A Message from President Katherine Bergeron

Dear Members of the College Community,

Katherine Bergeron, President of Connecticut College

Connecticut College's open and inclusive community is defined by a nearly 100-year-old Honor Code that calls us to uphold the highest academic and community standards. This is a place where people care deeply about each other's well being and success and are committed to ensuring that we have a safe and healthy environment in which to work, play and learn.

In 2009, two years before the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter was issued by the Office for Civil Rights, the College was at the forefront of campus efforts to prevent sexual violence. At that time, we created an office to address these issues and adopted a nationally recognized bystander intervention program. This visionary effort was entirely grassroots — developed by students for students with the goal of addressing head-on very sensitive and difficult issues.

At a time when every American college and university is being called on to make urgent and critically important culture changes, I am proud to have arrived at a school that is so dedicated to the prevention of sexual misconduct. Engaging in open and honest conversations about sexual harassment and sexual assault across campus is what we are called on to do as educators. This must be a sustained effort — and the highest priority — both here and nationwide if we are to end the history of sexual assaults and harassment that has plagued so many college and university campuses.

I invite you to peruse this website to learn more about the College’s impressive efforts in this area, as well as your own rights and responsibilities as a community member. We each have a role to play in ending sexual violence of any form, and I welcome your engagement in conversations and programs aimed at creating an even safer campus.

Katherine Bergeron
Katherine Bergeron