Where’s the governor? In office for 100 days, we’ve heard from the him on tolls, legalizing marijuana, the economy, and the Board of Trustees shakeup at the University of Connecticut — though it has fewer than half the number of students attending community colleges and the other state universities. But no word on community college consolidation.
Charlene LaVoie
Posted inCT Viewpoints
The legislature must retake control of its college and university system
Opponents of the Board of Regents for Higher Education ill-conceived “Students First” plan are organizing, educating, petitioning, and testifying. The legislature is holding hearings. The new governor is establishing his administration. Meanwhile, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities President Mark Ojakian proceeds unchecked with his “half-baked” (as described by the accrediting agency) plan to consolidate the community colleges.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Stop the ‘Ojakian’ bill
The legislature must take back its historical and crucial control public higher education before the Board of Regents goes too far and destroys public higher education.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
General Assembly – Act now; Mr. Ojakian – Resign now
Wasting time and money, Mark Ojakian has churned the higher education community up-side down with his so-called “Students First” plan that the accrediting agency described in the press as “too half-baked to approve.” What a disgrace for Connecticut. Ojakian responded with a threat to close community colleges. Instead he should resign and the Board of […]
Posted inCT Viewpoints
‘Students First’ or Obfuscation Inc.?
In 2011, a Board of Regents for Public Higher Education (BOR) was created to supposedly save money through centralization of functions and to assure smooth student transition from community colleges to universities. But students were deceived about the transfer process as smooth transfers can be achieved without this centralized boondoggle. Since 2011, after five presidents, all there is to show is nearly quarter billion taxpayer dollars wasted on a bloated central bureaucracy with 150 employees at an annual cost of $35 million, and several failed proposals to merge the community colleges and the state universities with reassuring names such as Transform 2020, Go Back to Get Ahead, and the current plan, Students First.