Conn. Gov. Announces New Plan At MCC
By Olivia Jablonski
Live Wire Senior Staff Writer
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy visited Manchester Community College on Wednesday February 12, 2014 to hold a press conference to introduce his new plan called “Transform CSCU 2020,”previously called Excel CT, which is a multi-layered investment to reunite Connecticut’s twelve community colleges, four state universities, and single online college as one interdependent system designed to support students.
Courtesy of MSNBC.com
The proposal will bring 134 million dollars into the state college system which will improve technologies and the learning environment throughout the colleges in the state. It will also expand academic and work force training programs and build strong partnership with the state’s manufacturers and business community.
“We know that 70- percent of jobs in 2020 will require post-secondary education. That is why it is imperative that we garner support for these necessary investments in our students,” Governor Malloy said. “This will help colleges adapt to student needs and offer the kind of dynamic higher education experience that students want and employers expect. Let’s move our state university and community college system into the 21st century. Let’s do that together.”
Essentially, the Governor’s goal is to make higher education an actual reality for many students, and by making this happen, “Transform CSCU 2020” will ensure that Connecticut’s system of higher education remains accessible, affordable, and accountable. The plan is to establish a long-term tuition model to help plan for the cost of college. Some of the plans include improving student retention rates and increasing enrollment through new initiatives like “Go Back to Get Ahead”, which targets residents seeking to complete degrees, and outreach to returning military personnel to evaluate experiential learning for academic credit. It also includes improving system-wide credit transfer and course articulation to reduce time to degree completion and keep tuition costs in check, and developing a system-wide academic/facilities master plan to strategically map out program expansion. Most of these plans and changes sound like students will have a better experience in college than ever before.
The guests who attended and joined Gov. Malloy at the press conference were Board of Regents for Higher Education Vice Chair Yvette Melendez, Board of Regents President Gregory Gray, Connecticut Department of Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor, Conn. State Senator Steve Cassano, a former teacher and student at MCC, Mayor of Manchester Leo Diana, MCC SGA President Brian Nwafor, a good amount of students, and more education and business leaders.
Credit: Alvin Rodriguez MCC NOW Video Editor
