New London – Connecticut College students were asked to shelter in place Wednesday night as police, firefighters, campus safety officials and state police investigated a suspicious object found on the ground by a student.

According to a Wednesday night email by Mary Savage, the college’s director of campus safety, to the college community, the item later was identified as a light ballast left on the ground by a contractor who was replacing light pole fixtures with LED lights.

Savage wrote that a student discovered the suspicious item on the grass at about 7:30 p.m. When campus safety officials could not identify the object immediately, they called New London police and fire crews to secure the area. Students received the shelter-in-place text alert at 8:11 p.m.

Several police cruisers, a New London Fire Battalion Chief’s vehicle, firetrucks and an ambulance were parked off Crozier Boulevard between the Crozier-Williams Student Center and the Harris dining hall.

Savage wrote that campus safety officials contacted the campus facilities staff to inquire about contract work in the area and learned that a contractor was converting light poles to LED. Campus safety staff was told the object could be a light pole ballast left behind.

At 8:55 p.m., the state police bomb squad inspected the item and confirmed it to be part of a light pole ballast, Savage wrote.

“We are grateful for the quick response and support provided by NLPD, and the State Police,” Savage wrote to the college community. “I also appreciate the alertness of the student who reported the suspicious item. I would like to remind the campus community to contact Campus Safety whenever they have any concerns.”

The incident occurred in a week when the campus has been rocked by student and faculty demonstrations urging the Board of Trustees to oust College President Katherine Bergeron after a controversy stemming from a canceled planned fundraiser at a Florida venue with an alleged history of racial discrimination and antisemitic practices. Students are continuing to occupy the campus administration building they entered Sunday night, and classes have been canceled thus far this week.