Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education

The Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) is a government body in the U.S. state of Connecticut that oversees the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU). CSCU and the BOR were created on July 1, 2011, consolidating the governance of the state's twelve community colleges, four state universities (but not the public University of Connecticut, which is governed separately), and Charter Oak State College.[1] The BOR assumed the powers and responsibilities of the respective former Boards of Trustees and the Board for State Academic Awards;[2] it also retains many responsibilities for setting statewide policy of the former Board of Governors for Higher Education.[3]

Board composition

The BOR consists of 19 members who are Connecticut community leaders and reflect the state's geographic, racial and ethnic diversity. Voting members are not employed by or serve as a member of aboard of trustees for any independent institution of higher education in Connecticut or the Board of Trustees of the University of Connecticut. Voting board members may not be employed by or be elected officials of any public governing body during their term of membership on the Board of Regents for Higher Education. Nine members of the board are appointed by the governor of Connecticut. Four members of the board are appointed by the majority and minority leaders of both houses of the Connecticut General Assembly. The chairperson and vice-chairperson of the student advisory committee serve as members of the board. The Commissioners of Education, Economic and Community Development and Public Health and the Labor Commissioner serve as ex officio nonvoting members of the board.[1] Beginning in October 2013, the chairperson of the faculty advisory committee joined the board as an ex officio non-voting member.[4]

Board chairs

Board president and staff

The president of the Board of Regents serves as the chief executive officer of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, who administers, coordinates, and supervises the activities of the board in accordance with the policies established by the board. The president has responsibilities for:

  1. implementing the policies and directives of the board and any additional responsibilities as the board may prescribe,
  2. implementing the goals identified and recommendations made by the Planning Commission for Higher Education
  3. building interdependent support among the Connecticut State University System, the regional community-technical college system and Charter Oak State College
  4. balancing central authority with institutional differentiation, autonomy and creativity, and
  5. facilitating cooperation and synergy among the Connecticut State Universities, the community colleges, and Charter Oak State College.

An executive staff, under direction of the president, is responsible for the operation of the Board of Regents for Higher Education. The board establishes terms and conditions of employment of its staff, prescribe their duties and fix the compensation of its professional and technical personnel. Upon recommendation of the president, the Board of Regents has appointed a vice-president for the community colleges and a vice-president for the state universities with such duties that include oversight of academic programs, student support services and institutional support.[8]

Presidents
  • 07-01-2011: Michael P. Meotti (interim)[9]
  • 09-12-2011: Robert A. Kennedy[10]
  • 10-12-2012: Philip E. Austin (interim)[11]
  • 07-01-2013: Gregory W. Gray[12]
  • 09-28-2015: Mark Ojakian[13]
  • 01-01-2021: Jane Gates (interim)[14]
  • 07-02-2021: Terrence Cheng[15]

Institutions

Community colleges: Asnuntuck Community College, Capital Community College, Gateway Community College, Housatonic Community College, Manchester Community College, Middlesex Community College, Naugatuck Valley Community College, Northwestern Connecticut Community College, Norwalk Community College, Quinebaug Valley Community College, Three Rivers Community College, Tunxis Community College

State universities: Central Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, Western Connecticut State University

Online university: Charter Oak State College

Proposals

In December 2015, the Board of Regents proposed that criminal convictions be considered in employment decisions concerning professors in the university system.[16] The proposed change came after Connecticut State Senator Kevin Witkos called for accountability after a Central Connecticut State University professor, Ravi Shankar, received a raise while serving time in prison over multiple criminal convictions.[17]

In October 2017, the Board of Regents unveiled a proposal dubbed "Students First" to consolidate management of the twelve community colleges under a single accreditation to become the Community College of Connecticut. Various back office functions, such as facilities, financial aid, fiscal affairs, human resources, information technology, and institutional research were also planned for consolidation.[18]

The proposal was rejected on April 24, 2018 by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges-Commission on Higher Education (NEASC-CIHE), serving as regional accreditor for the community colleges, although the Commission left open the possibility of pursuing the plan as a new institution.[19]

On March 24, 2022 the New England Commission of Higher Education accepted CSCU’s substantive change proposal, giving the system the green light to proceed with the plans to merge Connecticut’s 12 legacy community colleges.[20]

On July 1, 2023, the commission granted Connecticut State Community College (CT State or CSCC) initial accreditation as a new singly accredited comprehensive community college and now the largest community college in New England.[21]

The combined institution will include the roughly 70,000 students at its twelve predecessor institutions with over 300 academic programs offered across its statewide branch and satellite campuses.  

References
  1. Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) Section 10a-1a. http://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_185.htm#sec_10a-1a. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  2. CGS Section 10a-71, http://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_185b.htm#sec_10a-71; CGS Section 10a-88, http://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_185b.htm#sec_10a-88, and CGS Section 10a-143(d), http://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_185b.htm#sec_10a-143. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  3. CGS Section 10a-6, http://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_185b.htm#sec_10a-6. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  4. Connecticut Public Act 13-62. http://www.cga.ct.gov/2013/act/pa/pdf/2013PA-00062-R00SB-00867-PA.pdf. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  5. "Malloy Appoints Six Members To Board of Regents For Higher Education, Hartford Courant, July 21, 2011". articles.courant.com. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  6. "Donofrio Steps Down As Regents Chair; Fleury To Replace Him, Hartford Courant, June 30, 2016". Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  7. "Lamont Appoints Joann Ryan as Chair of Board of Regents, Press Release, Office of the Governor, July 1, 2022". Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  8. CGS Section 10a-1b. http://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_185.htm#sec_10a-1b. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  9. "Meotti Appointed Interim President Of Board Of Regents, Hartford Courant, Jul. 1, 2011". articles.courant.com. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  10. "Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, Sept. 12, 2011". ct.edu. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  11. "Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, Oct. 12, 2012". ct.edu. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  12. "Board Votes to Appoint Dr. Gregory W. Gray as New President, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, May 16, 2015". ct.edu. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  13. "Mark Ojakian, Governor's Chief Of Staff, Appointed Interim CSCU President, Hartford Courant, Aug. 21, 2015". courant.com. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  14. "Board of Regents Appoints Dr. Jane Gates as Interim CSCU President, Nov. 19, 2020". ct.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
  15. "New President of Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Named".
  16. "As professor racks up convictions, CSCU unable to consider them in employment decisions", by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, The Connecticut Mirror, December 16, 2015, https://ctmirror.org/2015/12/16/as-professor-racks-up-convictions-cscu-unable-to-consider-them-in-employment-decisions/
  17. "CCSU Suspends Professor Ravi Shankar; Senator Says Fire Him" by David Moran, Hartford Courant, August 7, 2015 http://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-connecticut-senator-wants-ccsu-to-fire-ravi-shankar-0808-2-20150807-story.html
  18. "Students First", Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education, October 19, 2017, http://www.ct.edu/studentsfirst
  19. Letter to Mark E. Ojakian from David P. Angel, April 24, 2018, http://www.ct.edu/files/pdfs/NEASC_Response_4242018.pdf
  20. "NECHE Substantive Change Acceptance" (PDF). March 21, 2022.
  21. "Public Statement on Connecticut State Community College" (PDF). June 19, 2023.
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