Google Drives and Google Shared Drive. Faculty are allotted 50GB of storage in their individualGoogle Drive. Google Shared Drives for departments or academic research projects, available upon request, have higher storage limits.
Computer Support
The following is some useful information regarding computing:
- The technology IT Service Desk at (860) 439-HELP (ext. 4357), http://webhelpdesk.conncoll.edu, or help@conncoll.edu offers assistance with computing and networking questions. The Web Help Desk link is also available through http://www.conncoll.edu/information-services/technology-services/technology-services-for-faculty–staff/. This is the first point of contact for reporting computer or networking problems, although a call to the IT Service Desk for answering technology questions and making technology requests may be necessary. Jennifer Eyberse is the IT Service Desk Coordinator The IT Service Desk is staffed during campus office hours (9:00 am – 4 pm during the summer and 9:00 am – 5 pm during the semester).
- CamelWeb is the College’s Intranet system; it offers access to the College directory; announcements and events, updated daily; links to email, Moodle, and Self-Service; information on campus services; documents and policies; and Human Resources Information. You need to have your email and network account activated before you can access CamelWeb. It takes one to three days to create your email and network account after the Dean of the Faculty’s office initiates the process. To access CamelWeb, go to http://camelweb.conncoll.edu.
- The access to the college network and the Internet is via either a wired Ethernet connection in your office or via wireless, with access points in all academic, administrative, and residential buildings. Every residence hall, including student rooms and common rooms, now has robust wireless access. For more information on wireless access, you can visit the Web site http://www.conncoll.edu/information-services/technology-services/wifi-and-network-access/.
- Access to many college electronic resources from off campus requires a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection. The VPN software is installed and configured on college issued computers. VPN connection information is through Technology Services’ Wi-Fi & Network Access site; visit http://www.conncoll.edu/information-services/technology-services/wifi-and-network-access/ and then click “VPN (off-campus access).”
Registrar’s Offices
Official College communication takes place via your Connecticut College email account. The registrar’s office conveys important deadlines throughout the semester, which are sent to the all faculty list-serve.
CamelWeb should be used to view official class lists and advisee records and to post final grades. You can access CamelWeb from the College’s main webpage. Click on the My Students tab to access class lists, search for advisees, submit final grades, or to refer a student to their class dean for an early warning. Click on the For Faculty tab to access the IQ curriculum management system or to report a Change of Grade.
Registration Information
Course Registration: Most upper-class students pre-register for classes during the previous semester (a maximum of 19 credits). First year students are assigned their FYS course by the Office of the Dean of College, and register for their remaining courses after meeting with their adviser during Orientation. Incoming transfer students pre-register for up to four courses and will meet to discuss their course selections after meeting with their adviser during Orientation.
Non-degree (special) students are not permitted to pre-register for classes. They must apply to be special students through the Registrar’s Office. Once admitted, these students register at the beginning of the semester using the Registration/Change of Course Form available in the Registrar’s Office. Non-degree students cannot register online and must obtain the signature of each instructor on the form.
The registration/add/delete period is the first two weeks of the semester. Students, with the exception of first-semester first year students, may overpoint (add more than 19 credits) to their course schedule once the drop/add period begins.
Enrollment Limits: Any course with an enrollment limit, as approved by the faculty, will appear in the College catalog. As the faculty member, you may stop enrollment at that level or alternatively you may decide to exceed the enrollment limit by issuing a course override for a student. Before over-enrolling your class, please note your room assignment and confirm that there is space in the classroom for additional students.
Attendance at Class: A student who pre-registers for a course is obligated to appear at the first meeting of that course. In the case of absence, the student must notify the instructor within two working days of the first-class meeting of his/her intention to continue in the class. Otherwise an instructor is not obligated to keep that student on the class list and may assign his/her place to another student who did not pre-register. Students must drop the course online in order to remove it from their schedule.
Regular attendance at classes and other scheduled academic appointments is expected of all students. Absences represent a serious loss to the students. Instructors must contact the appropriate academic dean in cases of extended or repeated absence. After warnings from the instructor and the academic dean, excessive absence may result in failure in the course. No instructor is expected to give extra help or to grant extensions to a student who has missed classes voluntarily.
Roster Checking: After the add/drop period ends, the registrar’s office must ensure that each student is registered correctly for his/her classes. Consequently, we ask that you report any enrollment discrepancies between your most current class roster and the students who are actually attending the course so that we can follow up with the student’s class dean.
Final Exams
All courses require a final paper, final project, final exam, or other equivalent final piece of work. At least one portion of this assignment must be due during the examination period. It is preferred that papers or other take-home assignments are due at the end of the examination period.The instructor is responsible for administering and/or collecting materials for take-home examinations, papers in lieu of examinations, or other equivalent work. Final exam equivalents should not be given during the last week of classes or on a review day. See the Registrar’s Office page on Final Exams.
Scheduled Exams: In courses for which there is a pedagogical need for a single examination period, instructors may pre-schedule their examinations through the Registrar’s Office. The instructor is responsible for proctoring the exam.
Self-Scheduled Exams: If a take home examination, an equivalent project/work, or a scheduled examination will not be offered, instructors must make arrangements for self-scheduled exams. These exams are managed by the Registrar’s Office and the Academic Resource Center.
Each semester, the Registrar’s Office will ask you which type, if any, of final exam you will be offering in each of your class sections.
Curriculum Information
Catalog Changes: Every course has an entry in the College Catalog. These entries can be edited by using the IQ Curriculum Management System to submit a curricular change. All curricular changes must be approved by the Academic and Administrative Procedures Committee (AAPC) and, for new courses or substantial changes, by the Faculty Meeting. To use the IQ system for the first time, please email curriculum@conncoll.edu to get a user profile and receive training. Read more about the Curriculum Process.
Course Schedules: The Registrar’s Office builds the course schedules for the Fall and Spring semesters based on information collected from individual departments in February of the year prior.
Classrooms: The Registrar’s Office assigns classrooms to all scheduled classes, taking into account requests made by individual departments, as well as room set-up type, classroom capacity, instructional needs. Classroom assignments may be able to be changed, according to availability and several other factors, just before the beginning of the semester or during the first two weeks of the semester. Read more about Classrooms.
Additional Helpful Links
Refer to the College Catalog for information about academic regulations and degree requirements.
Forms for Faculty (link from Registrar Website)
Office Staff Contact Information
For general inquiries, contact registrar@conncoll.edu:
Course Registration (pre-registration, add/drop/withdrawal)
Student Enrollment Verification
Student Major/Minor/Adviser Information
Contact curriculum@conncoll.edu with questions about:
Contact degree@conncoll.edu with inquiries regarding:
Degree Works Audits & Progress
Office of Campus Life
Victor Arcelis, Dean of Students
Each year the Student Activities Council (SAC), residence halls (referred to as “houses”), class year executive boards, and student organizations sponsor a wide variety of events in collaboration with the Office of Student Engagement and New Student Programs and the Office of Residential Education and Living. Although many students engage in social interaction on campus, others choose to visit local entertainment venues and participate in off-campus programs sponsored by several student groups. The busiest nights of the week are Thursday and Saturday, but special events are offered almost every night of the academic year. The programs offered range from live concerts, theater productions, cultural programs, movie screenings and panels to game shows, sports tournaments, art exhibits, dances and improvisational comedy performances. In addition, student groups sponsor events to raise awareness and funds to support local, regional, national and global causes. Many student groups also participate in service projects in both the local community and beyond.
Each year several large-scale traditional events are held which attract the majority of the student body as attendees. These include HarvestFest (a fundraising event for student groups held during Fall Weekend) Camelympics, Moonlight Breakfast, Festivus (an all-student winter holiday celebration), Eclipse (student performance raising cultural awareness), and Floralia (Conn’s day-long spring concert) to name a few. Typical SAC programs include a live music series held in one of our campus coffee shops featuring professional artists as well as student performers, off campus trips, a weekly film series, and multiple large scale concerns featuring national touring acts.
Over 80 student organizations offer additional events featuring political debates, cultural programs, speakers, and hot topics. Conn also has several student-managed A Cappella groups all of whom perform on campus throughout the year.
A large number of students are active in recreational sports activities. Approximately 20 club sport teams are active each year competing against other regional colleges and universities. The active club sports include ice hockey, field hockey, dance, equestrian, ultimate Frisbee, rugby, ski team, volleyball, tennis, baseball and soccer. Many students also get involved in the intramural sport program offered by the Athletics department.
Students also manage three coffee shops which are open to everyone on campus. The Walk-In Coffee Closet is located in Harkness House (south campus) with an outpost in Cummings Arts Center and Coffee Grounds located in Katherine Blunt House (known as “KB” in central campus).
Residence Life
Connecticut College is truly a residential institution. Approximately 98% of our students live on campus. Furthermore, we have no fraternities and sororities; therefore, much campus activity revolves around our residence houses. The Office of Residential Education and Living works to complement the out-of-classroom education of our students. Students do have the option of proposing their own theme housing or opting to live in pre-designated theme housing (quiet designated housing, substance-free housing, multicultural/language housing (in Knowlton), Earth House, and apartment-style housing.
These houses are staffed by student leaders and supervised by Assistant Directors who are Masters-level full-time professional staff. Each house has a Housefellow and 1-3 Floor Governors (depending on building size). Each house also has a senator who sits on the Student Government Association (SGA). Many houses are comprised of mixed-class years; however, 40% of incoming first year students will leave on all first-year floors.
Athletics
Connecticut College has a vibrant athletics program offering varied levels of competition and activity to all students. As a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), Connecticut College sponsors 28 varsity sports (12 for men, 15 for women, and 1 coed). Competition in the NESCAC is among the most challenging in all of NCAA Division III with regular season schedules against Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan, and Williams.
Student Organizations and Clubs
In addition to club sports, Conn offers a wide variety of personal interest groups and clubs, all of which are open to first year students. Within the first few weeks of school, the Student Involvement Fair is held on the Library Green. At this time, students can sign up to be put on mailing lists for as many activities as they are interested in. They may then choose the groups in which they intend to become active and involved.
Student Government
The Student Government Association (SGA) serves as liaison between the students and the faculty and staff. SGA seeks to provide extended channels of communication, increased areas of cooperation and a greater acceptance of shared responsibility between faculty, administration, and the student body in matters of general and academic interests.
The assembly consists of the SGA president and vice-president; Student Activities Council (SAC), Honor Council, Chief of Communications, Chairs of Academic Affairs, Sustainability, Equity & Inclusion, Residential Affairs; Parliamentarian and Presidential Associate; the four class presidents and a house senator from each residential house/area.
The primary purpose of the student-run Honor Council at Conn is to uphold the Student Honor Code. The Honor Council conducts the matriculation of all new students. This ceremony acknowledges students’ willingness to abide by the Honor Code. The Honor Code allows for our important policy and practice of shared governance. The Honor Council also hears cases in which violations of the Honor Code are alleged, except for cases involving the most serious violations, such as violations of our bias or sexual misconduct policies, which are resolved through the Dean’s grievance hearing process or the Title IX investigation process.
Class Councils—there is one for each class—consist of the class president, vice president, assistant to the president, secretary, S.A.C. reps, Honor Council reps, and two elected members from each house.
Student Well-Being
Student well-being is a key component of academic success and students can take advantage of a variety of programs to attend to their mind, body, and spirit. Each fall, “Fresh Check Day” is held focusing on students’ mental health and well-being. Students are involved in peer education programs addressing such topics as sexual violence, alcohol and drugs, mindfulness, nutrition, physical and mental health. Students are heavily involved with the College’s Green Dot Bystander Initiative to address sexual violence on campus. Over the course of the year, students support and participate in the six-year bystander training, Green Dot athletic games, Green Dot Bingo, and Rock the Dot A Cappella Challenge.
Division of Campus Life
The division of Camus Life focuses on the well-being, residential and co-curricular experience of students’ lives on campus. The following offices are within this division:
Victor Arcelus, Dean of Students, Crozier Williams 218, 860-439-2825
Geoff Norbert, Associate Dean of Campus Life, Crozier Williams, 860-439-2018
Jeanette Williams, Associate Director of Student Engagement and New Student Programs
Sexual Violence Prevention & Advocacy, Crozier Williams 222, 860-439-2219
Nicole Williams, Director of SVPA, spowell2 @conncoll.edu, 860-439- 2235
Student Counseling Services, Warnshuis, 860-439-4587
Janet Spoltore, Director, Student Counseling and Health Services
Bryanna White, Assistant Director, Student Counseling Services, bwhite5@conncoll.edu, 860-439-2277
Student Health Services, Warnshuis, 860-439-2275
Student Wellness, Alcohol & Other Drug Education, Crozier Williams 223, 860-439-2826
C.C. Curtis, Director of Wellbeing and Health Promotion, ccurtiss@conncoll.edu, 860-439-2826
Campus Safety, Nichols House, 860-439-2222
Mary Savage, Director of Campus Safety,
Roth Writing Center
The Roth Writing Center (RWC) provides one-to-one peer tutoring (free of charge) to help student writers of all abilities during all stages of the writing process. The goal of the RWC is to develop not only a student’s writing abilities, but also their ability to think critically and communicate clearly. The RWC also offers workshops on a variety of writing topics for both students and faculty. The RWC is directed by Summar West and staffed by more than two dozen undergraduate writing consultants from a variety of majors. The Center is located on the second floor of Shain Library and collaborates and shares space with the Academic Resource Center and the Quants Center. For further information, visit the Writing Center web page at http://write.conncoll.edu/ or contact Summar West at swest2@conncoll.edu.
Summer Courses
Connecticut College launched Summer Courses in 2019 in order to provide intersession teaching and learning opportunities at the College. Currently there are two sessions during Summer Courses and all courses are synchronous online courses. All CC faculty, including visiting and adjunct faculty, are eligible to teach during Summer Courses, with departmental support and DoF approval. The call for proposals goes out in December and approved courses are announced by March.
Walter Commons for Global Study and Engagement
Located on the ground floor of Blaustein Humanities Center, the Walter Commons for Global Study and Engagement is a space designed to support faculty, students, and staff interested in international experiences and scholarship. Staff in the Walter Commons support Conn’s global initiatives; international partnerships; international scholar residencies and exchange students; study away, international internships and other global experiential learning opportunities for students; and student fellowship advising. The Walter Commons collaboration space provides an excellent venue for project-based learning and the global learning lab’s high definition audio visual equipment is ideal for faculty integrating collaborative international online learning (COIL) components into their courses.
Reporting to the Dean of Global and Strategic Initiatives, Walter Commons staff also administer various international funding opportunities for students and faculty. Faculty interested in internationalizing their courses or learning more about funding opportunities to support research abroad should contact global@conncoll.edu. See this guide for faculty to explore global teaching/advising and research at Connecticut College. Information can also be found on our Walter Commons Moodle Campus site. To stay up-to-date on events, programs and special opportunities in the Walter Commons and beyond, please sign up for our weekly newsletter here.