Connecticut College
Encyclopedia
Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college
located in New London
, Connecticut
.
The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University
closing its doors to women (the college changed its name to Connecticut College in 1969 when it began admitting men). The campus is located on the Thames River
, overlooking the Long Island Sound
on the highest point in New London. It is a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference
(NESCAC), and is considered to be among the group of colleges called the "Little Ivies
." Forbes
ranked Connecticut College 62 in its America's Best Colleges list in 2011 and U.S. News and World Report ranked the school in its top forty liberal arts colleges in 2011.
Known for its interdisciplinary academic centers, Connecticut College is in the midst of a major fundraising and building campaign. Over the past several years the college has renovated many of its older dormitories, completed numerous classroom renovations, and constructed a new fitness center. The college is in the final planning stages of a new life science and computer science center, an international commons, and is continuing to renovate the remainder of its older dormitories and classroom spaces.
Connecticut College's fourth strategic plan (2004) introduced the College's new mission statement
: "Connecticut College educates students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens in a global society."
According to CNN Money, Connecticut College was the most expensive college in the United States
in 2010 with a tuition fee of $43,990 and total cost of $53,110. According to U.S. News and World Report, Connecticut College was the most expensive college in 2011 with $43,990 for tuition and required fees. The college states that the comprehensive fee for 2011-12 is $54,970 . At the same time, the college points out, "If you qualify for financial aid, you and your family could pay less than you might at a school with much lower tuition and fees." To this point, the average grant award (financial aid that a student does not have to pay back) at Connecticut College is about $30,390. Furthermore, 48% of enrolled Connecticut College students receive aid (totaling more than $28.9 million in financial aid awarded in 2010-2011), with 85% of the financial aid budget in the form of grants. Overall, the average financial aid award is $32,708.
Chartered in 1911, the founding of the college was a response to Wesleyan University
's decision to stop admitting women. Female Wesleyan alumnae, notably Elizabeth C. Wright, convinced others to found this new college, espousing the increasing desire amongst women for higher education. Several large gifts of land gave the college its hilltop location overlooking Long Island Sound
. Financial assistance from the city of New London
, its residents, and a number of wealthy benefactors gave the college its initial endowment. According to an Oct. 12, 1935 article in the Hartford Daily Times, marking the College's 20th anniversary:
Connecticut College has been continuously accredited since 1932 by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
. In a typical year, the College enrolls about 1,900 men and women from 40-45 states, Washington D.C., and 70 countries. Approximately forty percent of students are men. The College is now particularly known for interdisciplinary studies, international programs and study abroad
, funded internships, student-faculty research, service learning, and shared governance. Under the College's system of shared governance, faculty, staff, students, and administrators are represented on the major committees that make policy regarding the curriculum, the budget, and the campus and facilities.
Students live under the College's 84-year-old student-adjudicated Honor Code
and without a Greek system
. The Honor Code, which distinguishes Connecticut College from its peers, underpins all academic and social interactions at the College and creates a palpable spirit of trust and cooperation between students and faculty. Other manifestations of the Code include self-scheduled, unproctored final exams.
According to The Princeton Review 2005 and Campus Compact, Connecticut College is one of the nation’s best colleges for fostering social responsibility and public service. A January 2006 ranking noted that Connecticut College is among the 25 top small colleges in terms of the number of graduates who serve in the Peace Corps
.
Connecticut College is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Annapolis Group
, and the New England Small College Athletic Conference
(NESCAC).
A reciprocal exchange agreement with the United States Coast Guard
, allows cadets from the nearby USCG Academy to take some courses at the college, while Connecticut College students may take courses at the Academy.
Admission to the college is selective. There were 4,733 applications for admission in 2008: 1,732 were admitted (36.6%) and 500 matriculated (28.9%).
The College's First-Year Seminar Program provides student-faculty engagement in a small, intellectually stimulating setting in their first semester.
Connecticut College has four Interdisciplinary Centers that administer certificate programs, plus a fifth center that facilitates the teaching and researching of race and ethnicity across the curriculum. If accepted into one of the College's four certificate programs, students of any major complete a self-designed series of courses that relate to their academic interest, complete a College-funded summer internship, and complete an integrative project in their senior year. These four centers routinely attract the College's best students and are a model for the kinds of integrated educational pathways the College offers its students.
The main campus has three residential areas. North Campus contains the newest residential halls (Morrisson, Wright, Lambdin, Park, Johnson—formerly Marshall—and Hamilton, collectively known as "The Plex"), all of which are connected to each other and Harris Dining Hall. South Campus contains residence halls along the side of Tempel Green (Harkness, Addams, Freeman, and Knowlton), across from several academic buildings. Central Campus contains the oldest residence halls (Windham, Warnshuis, Burdick, Smith, Larrabee, Plant, Branford, Blackstone, Blunt, and Lazrus) and is the closest to the student center and the library. Students also have several less traditional housing options, including the 360 Apartments, River Ridge Apartments, Earth House, and Abbey House. A few students also live off-campus in New London or Waterford.
The College's science facilities include a rooftop observatory, lab for NMR spectroscopy
, a digital transmission electron microscope, a scanning electron microscope
, a greenhouse, a channel flow laboratory, a GIS lab, and a 1 MeV Pelletron
ion accelerator. Its computer facilities include standard UNIX
and PC
labs as well as specialized labs in robotics
, networks, virtual reality
and digital signal processing. The robotics lab is equipped with Sun workstations, PCs, robots, and overhead cameras. The virtual reality and signal processing lab (which is also part of the Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology) has high-end graphics PCs, head-mounted displays, 3-D trackers, force feedback devices, spatialized audio devices, and software for producing high-end animations and graphics.
The departments of the fine arts are located in three places around campus. The Cummings Arts Center contains two concert halls, the Center for Electronic and Digital Sound, pianos, practice rooms, a pipe organ. The Art and Music departments and their classrooms and studios are also housed in Cummings. Surrounding the Arts Center are numerous sculptures, especially in the courtyard known as Castle Court. This lies between Cummings and the largest of the College's performance spaces, Palmer Auditorium. The Theater department has offices in Palmer, and has classes on the main stage, in a smaller classroom in Palmer, and in Tansill Theater, which is further north, near the main entrance. The Dance department is housed on the third floor of the student center, and includes 3 dance studios.
There are three libraries on the campus. Shain Library houses a collection of more than 500,000 books and bound periodicals, along with an extensive collection of microforms, computer files, audio and video tapes. The library is also home to the Charles Chu Asian Art Reading Room, a space used for studying, public lectures, and receptions. In 2004, the "Blue Camel Cafe" opened in the library basement, selling coffee, tea, pastries and other items to studying and socializing students. The Greer Music Library in Cummings Arts Center holds books and periodicals about music and musicians, printed music, and numerous recordings on cassette, CD, and vinyl, as well as digital media. The chapel library, in the basement of Harkness Chapel includes volumes and periodicals related to religious studies and social justice.
, AOL
CEO Tim Armstrong (executive)
, New York Times best-selling authors Sloane Crosley
and David Grann
, fashion designer Peter Som
, philanthropist Nan Kempner
.
Liberal arts colleges in the United States
Liberal arts colleges in the United States are certain undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers a definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general...
located in New London
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
closing its doors to women (the college changed its name to Connecticut College in 1969 when it began admitting men). The campus is located on the Thames River
Thames River (Connecticut)
The Thames River is a short river and tidal estuary in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It flows south for through eastern Connecticut from the junction of the Yantic and Shetucket rivers at Norwich, to New London and Groton, which flank its mouth at the Long Island Sound.Differing from its...
, overlooking the Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
on the highest point in New London. It is a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference
New England Small College Athletic Conference
The New England Small College Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference, consisting of eleven highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities located in New England and New York...
(NESCAC), and is considered to be among the group of colleges called the "Little Ivies
Little Ivies
Little Ivies is a colloquialism referring to a group of small, selective American liberal arts colleges; however, it does not denote any official organization....
." Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
ranked Connecticut College 62 in its America's Best Colleges list in 2011 and U.S. News and World Report ranked the school in its top forty liberal arts colleges in 2011.
Known for its interdisciplinary academic centers, Connecticut College is in the midst of a major fundraising and building campaign. Over the past several years the college has renovated many of its older dormitories, completed numerous classroom renovations, and constructed a new fitness center. The college is in the final planning stages of a new life science and computer science center, an international commons, and is continuing to renovate the remainder of its older dormitories and classroom spaces.
Connecticut College's fourth strategic plan (2004) introduced the College's new mission statement
Mission statement
A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
: "Connecticut College educates students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens in a global society."
According to CNN Money, Connecticut College was the most expensive college in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2010 with a tuition fee of $43,990 and total cost of $53,110. According to U.S. News and World Report, Connecticut College was the most expensive college in 2011 with $43,990 for tuition and required fees. The college states that the comprehensive fee for 2011-12 is $54,970 . At the same time, the college points out, "If you qualify for financial aid, you and your family could pay less than you might at a school with much lower tuition and fees." To this point, the average grant award (financial aid that a student does not have to pay back) at Connecticut College is about $30,390. Furthermore, 48% of enrolled Connecticut College students receive aid (totaling more than $28.9 million in financial aid awarded in 2010-2011), with 85% of the financial aid budget in the form of grants. Overall, the average financial aid award is $32,708.
History and overview
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
's decision to stop admitting women. Female Wesleyan alumnae, notably Elizabeth C. Wright, convinced others to found this new college, espousing the increasing desire amongst women for higher education. Several large gifts of land gave the college its hilltop location overlooking Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. Financial assistance from the city of New London
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, its residents, and a number of wealthy benefactors gave the college its initial endowment. According to an Oct. 12, 1935 article in the Hartford Daily Times, marking the College's 20th anniversary:
"On September 27, 1915, on this beautiful site, the college opened its doors to students. The entering class was made up of 99 freshmen students, candidates for degrees, and 52 special students, a total registration of 151. A fine faculty of 23 members had been engaged and a library of 6,000 volumes had been gathered together. It was an auspicious start for this new undertaking."
Connecticut College has been continuously accredited since 1932 by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. is the U.S. regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation for all levels of education, from pre-kindergarten to the doctoral level, in the six-state New England region. It also provides accreditation for some...
. In a typical year, the College enrolls about 1,900 men and women from 40-45 states, Washington D.C., and 70 countries. Approximately forty percent of students are men. The College is now particularly known for interdisciplinary studies, international programs and study abroad
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
, funded internships, student-faculty research, service learning, and shared governance. Under the College's system of shared governance, faculty, staff, students, and administrators are represented on the major committees that make policy regarding the curriculum, the budget, and the campus and facilities.
Students live under the College's 84-year-old student-adjudicated Honor Code
Honor code
An honour code or honour system is a set of rules or principles governing a community based on a set of rules or ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community. The use of an honor code depends on the idea that people can be trusted to act honorably...
and without a Greek system
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. The Honor Code, which distinguishes Connecticut College from its peers, underpins all academic and social interactions at the College and creates a palpable spirit of trust and cooperation between students and faculty. Other manifestations of the Code include self-scheduled, unproctored final exams.
According to The Princeton Review 2005 and Campus Compact, Connecticut College is one of the nation’s best colleges for fostering social responsibility and public service. A January 2006 ranking noted that Connecticut College is among the 25 top small colleges in terms of the number of graduates who serve in the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
.
Connecticut College is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Annapolis Group
Annapolis Group
The Annapolis Group is an American organization that describes itself as "a nonprofit alliance of the nation’s leading independent liberal arts colleges." It represents approximately 130 liberal arts colleges in the United States...
, and the New England Small College Athletic Conference
New England Small College Athletic Conference
The New England Small College Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference, consisting of eleven highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities located in New England and New York...
(NESCAC).
A reciprocal exchange agreement with the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, allows cadets from the nearby USCG Academy to take some courses at the college, while Connecticut College students may take courses at the Academy.
Statistics
- Connecticut College is a member of a small group of institutions labeled the "Little IviesLittle IviesLittle Ivies is a colloquialism referring to a group of small, selective American liberal arts colleges; however, it does not denote any official organization....
"
- The College received an all-time high 5,301 applications for the Class of 2014 (the entering fall 2010 class). 31% of these applicants were accepted with a combined SAT score mean of 1280-1450 out of 1600 (650-740 in Reading and 630-710 in Math), and 30% enrolled.
- In "America's Best Colleges 2010" published by U.S. News and World Report, Connecticut College was ranked 42nd out of 266 national liberal arts colleges. In subcategories, the College was ranked No. 28 for graduation and retention rates, No. 41 for financial resources, and No. 55 for admission selectivity. In the category of Best Undergraduate Teaching at Liberal Arts Colleges it ranked No. 17 equal. These figures represent a significant decline in the college's traditional ranking within the top 25 liberal arts colleges in the country in the 1990s and early 2000s. In Washington Monthly's 2009 rankings, Connecticut College ranked 50 out of 253 liberal arts colleges.
- Connecticut College had 171 full-time professors in Academic Year 2007-08; 90 percent hold a doctorate or equivalent. All classes are taught by professors. The student-faculty ratio is below 10:1.
- For the 2007-08 academic year, domestic students of color accounted for about 13.0% of all full-time and part-time students. International students accounted for about another 4.4% of the student body. The countries from which the most international students come are TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Academics
The College offers more than 1,000 courses in 29 academic departments and 7 interdisciplinary programs, and students can choose from 54 traditional majors plus opportunities for self-designed courses of study. The 10 most common majors over the last five years have been English, Economics, Psychology, Government, History, Biological Sciences, International Relations, Anthropology, Human Development, and Art. About 30% of Connecticut College students graduate with double majors. The most common double-major combinations are Government/History, Economics/International Relations, and Economics/Government, but graduates in recent years have also chosen interdisciplinary combinations such as Art/Computer Science, Film Studies/Latin American Studies, Biological Sciences and Religious Studies, and Art History/Italian.Admission to the college is selective. There were 4,733 applications for admission in 2008: 1,732 were admitted (36.6%) and 500 matriculated (28.9%).
Connecticut College has four Interdisciplinary Centers that administer certificate programs, plus a fifth center that facilitates the teaching and researching of race and ethnicity across the curriculum. If accepted into one of the College's four certificate programs, students of any major complete a self-designed series of courses that relate to their academic interest, complete a College-funded summer internship, and complete an integrative project in their senior year. These four centers routinely attract the College's best students and are a model for the kinds of integrated educational pathways the College offers its students.
- Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology (CAT) Through the Ammerman Center, faculty and students can shape the study, use and creation of new technologies, probe the forefront of their fields and work in new markets with innovative products.
- Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts (CISLA) The CISLA mission is to encourage students to become public intellectuals: those who are politically concerned, socially engaged, and culturally sensitive and informed. CISLA prepares them to internationalize their majors and become responsible citizens in a global community.
- Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy (PICA) The Holleran Center orchestrates College and community resources to build on assets, respond to needs, and facilitate community revitalization and problem solving.
- Goodwin-Niering Center for Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies (CCBES) The Goodwin-Niering Center is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary program that builds on one of the nation's leading undergraduate environmental studies programs. The Center fosters research, education, and curriculum development aimed at understanding contemporary ecological challenges. The Center is named in honor of Richard H. Goodwin, Katharine Blunt Professor Emeritus of Botany, and William A. Niering, Lucretia L. Allyn Professor Emeritus of Botany. Professor Goodwin was among the early leaders of the Nature Conservancy, serving as its president from 1956–58 and 1964-66.
- Students can earn Connecticut teacher certification and certificates in the College's Museum Studies program.
- Between 50 and 55% of the student body studies abroad at some point during their four years. Connecticut College offers several ways for students to study abroad, including traditional study away programs, semester-long Study Away, Teach Away (SATA) programs, and shorter Traveling Research and Immersion Programs (TRIPs) that are typically related to specific courses.
- The Eugene O'Neill Theater CenterEugene O'Neill Theater CenterThe Eugene O'Neill Memorial Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut is a 501 not-for-profit theater company founded in 1964 by George C. White. The O'Neill is the recipient of the . The O'Neill is home to the National Theater Institute , and several major theater conferences including the...
's National Theater Institute confers course credit through Connecticut College. Students often intern and partake in semester study-away programs at the institute.
- Many opportunities for conventional study abroad are available, as well as the special programs CISLA (one of the academic centers), which allows students to "internationalize" their major, and SATA (Study Away Teach Away), in which a Connecticut College professor takes a small group of students for a semester to a country that the professor has experience with, and there the students take classes at a local university, and one with the Conn professor.
- Students' classroom learning at Connecticut College is supplemented by a wide variety of service learning courses and volunteer work in the New London area. Many of these opportunities are coordinated by the Office of Volunteers for Community Service. OVCS facilitates student involvement in the community by running a van shuttle service, which transports students to and from sites in the area.
- Connecticut College has a history of undergraduate research work and students are encouraged to make conference presentations and publish their work under the guidance of a professor.
- Connecticut College graduating seniors are regularly awarded prestigious fellowships and grants such as the U.S. Student Fulbright ProgramFulbright ProgramThe Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
grant. In 2008, five Connecticut College graduates received Fulbright grants.
Campus and facilities
The College's science facilities include a rooftop observatory, lab for NMR spectroscopy
NMR spectroscopy
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, most commonly known as NMR spectroscopy, is a research technique that exploits the magnetic properties of certain atomic nuclei to determine physical and chemical properties of atoms or the molecules in which they are contained...
, a digital transmission electron microscope, a scanning electron microscope
Scanning electron microscope
A scanning electron microscope is a type of electron microscope that images a sample by scanning it with a high-energy beam of electrons in a raster scan pattern...
, a greenhouse, a channel flow laboratory, a GIS lab, and a 1 MeV Pelletron
Pelletron
A pelletron is a type of electrostatic particle accelerator similar to a Van de Graaff generator. Pelletrons have been built in many sizes, from small units producing voltages up to 500 kilovolts and beam energies up to 1 megaelectronvolt of kinetic energy, to the largest system, which has...
ion accelerator. Its computer facilities include standard UNIX
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
labs as well as specialized labs in robotics
Robotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
, networks, virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
and digital signal processing. The robotics lab is equipped with Sun workstations, PCs, robots, and overhead cameras. The virtual reality and signal processing lab (which is also part of the Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology) has high-end graphics PCs, head-mounted displays, 3-D trackers, force feedback devices, spatialized audio devices, and software for producing high-end animations and graphics.
The departments of the fine arts are located in three places around campus. The Cummings Arts Center contains two concert halls, the Center for Electronic and Digital Sound, pianos, practice rooms, a pipe organ. The Art and Music departments and their classrooms and studios are also housed in Cummings. Surrounding the Arts Center are numerous sculptures, especially in the courtyard known as Castle Court. This lies between Cummings and the largest of the College's performance spaces, Palmer Auditorium. The Theater department has offices in Palmer, and has classes on the main stage, in a smaller classroom in Palmer, and in Tansill Theater, which is further north, near the main entrance. The Dance department is housed on the third floor of the student center, and includes 3 dance studios.
- The Connecticut College ArboretumConnecticut College ArboretumThe Connecticut College Arboretum is a 300 ha arboretum and botanical gardens, founded in 1931, and located on the campus of Connecticut College and in the towns of New London and Waterford, Connecticut, USA...
is a 750 acre (3 km²) arboretumArboretumAn arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
and botanical gardenBotanical gardenA botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
. Students frequently go to the Arboretum to walk, study, or otherwise enjoy nature. The Arboretum is also open to the community, and its staff host frequent workshops, guided hikes, and other interpretive activities.
- Harkness Chapel is a fine example of noted architect James Gamble RogersJames Gamble RogersJames Gamble Rogers was an American architect best known for his academic commissions at Yale University, Columbia University, Northwestern University, and elsewhere....
' colonial Georgian style, with twelve stained glass windows by G. Owen BonawitG. Owen BonawitG. Owen Bonawit was an artist whose studio created thousands of pieces of stained glass for Yale, Duke, and Northwestern universities; Connecticut College; and at private homes. There are, by one count, 887 pieces in Yale's Sterling Memorial Library. Bonawit worked often and closely with the...
. The building is used for several denominational religious services each week, as well as for ceremonies, concerts and recitals, weddings, and other public functions.
- The College has a variety of indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, including a new fitness center that opened in fall 2009.
- The Lyman Allyn Art MuseumLyman Allyn Art MuseumThe Lyman Allyn Art Museum was founded in 1932 by Harriet Upson Allyn in memory of her father, Lyman Allyn. The museum is situated in New London, Connecticut.- Museum and collection :Housed in a handsome Neo-Classical building designed by Charles A...
is located on campus, although it is not connected to the campus proper. The museum's web site describes it as follows: "Housed in a handsome Neo-Classical building designed by Charles A. PlattCharles A. PlattCharles Adams Platt was a prominent artist, landscape gardener, landscape designer, and architect of the "American Renaissance" movement. His garden designs complemented his domestic architecture.-Early career:...
, the permanent collection includes over 10,000 paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, furniture and decorative arts, with an emphasis on American art from the 18th through 20th centuries."
Student life
- The Honor Code is signed by all students upon matriculation. It allows a strong student voice in shared governance through the Student Government Association, and the luxury of self-scheduled, unproctored exams. Because of the Honor Code, students are treated by faculty, staff, and the administration as mature adults. A student-run Judicial Board adjudicates alleged infractions of the Honor Code.
- Through a gift by an alumnus, Connecticut College students may take music lessons during the semester at no charge.
- Connecticut College has seven a cappellaCollegiate a cappellaCollegiate a cappella ensembles are student-run and -directed singing groups that perform entirely without instruments. Such groups can be found at many colleges and universities in the United States, and increasingly worldwide....
groups: three women's groups (the ConnChords, The Shwiffs and Miss Connduct), one men's group (Co Co Beaux), and three coed groups (Conn Artists, Vox Cameli, and Williams Street Mix).
- WCNIWCNIWCNI is a radio station broadcasting a Freeform format. Licensed to New London, Connecticut, USA, the station serves the New London area. The station is currently owned by Connecticut College Community Radio, Inc.. It is operated by students and community members from New London and surrounding...
(90.9 FMFM broadcastingFM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
), the college radio station, broadcasts a variety of music including polkaPolkaThe polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
, bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, and celtic musicCeltic musicCeltic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
shows. A 2,000 wattWattThe watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
transmitter installed in 2003 reaches much of ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, parts of Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, and parts of southwest MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. - The College Voice, Connecticut College's only student newspaperStudent newspaperA student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
, is an editorially independent print and online publication. Students print weekly, and handle all aspects of production: reporting, editing, ad sales, management, photography, layout, multimedia and design. They also run a variety of guides and blogs, like the New LondonNew London, ConnecticutNew London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
local dining guide and the summer student intern blog The Summer Voice.
Connecticut College in film and culture
- Connecticut College was mentioned on the television program The Office (in the episode "Night OutNight Out"Night Out" is the fifteenth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's sixty-eighth episode overall. The episode was written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Ken Whittingham. It first aired in the United States on April 24, 2008 on NBC...
") Rainn Wilson's character wishes the Jersey State women's basketball team luck in a game against Connecticut College. One of the show's writers, Lee Eisenberg, is a Conn College graduate.
- In the AMC series Mad MenMad MenMad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
(in the episode "Red in the Face"), Pete Campbell's friend says "Connecticut College for Women, indeed..." in reference to Pete's attractive cousin.
- The protagonist in the film The VisitorThe Visitor (2008 film)The Visitor is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Thomas McCarthy and produced by Michael London and Mary Jane Skalski. Executive producers were Jeff Skoll and Omar Amanat...
is a fictional Connecticut College economics professor.
- In The Widows of EastwickThe Widows of EastwickThe Widows of Eastwick is the final novel by John Updike, author of the Pulitzer-prize winning "Rabbit" series. First published in 2008, it is a sequel to his novel The Witches of Eastwick.-Plot:...
by John UpdikeJohn UpdikeJohn Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....
, a character remembers "when after my mother died my father sent me east to Connecticut College for Women, everything so lush and old."
- In the sitcom series Kate & AllieKate & AllieKate & Allie is an American television situation comedy which ran from March 19, 1984 to May 22, 1989. Kate & Allie first aired on CBS as a midseason replacement series and only six episodes were initially commissioned, but the favorable response from critics and viewers alike easily convinced CBS...
, both women had gone to Connecticut College and sometimes wore a Conn College sweatshirt.
- The opening scenes of the 1966 film The GroupThe GroupThe Group may refer to:*The Group , by Mary McCarthy*The Group , by Sidney Lumet, based on the book*The Group , a group of British poets of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
(featuring Candice Bergen), were filmed at Connecticut College. The film is based on a book about a private women's college.
Programs and offices
- Student Activities Council (SAC) The Student Activities Council hosts a series of weekly concerts, Friday Nights Live, with performances by on-campus and off-campus bands. Some of the recent FNL acts include: Jon McLaughlinJon McLaughlinJon McLaughlin is a pop rock singer-songwriter and pianist from Anderson, Indiana. His debut album Indiana was released on May 1, 2007, preceded by his first EP Industry, also known as Jon McL, in February 2007...
, Paranoid Social ClubParanoid Social ClubParanoid Social Club is a Rock/Psychedelic/indie band from Portland, Maine, United States which formed in 2002. In 2006, the band's song Wasted was included on the soundtrack of the movie Beerfest...
, Land of TalkLand of TalkLand of Talk is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2006 from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The band consists of singer and guitarist Elizabeth Powell, bass guitarist Joseph Yarmush and drummer Andrew Barr.-History:...
, Langhorne SlimLanghorne SlimLanghorne Slim is an American singer-songwriter, . Scolnick attended high school at Solebury School in New Hope, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College, part of the SUNY system.He began to gain public notice through several years of touring with the...
, LocksleyLocksleyLocksley may refer to:* Robin of Locksley , a 1996 television movie* Locksley , an American rock band* Locksley, New South Wales* Locksley, Victoria* Locksley railway station, Victoria* Locksley , a Pennsylvania train station...
, Stephen Kellogg, GirlymanGirlymanGirlyman is an American folk-rock band formerly based in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, now based in Atlanta, Georgia.Their self-released debut album, Remember Who I Am, sold 5,000 copies before it was re-released by Daemon Records, the independent record label run by Amy Ray of the Indigo...
, WinterpillsWinterpillsWinterpills are an indie rock band from Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. Its members are Philip Price, Flora Reed, Dave Hower, Dennis Crommett and Brian Akey. They are also joined on tour sometimes by José Ayerve and Henning Ohlenbusch...
, and Ari HestAri HestAri Hest is an American singer-songwriter and a native of Riverdale in the Bronx borough of New York.-Early life:Ari took piano lessons as a child and later, as a teenager, taught himself to play his mother's nylon string guitar by ear with influences from both his parents' record collection and...
. The Student Activities Council is also responsible for the spring concert, Floralia, (recent acts have included: Girl TalkGirl Talk (musician)Gregg Michael Gillis , better known by his stage name Girl Talk, is an American musician specializing in mashups and digital sampling. Gillis has released five LPs on the record label Illegal Art and EPs on 333 and 12 Apostles....
, 1997 (band)1997 (band)1997 was an American pop/rock band from Chicago, Illinois, who formed in October 2005. They released three albums between 2007 and 2009, but broke up the following year.-History:...
, The MisshapesThe MisshapesThe Misshapes are a New York City-based DJ trio composed of Canadian-born Geordon Nicol, Leigh Lezark, and Greg Krelenstein. Beginning in 2003, the trio cultivated a large following when they brought to downtown New York City the dance party, "Misshapes". On September 8, 2007, after a successful 4...
, okgo, and Reel Big FishReel Big FishReel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
), the Fall Concert (recent acts include RJD2RJD2RJD2 is an American music producer, singer and musician. RJD2 was born in Eugene, Oregon, and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was signed to the Definitive Jux label where he released two largely instrumental hip hop albums and has produced tracks...
, BlackaliciousBlackaliciousBlackalicious is an American hip hop duo from Sacramento, California made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel . They are noted for Gift of Gab's often "tongue-twisting", multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's "classic" beats...
, and Ben LeeBen LeeBenjamin Michael "Ben" Lee is an ARIA Award winning musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appeared as the protagonist in the Australian film The Rage in Placid Lake...
). In addition to Friday Nights Liv and other concerts, the Student Activities Council is responsible for planning dances, study breaks, and small events on campus. SAC is also responsible for the annual Harvestfest (an event during Alumni Weekend where student groups can sell merchandise for fundraising).
- Floralia The annual spring concert festival on the library green, with musical performances and socializing. See FloraliaFloraliaThe Floralia, also known as the "Florifertum," was an ancient Roman festival dedicated to Flora, the goddess of flowers and vegetation. It was held on the IV Calends of May, April 27 to May 3, and symbolized the renewal of the cycle of life, marked with dancing, drinking, and flowers. These days...
.
- Career Enhancing Life Skills (CELS) is a four-year program through which students explore career options, assess interests and skills, learn to consider lifetime goals when planning coursework and activities, look for a career-related junior-year internship, and get help with a job search as seniors.
- Unity House is the college's multicultural center. Unity House promotes, supports, educates, and implements multicultural awareness programs on campus. It also houses a library and group meeting room, open to all. It also hosts many intercultural organizations, including but not limited to Umoja (African Diaspora club), and CCASA (Connecticut College Asian/Asian American Student Association).
- The LGBTQ Resource Center serves the needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Ally students by providing a supportive space, resource library, social events, and educational programming. The Center also serves as a resource for the entire College Community to learn about issues related to sexuality and gender identity. It hosts the student organizations Spectrum (formally SOUL), Connecticut College Queer and Questioning (CQ^2), and the Campaign for Gender Identity Awareness (CGIA).
- Office of Volunteers for Community Service (OVCS) helps students find volunteering opportunities in the community. Also provides a student-staffed van service to drive students to their community service.
Notable alumni
Connecticut College graduates of note include The Atlantic senior editor Joshua GreenJoshua Green
Joshua Green is an American journalist who writes primarily on United States politics. He is currently senior national correspondent at Bloomberg Businessweek and a weekly columnist for the Boston Globe.-Education:...
, AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
CEO Tim Armstrong (executive)
Tim Armstrong (executive)
Tim Armstrong is CEO and Chairman of AOL, Inc. Previously, he was President of Google's Americas operation. He replaced the outgoing Randy Falco as current CEO as of March 12, 2009....
, New York Times best-selling authors Sloane Crosley
Sloane Crosley
Sloane Crosley is a writer living in New York and the author of best-selling collections of essays, I Was Told There'd Be Cake and How Did You Get This Number....
and David Grann
David Grann
David Grann is an American literary journalist and best-selling author. He has written about a range of subjects, from New York City's antiquated water supply system to the hunt for giant squid to the U.S...
, fashion designer Peter Som
Peter Som
Peter Som is an American fashion designer. He describes his aesthetic as one of "effortless elegance and refined sexiness", and aspires to provide a fresh perspective to modern American fashion.- Background :...
, philanthropist Nan Kempner
Nan Kempner
Nan Kempner was a New York City socialite, famous for dominating society events, shopping, charity work and fashion.She was born as Nan Field Schlesinger in San Francisco, an only child from a wealthy family...
.
Campus publications
- CONNtact (newsletter)
- Friends of CC Library
- Inside Information
- Source (faculty/staff newsletter)
- The College Voice (student-run newspaper distributed at the student center, library, academic buildings, residential houses, and to off-campus subscribers)
- Koiné (yearbook)
- Expose (interdisciplinary academic journal)
- Underexposed (black-and-white photography magazine)
- The Sound (literary and art magazine)
Connecticut College presidents
- 1913-1917: Frederick H. SykesFrederick Henry SykesFrederick Henry Sykes was an American college president, born at Queensville, Ontario, in Canada. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1885, studied at Johns Hopkins University , and afterwards held various teaching positions...
- 1917-1928: Benjamin T. Marshall
- 1929-1943: Katharine Blunt
- 1943-1945: Dorothy Schaffter
- 1945-1946: Katharine Blunt
- 1947-1962: Rosemary Park
- 1962-1974: Charles E. Shain
- 1974-1988: Oakes Ames
- 1988-2001: Claire L. Gaudiani
- 2001-2006: Norman Fainstein
- 7/1/2006- : Leo I. Higdon, Jr.Leo HigdonLeo Ignatius Higdon, Jr. is an academic administrator and former Wall Street executive. He became president of Connecticut College in 2006. He was previously president of the College of Charleston and Babson College....