Consolidating Community Colleges Could Save Connecticut Millions
Do you go to one of the 12 Community Colleges in Connecticut? Changes could be coming soon.
It comes as no surprise that many Connecticut Colleges and Universities are having tough financial times. WestConn recently addressed it this way:
Now comes news from courant.com that there's a plan on the table to consolidate the state's 12 community colleges into a single system.
The proposal comes from Mark Ojakian, who is the head of the state college and university system. Ojakian says that it would save an estimated $28,000,000. He told the Hartford Courant this about the proposal:
It's all about making it easier for our students to stay in school, to complete their education and to ultimately get a job and contribute to the Connecticut economy.
As far as the individual campuses and satellites, they'll still exist under the plan, but the consolidation will eliminate certain administrators by having just one vice chancellor to oversee the one "consolidated" college, as well as a single provost and a single chief financial officer. Right now, those are positions in each of the 12 campuses. The financial savings, in theory, should benefit students.
You can imagine that there is already quite a bit of push back and concern about the proposal. The article says that the public can comment on the plan until Nov. 20 and the board is expected to vote at its December meeting.
The harsh reality is that money overall is very tight, and something truly has to give to keep many of these colleges open for years to come.
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