February 9, 2011

GOV. MALLOY PLAN TO OVERHAUL HIGHER EDUCATION

EMPOWERS LOCAL CAMPUSES, DIRECTS MORE MONEY TO TEACHING

Will create one board to oversee CSU, community colleges, Charter Oak, Board of Governors for Higher Ed; Consolidates central offices into one office reporting to one CEO

(HARTFORD, CT) -- Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced a sweeping plan to overhaul the state's higher education governance and structure to provide more resources for classroom teaching and instruction to help increase the number of students receiving degrees. Governor Malloy's plan will empower Connecticut State University System and community college local campuses without closing or combining them, while at the same time, saving taxpayers and students tens of millions of dollars over time. The University of Connecticut will function separately from this governance.

Minnesota is a comparable system to the one Governor Malloy has proposed. The University of Minnesota, like the University of Connecticut, will remain separate, while other public two- and four-year schools have a combined governance system.

"The facts are clear: every state is growing in the percentage of adults with degrees, but Connecticut's rate of increase for young adults has dropped to 34th out of 50 states," said Governor Malloy. "Tuition has increased, and the time it takes to earn a degree at these institutions exceeds the traditional four- or two-year curriculum. In addition, the Connecticut State University System and community colleges in Connecticut spend less of their total operating budget on teaching than comparable northeastern states. We need to make sure we're preparing our young men and women to have a competitive edge and at the moment, we're not doing a good enough job."

The core elements of Governor Malloy's reorganization plan are:

1. Eliminate the boards for the Connecticut State University System, the community colleges, Charter Oak State College and the Board of Governors for Higher Education and combine their authority into one Board of Regents for Higher Education.

2. Consolidate the central offices of CSU and the community college system and the management of DHE and Charter Oak State College into one office reporting to one CEO.

3. Direct the Board of Regents and CEO to develop a strategic plan with public and stakeholder participation to increase Connecticut's educational attainment.

4. Direct the Board of Regents to develop a formula to distribute taxpayer support to campuses on the basis of enrollment, attainment of identified policy goals and other factors.

5. Require the Board to develop annual reports on:
a. Student outcomes such as retention and graduation
b. Financial issues including
i. Allocation of resources across functions (education, administration, etc.)
ii. Analysis of costs and revenues on an academic program basis
iii. An affordability index based on median Connecticut family household income
c. Enrollment and completions on a program basis
d. Transfer of credits across institutions
e. Employment and earning outcomes of graduates (in partnership with the state Department of Labor)

"The students who attend one of our CSU campuses, community colleges or Charter Oak State College are most in need of a student- friendly pathway to overcome the challenges that prevent them from graduating," said Governor Malloy. "The lack of college readiness demands stronger partnerships with local high schools. The mobility of students demands the efficient transfer of credits. And the interest in career-oriented programs demands responsiveness to employers.

"This won't be easy, and certainly there are a lot of people listening to this who believe things are fine just the way they are. I disagree, and that's why I'm proposing this overhaul to help put more money toward teaching, and less toward central office and board hierarchy. We need to adapt to a broad and changing economy and this will help us do that."

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For Immediate Release: February 9, 2011

Contact: Juliet Manalan

Twitter: @GovMalloyOffice

Facebook: Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy