The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Board of Regents has voted overwhelmingly to restructure CSCU, consolidating 12 community colleges into one accredited institution.
The controversial move, which is projected to save nearly $28 million a year in administrative costs, but not affect faculty positions, was approved Thursday afternoon with 12 board members voting in favor and one abstaining, according to Spokesperson Maribel La Luz.
Dubbed “Students First,” the plan outlined by CSCU President Mark Ojakian would shed nearly 190 people in top administrative positions by 2021.
In tweets posted and retweeted by La Luz, Ojakian told a packed room he respected the right of members of the public to disagree, but touted key advantages. One includes that under consolidation, each college campus will remain intact.
The structural changes would have to be authorized by the accrediting body, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). La Luz said that approval would be sought next spring or summer.
