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Governor M. Jodi
Rell launches CSUS 2020 at a news conference on July 23, 2008
at Central Connecticut State University. CSUS Board of
Trustees Chairman Lawrence McHugh and Senate President Pro
Tempore Donald Williams were among those at the announcement.
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CSUS
2020: Investing in Connecticut’s Future
Signed into law by Governor M. Jodi Rell on November 2,
2007 just days after near unanimous bipartisan approval by the
state legislature, CSUS 2020 is the Connecticut State
University System's comprehensive long-term capital
infrastructure investment plan.
It was developed consistent with master facilities plans
developed by its individual universities - Central, Eastern,
Southern and Western Connecticut State Universities - and
approved by the Board of Trustees.
"If there is a crown jewel in this bonding bill, it is the
program that will continue the glorious transformation of
higher education in Connecticut," Gov. Rell said.
CSUS
2020 will help to address pressing state needs in fields
such as nursing, teaching, engineering, science and
technology, and provide students with the facilities and
equipment necessary to be well-prepared to respond to the
needs of Connecticut employers and strengthen the state's
economic well-being. (See
list of projects.)
As in numerous other states, Connecticut has two distinct
systems of four-year public higher education: the
Connecticut State University System (CSUS), which includes
Central,
Eastern,
Southern
and Western
Connecticut State Universities, and the University of
Connecticut with its branch campuses. With more than
35,000 students, CSUS is the larger of the two.
The number of full-time students attending CSUS
universities has increased by 37 percent since 1996 and
undergraduate enrollment is at the highest level on record.
CSUS also has a larger percentage of students coming
from Connecticut (93 percent) and a larger percentage of
graduates who remain in Connecticut (86 percent) to pursue
careers, contributing to our economic well-being and quality
of life.
CSUS 2020 includes funds for code compliance,
infrastructure improvements, mechanical and electrical
upgrades, renovation and equipment, as well as new
construction which, in many cases, is to replace antiquated or
inadequate facilities - some dating back to the 1950’s and
1960’s. Stressing accountability and transparency, CSUS 2020
provides for project management by the Department of Public
Works and oversight by the Department of Public Safety.
CSUS 2020 is an investment in Connecticut's young people
and Connecticut's future.
Governor Rell signs CSUS 2020
legislation at Western Connecticut State University on
November 2, 2007, flanked by members of the CSUS Board of
Trustees, university presidents and legislators.
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Highlights of
projects in CSUS 2020...
scroll down to list below
Learn more about CSUS 2020…
List of projects included in
CSUS 2020
READ
MORE>
Alumni and student enrollment,
town by town
READ MORE >
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CSUS 2020 In
the News...
Governor Rell: $95
Million to Launch ‘CSUS 2020’ Expected to Gain Bond Commission
Approval
(July 23, 2008) -- Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced
that $95 million in bond funding to support the first phase of
the 10-year, $950 million Connecticut State University system
“CSUS 2020” capital improvement program is expected to gain
approval when the state Bond Commission meets August 4.
The announcement was made at an afternoon news conference
on the New Britain campus of Central Connecticut State
University in Willard Hall – a 1960s-era building that will
see major improvements under CSUS 2020.
The CSU system is comprised of Central; Eastern Connecticut
State University in Willimantic; Southern Connecticut State
University in New Haven; and Western Connecticut State
University in Danbury.
Together, the four universities have an enrollment of more
than 35,000 students, the vast majority of whom – 93 percent –
come from Connecticut. Most graduates – 86 percent – go on to
stay in the state to build their careers and families.
“Connecticut’s higher education system is going through a
remarkable transformation – far more than a simple face lift
or a scattering of new academic buildings,” Governor Rell
said. “We have enhanced academic programs, added new courses
of study in areas we know will be critical to our 21ST-century
economy and expanded the financial aid available to help
students get this all-important education. Their futures
depend upon it – and so do our own.
“Connecticut has always had a well-deserved reputation for
academic excellence and a well-trained, highly skilled and
motivated work force,” the Governor said. “That asset is a
vital element of our economy today and absolutely essential to
our success in the future. This is especially true as the
economy – in Connecticut and around the nation – expands in
technology-dependent sectors such bioscience, pharmaceuticals
and aerospace. We must also maintain our edge in businesses
that have always been a Connecticut mainstay: insurance,
financial services and manufacturing.
“Equally important, the CSUS 2020 program has numerous
safeguards to ensure accountability and oversight,” Governor
Rell said.
“Few – if any – investments are as critical as the ones we
make in the education of our children,” the Governor said. “We
are not only committed to CSUS 2020, we are committed to
making sure it is done right, for the sake of our taxpayers
and our children.”
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Highlights of
projects included in capital investment plan:
CENTRAL
CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY (New Britain)
- Willard Hall, constructed in 1953, and DiLoreto Hall,
completed in 1969, have not undergone comprehensive
renovation since their construction. The two academic
buildings, located next to one another, would undergo
comprehensive renovation of all building systems and be
joined as one facility through the construction of a
four-story in-fill addition that will provide a single ADA
accessible elevator system, and additional offices and
classrooms.
- Burritt Library was constructed in 1972 and since that
time, space demands on the library have grown in terms of
collection size, student use, and library automation.
This project includes renovation of the existing library and
the construction of an addition, primarily for library,
media and information services functions.
- The public safety facilities at Central are in a wood
frame single family splitlevel house built in approximately
1960, connected to two mobile homes. Design for a
public safety facility is complete; FY2008 includes funds
for construction.
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE
UNIVERSITY (New Haven)
- A multi-phased renovation, construction and demolition
program will develop a new academic laboratory building and
parking garage. The project calls for demolition of
Seabury Hall, built in 1956 as a dormitory and subsequently
reassigned for faculty use without substantial
renovation. It has deteriorated significantly, and has
long been recommended for demolition, yet presently houses
the School of Business.
- CSUS 2020 also includes construction of a Health and
Human Services instructional building at Southern,
centralizing departments and providing upgraded clinical
facilities to support growing programs in Nursing,
Communications Disorders, Social Work and Public Health, as
well as inter-disciplinary faculty research and teaching.
WESTERN CONNECTICUT STATE
UNIVERSITY (Danbury)
- The plan provides for the comprehensive renovation of
the interior and exterior of Berkshire Hall, built in 1958,
including roofing, windows, brickwork, and mechanical and
electrical systems to meet academic needs. One of the
major goals of the project will be the creation of a central
location for the School of Professional Studies, which
includes the Nursing, Education and Social Work Departments.
- The arts departments are currently housed in facilities
that are outdated and grossly inadequate for University
needs. A new facility, to be constructed on the
Westside Campus, would bring programs together in facilities
reflecting state-of-the-art technology, to be utilized by
students for classes required as part of the core academic
curriculum as well as those with majors in the arts.
EASTERN CONNECTICUT STATE
UNIVERSITY (Willimantic)
- Constructed in 1966, Eastern’s Goddard Hall has had
minimal renovations through the years, and presently houses
science facilities, general purpose classrooms and computer
labs. The building has asbestos paint, tile, and lab
hoods which will need abatement, and lighting, data,
electrical, and HVAC systems are all outdated and need to be
upgraded for future use.
- Development of a new campus police station in
FY2008. The police are currently located in a former
private residence that is insufficient for current
department needs.
- A new fine arts instructional facility is needed to
provide classroom and instructional space for non-majors as
well as students majoring in the arts. The current
arts academic program is housed in Shafer Hall, built in
1946 for classrooms and offices. Subsequently, use of
the facility was redirected for the arts, however, it
contains obsolete and poorly equipped classrooms and
facilities.
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University
Presidents Comment on CSUS 2020
President Cheryl
Norton
Southern Connecticut
State University
“Our attention will be focused first on long-awaited
remodels and new construction identified in our campus master
plan. We will also be addressing programmatic needs in
areas where students are showing the greatest interest. For
example, our latest enrollment report shows that business
administration, along with science and health-related fields,
lead the way.”
 President John Miller
Central Connecticut
State University
“At Central, we are grateful to Gov. M. Jodi Rell and
members of the General Assembly for approving the "CSUS 2020"
bond package. This will enable Central to make critically
needed improvements in our academic buildings, ensuring that
our students continue to receive a quality education in a
supportive environment.”
 President Elsa Nuñez
Eastern Connecticut
State University
“The funds authorized by the CSUS 2020 bond bill will
provide Eastern students with much needed equipment and
instructional space. The General Assembly’s investment
in CSUS will yield dividends to our state for years to come as
we seek to maintain and improve Connecticut’s economic
competitiveness.”
 President James Schmotter
Western Connecticut
State University
“At Western, our burgeoning enrollments have placed a
notable strain on many of our classroom and laboratory
facilities. CSUS will help address that, and will enable us to
continue to provide access to high-quality public education
for the citizens of Connecticut.”
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Middletown
Press
Editorial
November 5,
2007
"There are
sensible safeguards that should have been included in the
original UConn package and were, perhaps, omitted out of an
enthusiasm for the project. But we are confident that
CSUS 2020 will go forward under the competent leadership of
the chancellor, Dr. David Carter, who led the first stages of
Eastern's renovations effectively, cost-efficiently and with
hands-on oversight. Now that he is leading all four
campuses, we expect the same high level of accomplishment."
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Hartford Courant
October 23,
2007
"The importance
of CSUS to the Connecticut economy is undeniable: Two of every
three teachers in Connecticut's public schools are CSUS
graduates, CSUS confers more bachelor's degrees in the STEM
fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)
than any other college in the state and CSUS plays a leading
role in the preparation of professionals for social work and
nursing."
READ MORE
David F.
Walsh
President
of the Connecticut State University American Association of
University Professors, which represents more than 3,000
faculty, librarians, coaches and counselors.
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Danbury News Times
October 14,
2007
“At a time when the eroding cohort
of 20- and 30-year-olds headline virtually every report about
Connecticut's population, CSUS graduates are one group that
sticks in our state. Thus, improving the education provided by
these institutions is clearly an investment in Connecticut's
future, the benefits of which will accrue to every resident.
So, just who are these
graduates? They are our future teachers (already, two of every
three classroom teachers in Connecticut schools graduates from
a CSUS university), small business entrepreneurs and bank
presidents, directors of nursing and mechanical engineers,
chambers of commerce executives and municipal fire chiefs. In
the traditional Land of Steady Habits, they are precisely the
people who will keep Connecticut steady, our economy growing
and our quality of life second to none.”
READ MORE>
Harold C.
Wibling
Chairman of
the Board, Western Connecticut State University Foundation
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Hartford Courant
October 2,
2007
“To put
it bluntly, the quality of the education we provide the 36,000
students attending Connecticut's largest university system
will, to a great extent, define Connecticut's future. A high
proportion of these graduates - 86 percent - remain in the
state to work and raise a family. This is the highest
retention rate of all public and private four-year colleges
and universities in Connecticut. In the age of global
competition, we need to act now to better prepare our future
workforce by closing the urban achievement gaps and opening
the doors to higher education and the opportunities it
affords.”
READ MORE>
Oz
Greibel
President
and CEO, MetroHartford Alliance
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New Haven Register
October 17,
2007
“There’s no
doubt that the dollars invested by Connecticut taxpayers in
the ten-year CSUS 2020 plan would pay dividends right here at
home. … it is not only in their interest, but in our interest
as a state, to provide these students with the facilities they
need to fully prepare to take their place in our state’s work
force upon graduation; particularly when state Department of
Labor statistics show that between 2002 and 2012, more than
half of the new jobs statewide will require significant
post-secondary education or a higher education degree.”
READ
MORE>
John
Soto
President/CEO
Space-Craft Mfg.
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Hartford Courant
October 8, 2007
“CSUS 2020 is squarely focused on Connecticut: our young
people, our workforce, our business climate and our quality of
life. As economists and demographers point out,
Connecticut is changing and the opportunity to reverse
unsettling trends, such as a projected drop in the number of
students with four-year college degrees, is upon us right now.
CSUS 2020 brings greater transparency, oversight and
accountability:
- Requiring the involvement of the state
Department of Public Works in project management, which was
not part of UConn 2000.
- Requiring the state Department of
Public Safety to review the design and construction of
buildings for compliance with fire, safety and building codes,
a provision absent from the original UConn 2000 plan.
READ MORE>
David G. Carter
Chancellor, Connecticut State
University System
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More about
CSUS 2020
Governor
Rell signs CSUS 2020 plan into law
"If there is a crown jewel in this
bonding bill, it is the program that will continue the
glorious transformation of higher education in Connecticut." -
Governor Rell
CSUS
Board Chairman and Chancellor Express Appreciation to
Governor, State Legislators
"A generation of Connecticut’s
young people, the core of our state’s future, will now have a
better opportunity to reach their potential. Governor
Rell, legislative leaders - Senate President Williams, Speaker
Amann, Senate Minority Leader McKinney, and House Minority
Leader Cafero - and the members of the General Assembly are to
be commended for their vision and steadfast commitment to our
students and our state."
Senate
President Don Williams Applauds Signing of CSUS 2020
"It is probably
the most historic thing the General Assembly has done for
higher education since UConn 2000. We saw the incredible
transformation that brought about for the University of
Connecticut. This will do the same for our State University
System."
Senate President Don Williams
Comments
on CSUS 2020…
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