By Gracyn Van Bemmel<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students, faculty and staff expressed mixed feelings about the news of President Andrea Chapdelaine\u2019s resignation, which she announced in an email on March 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most students were surprised to see the email in their inbox early on a Thursday morning. \u201cI feel like when major faculty and staff are thinking of leaving, there\u2019s some sort of sign ahead of time,\u201d Alyssa Peters (\u201926) said. \u201cThe email kind of came out very randomly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ryan Kirkpatrick (\u201926) expressed similar thoughts, adding, \u201cI didn\u2019t even consider the possibility that there\u2019d be another president while I\u2019m an undergrad here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While most students weren\u2019t expecting her departure, Chapdelaine was president for nine years, and in upper administration, moving is common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI kind of knew it was coming,\u201d Zoe Finholm (\u201924) said. \u201cThere were whispers of it throughout the college, but that\u2019s the life cycle of the president.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finholm has a unique student perspective as she participated in this year\u2019s Chap Swap in February. Switching places with the president allowed her to better understand what it means to be a college president and the behind-the-scenes of institutional decisions. During her temporary occupation as Hood\u2019s president for the day, Finholm gave a presidential speech, met with senior leadership and went to a budget meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was joking with her [Chapdelaine], like, \u2018Wow, you\u2019re so busy,\u2019 and she was like, \u2018This is light work. They lessened my load because you\u2019re here,\u2019\u201d Finholm said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As of now, the college is still waiting for information from the Board of Trustees regarding the next steps that will be taken. While no plan has been released regarding who will be the interim president, there are some qualities that students and staff are looking for in the next president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m rooting for a person of color,\u201d Asiayonna Jones (\u201925) said. \u201cI want to see a person who knows how to lead. Being a leader is very difficult because you have to make decisions that other people either don\u2019t want to make or can\u2019t make.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s also no secret that Chapdelaine was very busy with the responsibilities that come with being the president of a college. \u201cI would like to see somebody more involved, in a way,\u201d Morgan Kamara (\u201924) said. \u201cNot to say that President Chapdelaine wasn\u2019t. I just barely saw her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think she could have interacted more with students,\u201d Jones said. \u201cShe went to athletic events, but what about smaller clubs? Like going to DC (Diversity Coalition) clubs and supporting marginalized communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some students have expressed similar thoughts, while others have said that Chapdelaine\u2019s involvement in student life has been successful and sets her apart from other college presidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne of the things that I thought was really cool was\u2014when I was an incoming freshman\u2014coming to admissions events and being able to meet the president of the college,\u201d Peters, who now works for admissions as a Blazer Ambassador, said. \u201cWhen I talk to friends at other colleges, they\u2019re like, \u2018You know your president?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to attending athletic and admissions events, Chapdelaine also offers office hours that allow students to talk to her personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many staff members shared the same initial reaction of surprise at the announcement. Because they have a closer relationship with Chapdelaine than the students and many of them have worked with her for years, their feelings were more personal and bittersweet\u2014sad to see her go but happy for her to have this new opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHonestly, I was\u2014am\u2014excited for her,\u201d the Rev. Beth O\u2019Malley said. \u201cI grew up in Connecticut, and Connecticut College has a wonderful reputation. Selfishly, I think we\u2019ve prepared her well for her next presidency. And all of us who are professors, staff and administration in higher education know senior team members aren\u2019t around forever and ever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019Malley reflected on the successes of Chapdelaine\u2019s career and the strengths of her character. Hood College is an open campus, which means that anyone can come onto the college property. Often, people from the surrounding neighborhoods are seen walking through campus. Seeing strangers on campus can sometimes be scary for students, during a time of school shootings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to O\u2019Malley, Chapdelaine is part of neighborhood organizations and gets together regularly with Hood\u2019s neighbors to communicate to them how they can make students feel safer by just offering a friendly, \u201cHello,\u201d in passing. \u201cShe really has facilitated this communication from the campus to the neighborhood and from the neighborhood to the campus,\u201d O\u2019Malley said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though Chapdelaine\u2019s departure will mean a big change to Hood, the Hood community shouldn\u2019t be concerned or worried about what the next few months or the upcoming academic year will entail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like when she leaves we will be without guidance or leadership,\u201d Elizabeth Gomer, who works in admissions, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat Hood does well, and partly under President Chapdelaine, is the concept of shared governance,\u201d Payton Mills, the event specialist for admissions, said. \u201cThat\u2019s the idea that, while the president is ultimately responsible for so much, there is this idea that we also have a Board of Trustees and a senior team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond the Board and senior team, there also exists a faculty senate, a staff council and student representation in the form of the Student Government Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have no worries or concerns,\u201d Debbie Ricker, the vice president for academic affairs and provost, said. \u201cOurs is a very dedicated and talented team, and we\u2019re all focused on supporting our mission, our students and our campus community. Change can be difficult. But the Hood community is strong and will continue to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"