[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6648789,"mediaKeyId","2623654-76785d3fcc5f0829304aad6d158a9086","parentId",2623654,"title","Faculty and unions blast Charter Oak scaling report; regents call for further review","audioSeconds",1976,"startMs",2372000,"endMs",4348000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2623654-76785d3fcc5f0829304aad6d158a9086&start=2372&end=4348","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2623654-76785d3fcc5f0829304aad6d158a9086/thumbnail_2372000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6648789/Connecticut/Faculty-and-unions-blast-Charter-Oak-scaling-report-regents-call-for-further-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6648789-d0c078a643622fd8cf6c5199e2790ddd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770917285&Signature=dDshszJXRvJ1yqFpObIap0qwOhh-~lSLH0eFIl0ChOKnHDC4dT7Eu5Lthp1LC3pFNdOYida2MA8MirgKIe7ZRAf4HsRGmXVDIrifMgRb5DyDMlZLCnAtnoQ-v7BHo4qqffTQyqPDqEbmmXjUbQTgavzq1hG5KFNa0Qc8a5OCAwX4R-6qKKT0heo2vYsU0tSBqd3bbN4QG9Q2xcHI4fg9kP5qIXX5j221ffzWHPwlKI6Jvpo3kLx~FX1yiAqQBNMdZNmmFfUR8wrL9hHUGTJZkC8KHtyBTY--I3UmcgBYBR3e5JAx2J0RIofcFjrY6PDZGvnLPEg0v7B15BHyK2657Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Connecticut State Colleges and Universities CT","date","2025-02-12T11:38:38.687Z","article","At the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) Board of Regents meeting in January 2025, dozens of faculty and union representatives criticized a task force report that recommended scaling Charter Oak State College's online offerings and adding AI-driven student supports, saying the plan risked duplicating existing programs and lowering educational quality.

The criticism came during a public-comment block in which professors from multiple CSU campuses called on the board to reject or substantially revise the Charter Oak Scaling Task Force report. Andrew Smith, a professor of English at Southern Connecticut State University, told the board, \"Online courses are not the way to do this,\" arguing that asynchronous, large-scale online offerings fail to provide the interaction and onboarding many secondary-school students need to succeed in college-level work. \"No matter how well an ASYNC class is designed, students might have their personal interactions and development opportunities for faculty and peers that lead to meaningful long term educational value,\" he said.

The comments reflected common themes: potential program duplication with the four regional comprehensive universities (Eastern, Central, Southern and Western), concern that a primarily online model would harm workforce programs that require hands-on training, and warnings that aggressive online expansion can amount to \"predatory inclusion\" that disproportionately funnels low-income and Black students into lower-quality online offerings. \"The plan will generate revenue while decreasing the value,\" Christina Barman, a sociology professor at Central Connecticut State University, said. \"It turns a public good into a private institution and turns our students into customers.\"

Why this matters: Regents and system leaders framed the report as a response to a real enrollment trend: many Connecticut residents currently take fully online programs from out-of-state providers. Proponents say a stronger in-state online option could keep tuition dollars and workforce-related credentialing within Connecticut. Opponents say the task force's recommendations, if implemented as drafted, would cannibalize existing in-person programs that already provide strong licensure and employment outcomes.

Task force member and Regent Yang acknowledged the volume of public concern and repeatedly described the report as \"the beginning of our process, not the end.\" \"This is us working with you,\" Regent Yang said, inviting faculty and union leaders to engage as the board and its committees vet any proposals further. He said the report does not constitute a board proposal and that any concrete plan would require committee review and shared governance processes.

Charter Oak State College leadership pointed to institutional outcomes in defense of online offerings. President Klonowski said Charter Oak has a six-year graduation rate of about 56 percent, a retention rate near 74 percent, median graduate earnings reported at about $64,000 and a student loan default rate near 1.2 percent. \"Do not generalize distance learning when you're talking about Charter Oak's proposals,\" he said, asking the board and public to treat Charter Oak as part of the system with its own unionized faculty and established data.

Faculty and union testimony cited multiple specific risks they want the board to address before any action: duplication of accredited teacher-preparation programs; the unsuitability of fully asynchronous models for early-career health and education programs; reliance on AI for tutoring, advising and accessibility services; and long-term effects on regional university enrollments and faculty jobs. Dr. Manoj Mishra, AUP chapter president at Western Connecticut State University, described a prior example in which a duplicated RN-to-BSN program severely reduced enrollment at Western.

Board process and next steps: Regents said the academic affairs and finance committees will review any concrete proposals. Several regents, including Regent Yang and Chair Guay, emphasized that the board will not approve program changes that directly cannibalize existing institution programs without shared-governance review. No vote on the task force recommendations occurred at the meeting.

The public-comment record and written submissions will remain part of the board's materials as committees evaluate next steps. Regents urged faculty and staff to continue engagement through established committee channels.

Ending: The debate highlighted a larger tension for the system: how to respond to students who increasingly choose fully online, out-of-state providers while protecting the quality, accreditation, and in-person experiences that many regents and faculty say are essential for licensure and workforce readiness.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BOR - Jan 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) Board of Regents meeting in January 2025, dozens of faculty and union representatives criticized a task force report that recommended scaling Charter Oak State College's online offerings and adding AI-driven student supports, saying the plan risked duplicating existing programs and lowering educational quality.","taxTitle","Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, Higher Education, Organizations, Executive, Connecticut","taxId",15722,"location","Connecticut","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6648779,"CSCU leaders respond to comptroller findings, name compliance officer and outline reforms",126,559000,685000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2623654-76785d3fcc5f0829304aad6d158a9086&start=559&end=685","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2623654-76785d3fcc5f0829304aad6d158a9086/thumbnail_559000.jpg","/articles/6648779/Connecticut/CSCU-leaders-respond-to-comptroller-findings-name-compliance-officer-and-outline-reforms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6648779-683fe9b9ec3184b41a82bb22e0ae6d7b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770917285&Signature=CGLMmhNKUGaLlQecr1wtDnV~Iyw~q~MS5bxInZOP8xQEU9amcbJ2N0W2gr9GZ~wGsCjdhQZKOUeUBm3gMtKqRV047rpBOxrblOVFf4vepj4K-0i~o4drpyTxuFM37IPGjTezPH6hgfhDn9dUPmpySMJKQlfVQBVE1kXaHvyef6ikhSO9a2Ew~-YE~XnWPhwM~vyqrzPeG9X-QAqCeIOqh9hTzFbNNA3c9Ogx9Hiypln4I5w-leLenO2B7yGf0KR3fwGrPH4Gv4Eud7opybzX8WC5C5FDpU~yXOyG~s94zg3XedIOHw1lerJslK-HYK-deB-gcIsFVTr437uHiM2lng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board and system leaders addressed financial oversight and reforms at the January Connecticut State Colleges and Universities meeting following a December review by the Office of the State Comptroller.

Chair Guay and Chancellor Cheng told the board they had met with the comptroller's office to review findings and to discuss recommended reforms. Chancellor Cheng said the system is committed to implementing stronger internal controls, clearer policies and comprehensive training. He told regents that the system office had already hired a chief compliance officer, Cameron Liston, who \"is gonna lead our efforts\" on strengthening compliance and training.

Chancellor Cheng reviewed system-level efforts to reduce expenditures and align staffing. He said the system has reduced expenditures and staffing compared with FY19 levels and described a legislative budget request to help close a deficit: \"For the biennium, we are requesting $23,000,000 in FY26 and $21.6 million in FY27 from the General Assembly to balance the budget,\" he told the board. He also said the request assumes a tuition freeze for the following academic year and that the request does not cover potential wage increases.

The chancellor said the system had identified $60 million in expenditure reductions already and that the overall projected spending is about $100 million less than FY19. He emphasized the importance of accountability and transparency and said a policy committee will review policy ownership and enforcement across the system, beginning with P-Card policy.

Audit committee chair Lisa Wright said the audit committee postponed a meeting previously scheduled for January because of accounting work associated with a new fringe-benefits policy and a pending controller hire; the system office reported a new controller started January 24. Finance committee chair Richard Balducci said the committee reviewed student-worker pay impacts from a recent minimum-wage increase and asked for a public reconciliation of the system's capital-bond authorizations that remain unreleased by the bond commission.

Board action at the meeting was limited to routine governance votes. The meeting record includes a motion to adopt the agenda and two motions to approve minutes (Dec. 5 special board meeting and Dec. 19 meeting); each motion was recorded as carried, though the transcript does not include a full roll call with tallies for these specific votes.

Ending: Regents said they will continue oversight of policy and compliance changes, the policy committee will draft P-Card policy language for future board consideration, and the system will coordinate closely with the Office of the State Comptroller as reforms proceed.","Board members discussed the December state comptroller review of CSCU financial practices, the system's steps to implement stronger controls, and a budget request to the legislature. System leaders said a chief compliance officer has been hired and that a policy committee will begin with a P-Card policy overhaul.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6648784,"CSCU healthcare task force asks board for $20 million to expand clinical programs and shore up workforce pipeline",3864,3556000,7420000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2623654-76785d3fcc5f0829304aad6d158a9086&start=3556&end=7420","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2623654-76785d3fcc5f0829304aad6d158a9086/thumbnail_3556000.jpg","/articles/6648784/Connecticut/CSCU-healthcare-task-force-asks-board-for-20-million-to-expand-clinical-programs-and-shore-up-workforce-pipeline","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6648784-9d596e9214bb70bbff37c8c9829c9145/orig.mp4?Expires=1770917285&Signature=PJB9w8dgwWajz~ZIMfukt4JaMRWfzbprNszx0T4fUxG8LtGNvDPpaBaIWYpZbaHObqyrMpclcznIz7v4Xs7hUJEXb4IxdZl1k4jfFjZepnXbqGaBFljuGaZejTlmOudv3cZs9-vvkMQYAxRh484lH7iGcv33F6yR1XZdEjRwGwRm0bjArGTXdW60K6-zJGbzeuymL6-~P~TfHUFXQbeQAY111xXiffIzzFCQzvaau2KOKq-hPyEQ-7x~uuXFk2HwdYggLN04nonFMf~NG7kKuPlxOcw6VunuQdJrwoedeLMORqRNFz1U6bs6qPDmLoIrzCooJezOVj9qI~HUCTBIbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Board of Regents meeting in January 2025, President John Maduco and representatives of a newly formed healthcare task force presented a report and a systemwide funding request intended to strengthen clinical programs and address a statewide health-care workforce shortage.

The report identifies a broad set of workforce challenges in Connecticut and recommends a $20,000,000 funding request to support systemwide initiatives, including faculty recruitment and retention for clinical programs, replacement and modernization of clinical and simulation equipment, centralized coordination of clinical placements and admissions, scholarships and outreach to improve equity, and development of flexible pathways for nontraditional learners.

President John Maduco introduced the task force and listed institutional and external contributors. He said CSCU institutions \"play a significant role in the health care education and training space\" and that the system produces a large share of the state's health-care professionals. The task force documented a high level of unmet demand: presenters told the board there are roughly 20,000 job openings in Connecticut's health-care sector.

Dr. Sandra Bulmer, dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Southern Connecticut State University, who co-chaired the task force effort, urged investment in the existing portfolio of clinical programs. \"If you don't take anything else away from today, please know that they are one of CSCU's greatest assets,\" she said, referring to the faculty and staff who design and deliver clinical instruction. The task force highlighted outcomes data compiled for the board: for some nursing and allied-health cohorts, three-quarter employment and entry-level median earnings cited in the presentation were in ranges that task-force members said demonstrate both student upward mobility and in-state retention.

The report also detailed operational challenges: a competitive market for clinical placements and for licensed clinical faculty who can command higher wages in hospitals and health systems; the cost and short replacement lifecycle of clinical equipment and simulation technology; and the grant-funded nature of many recent expansions that may not be sustainable after external funding ends.

Recommendations to the board include a $20 million advocacy request for the governor and legislature, pursuit of employer match funding and philanthropy, centralized clinical-placement coordination across the system, scaling of high-demand programs with attention to equity and accessibility, and targeted investments in faculty and instructional technology. The task force asked that curricular and pedagogical decisions remain with campus faculty and governance processes while the system advocates for resources to sustain and expand capacity.

Board reaction was supportive of further work. Regent Balducci and other regents asked for more detail on how state and employer contributions would be structured. Regents and task-force members noted past grants (for example, health-horizon and other federal funds) had supported rapid growth but also left sustainability questions when grant periods end.

Ending: The board will carry the report into committee review and advocacy discussions; the task force urged the board to include the $20 million request in its upcoming system budget advocacy to the legislature.","A task force led by CT State and system health leaders presented a report asking the Board of Regents to seek $20 million to strengthen clinical programs, expand high-demand pathways such as nursing and respiratory care, and address clinical placement, faculty recruitment, and equipment needs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Faculty and unions blast Charter Oak scaling report; regents call for further review

CSCU leaders respond to comptroller findings, name compliance officer and outline reforms

CSCU healthcare task force asks board for $20 million to expand clinical programs and shore up workforce pipeline