Communications

Dear CSCU Community,

As the semester winds to a close, I want to take a moment to pass along my immense gratitude for your good work throughout the year.                                                               

This was the first semester in a long time that resembled normalcy. Thanks in large part to your tireless efforts, enrollment has finally begun to stabilize at most of our institutions, and the intangible but very noticeable “buzz” on our campuses is beginning to feel like it did before the pandemic.

Of course, we will have a great deal of work to do in the new year – this new year especially. Our team will be fighting harder than ever for bold, new state investments, making the case that CSCU and its institutions are the primary engine of social mobility and economic impact for the state. Our students come from Connecticut, are educated in Connecticut, and they stay in Connecticut. We are second-class to no one, and we must prove that. If we are unified in this message—faculty, staff, students, and administrators—we will build capacity and support, and achieve great things. That’s what our students, our system, and our state deserve.

In the meantime, I hope you have a joyful and relaxing holiday season – whatever holidays you celebrate.

I look forward to seeing you in January.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

Dear CSCU Community,

On this date 10 years ago, 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Everyone who works in our system was impacted in some way by that horrific act—some were affected personally. A decade later, the pain and sense of shock remain, so today we remember the victims, and think of the families and communities struck by this tragedy.

Much has changed in ten years—in our country, and in the world. It is worth noting that since the Sandy Hook tragedy, more than 500 gun safety and gun violence prevention laws have been passed at the state level, and Connecticut has some of the strongest gun laws in the nation. But of course, recent tragedies in Colorado, Virginia, Texas and elsewhere, remind us there is so much more work to do. The loss of two law enforcement officers in Bristol back in October drive this point home even more.  

At CSCU, public safety and security is a top priority, but we can always do better. Anyone who puts a child on a bus, or sees a spouse or loved one out the door, or walks into an office or a store or a place of worship, should not feel that millisecond pang of dread or fear. In the classroom, and as community advocates across the state, we will continue to work with our faculty and staff, and our students, legislators and local leaders to effect positive change. The work of several Sandy Hook families and organizations must be lauded and supported. From despair and unspeakable tragedy, they have created knowledge and grace and light. They have changed how we see the world, and I am inspired by them.

On this sad day, I hope you will take a moment to reflect on what we have and what we value, as individuals, professionals, and as families; and commit to doing our best to keep communities safe across Connecticut and CSCU.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU
 

Dear CSCU Community,

Every person who serves our nation in uniform has made a significant personal sacrifice in defense of the common ideals we all hold dear. We are privileged to live in a state and a nation in which freedom, democracy, and the rule of law are deeply rooted. Yet that did not happen by accident, and it persists in large part because of the willingness of our veterans to serve, and potentially put their lives on the line.

Today, Veterans Day, is an opportunity to say thank you.

The Board of Regents, the CSCU system, and our individual institutions have a long history of serving our veterans and their families, and we are proud to count many veterans among our students and colleagues. On behalf of the BOR and our institutional leaders, I reaffirm that commitment to fostering a welcoming environment to those who have served in our military. It is one of our most important jobs as public institutions of higher education, and one we take with the utmost seriousness.

To the veterans who work and study in the CSCU system: thank you for your service. Your experiences and perspectives make our system a better place, and we owe you our profound gratitude.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

Dear CSCU Community,

This Thursday, September 15 at 10am, I will deliver my annual welcome address to the CSCU community live from the Center for New Media at Middlesex.

At that time, please join us at the below link to watch along.

• Thursday, September 15th, 10AM.  Pres. Cheng Welcome Message (YouTube)

Thanks very much, and I hope to see you Thursday.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

Dear CSCU Community:

Last week the Department of Homeland Security published a final rule on the DACA program in the Federal Registry. This new rule essentially codifies the existing DACA program into regulation with some minor changes, while the eligibility criteria and application process remain the same as the current program. However, the rule does not lift the suspension on initial applications from a July 2021 appeals court decision.

While this is a positive step in the right direction, we need a long-term legislative solution for DACA recipients, other Dreamers, their families, the higher education institutions who serve them and the employers who rely on them. In the ten years this program has been in place, more than 800,000 individuals have relied on DACA for work permits, deportation protections, and to pursue their higher education goals.

My family brought me here from Taiwan as a child to provide every opportunity to me. I understand firsthand the hopes and dreams that brought these families here. No one should be denied an opportunity to pursue their personal, education and professional goals because they were brought here as children. These are our neighbors, our friends, our loved ones, and the students we serve. They’re just as American as you or I, and they deserve every opportunity that we had.

I hope you all will join me in urging our members of Congress to find a permanent solution for our DACA students and other Dreamers that allows them to live their lives with some certainty and hope for the future.

For additional information, please see this fact sheet from the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.

• DACA Final Rule: What You Need to Know (PDF)

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng

President, CSCU

Dear CSCU Community:

With our first classes of the fall semester officially underway, I want to take a moment to wish all of our faculty, staff and administrators the very best. In my experience, the first day of classes has always been an exciting day, representing the possibility and opportunity of the academic year ahead – generally coupled with a fair bit of nervousness. It is our chance to reset, build on what we have learned, and recommit to giving our students the best possible academic experience.

All of us – whether our role is directly student-facing or not – play an important role in helping our students succeed. So as we kick off the semester in earnest, I thank you for everything you do and send you positive wishes for the weeks and months ahead.

I expect to deliver my annual livestreamed address to the CSCU community on Thursday, September 15 at 10am, and my team will share additional details, including a link, in coming days.

I look forward to seeing all of you on campus this semester.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

Dear CSCU Community:

As we embark on the holiday weekend, I want to take a moment to wish you a happy Independence Day. I know that the Fourth of July has a differing and complicated set of meanings for many members of our community, myself included. It is a day to celebrate freedom and democracy in a nation that has, at times, failed to live up to those ideals. It feels particularly precarious today, when those fundamental guarantees seem more fragile than any time in recent memory.

Still, it is my personal belief that we live in one of the greatest nations in the world. You have heard me say before, that as an immigrant, I have known the U.S. as “mei guo” (“beautiful country” in Mandarin) before I ever called it America. It is a place that has given me and my family life and opportunity that could not be dreamed of elsewhere. I will always value and cherish this; and because of this I will always work with you and for you to help achieve those individual and collective dreams.

Your hard work and dedication is further evidence and inspiration that what we work toward is indeed the greater good. Thank you for all you do on behalf of our students, communities, and state. It is never easy, but it is always something we should be proud of. You have earned this opportunity to celebrate. So as you observe the holiday this weekend, hopefully in the company of family and friends, please be safe and have a good time.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU
 

Dear CSCU Community:

This Sunday marks Juneteenth, a day to recognize the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect. It is a day to recognize the formal end to the United States’ grave historical injustice and celebrate Black individuals, communities, and cultures.

Juneteenth is also a day to reflect on the work left to do, a reminder that there is a direct link between the legacy of slavery and societal inequities that exist today. Here at CSCU, working to reduce those inequities and provide access and opportunities to students who have been traditionally left behind, is core to who we are. As our recent commencements remind us, many of our students are successful in their pursuits. Yet, despite our best efforts, we also fail too many students when institutional barriers prevent academic success and completion. As a system, it is our job to examine those barriers and do everything in our power to remove them. We can and will do better.

Juneteenth is a day that deserves to be recognized, and I am thrilled that, starting in 2023, it will finally become an official state holiday in Connecticut.

• Gov. Lamont’s Juneteenth bill signing (ct-n.com)
• Juneteenth: A celebration of freedom (nps.gov)

I hope all of you will take a moment this weekend to reflect on the significance of the holiday, celebrate the richness and diversity of Connecticut’s Black communities, and recommit to doing the work necessary to create a more equitable society.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

Dear CSCU Community,

For many, Memorial Day marks a long weekend of parades, barbecues, family gatherings, and the beginning of the summer travel season. All of our employees have worked hard this year, and you deserve a break, no doubt.

But let us also remember the meaning behind Memorial Day and honor the sacrifice of the service members who lost their lives in defense of our nation.

I encourage you to take a moment to read about some of the folks with ties to Connecticut who were killed in the line of duty.

• Members of Connecticut's Wall of Honor (ct.gov)
  
  

All of the stories on the Wall of Honor website are inspiring and heartbreaking, but I was especially struck by the profile of Army Specialist Tyanna Avery-Felder of Bridgeport, who was just 22 years old when she was killed in Iraq in 2004. She was the first Connecticut woman service member to be killed in Iraq. She was also one of our students, having spent a year at Southern Connecticut State University before enlisting in the Army. Like far too many others, Spc. Avery-Felder’s young life was cut short, and this weekend we pause to honor her and all who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

We also pay tribute the families of the fallen. I cannot imagine the pain that Gold Star parents, children, siblings, and spouses have endured – and continue to endure on a daily basis – but I keep them in my thoughts this weekend, as well.

I wish you all a meaningful Memorial Day.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

To the CSCU Community,

In the aftermath of yesterday’s school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and on the heels of the attacks in Buffalo, New York and Santa Ana, California, I want to say a few things.

First, in Connecticut, we know the pain and impact of these events all too well. Many folks are feeling the compounded effect of this trauma and I want to remind you that our campuses have resources for those who are seeking assistance and support. We are here to help and support those in need in any way we can. Please do not hesitate to reach out.

• Community college and system office EAP (the-lexington-group.com)
  • Your unique employee password is “cscuE”
• Mental health services for student-workers (illumu.com)
• CCSU Employee Assistance Program (ccsu.edu)
• Charter Oak State College’s EAP is administered by UConn Health and can be reached at 860-679-2877.
• ECSU Employee Assistance Program (solutions-eap.com)
  • Maria Weinberger, Assoc VP,. Labor Relations, is the staff contact and can be reached at 860-465-0654
• SCSU’s EAP program is administered by The Lexington Group. Employees are asked to contact human resources for long-in information (southernct.edu)
• WCSU Employee Assistance Program (wcsu.edu)

Second, I want to assure you that each of our campuses have public safety and security teams, with plans for emergency situations such as active threat. We review these plans regularly, and such horrific events only remind us of how important it is to bolster our work in this area, which we will continue to do. Of course, while our public safety response plans and staff are ready for these situations, trying to stop an individual committed to doing harm is nearly impossible. It is up to all of us to remain vigilant.

Finally, as a system of public higher education, it is our responsibility to advocate for the health, safety, and viability of the institutions, employees, and students we serve. The epidemic of gun violence in the United States threatens our communities and our campuses. I look forward to working with our state and federal elected officials to advocate for policy changes that will make our institutions better, safer places to work and learn.

Words can do no justice in the face of such tragedy. We think of our own children, families, and communities. I am with you in this, no doubt. I hope we can show each other compassion and understanding, and help healing. In that process we will grow stronger each day, hopefully, together.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

Dear CSCU Community,

On Wednesday night, the legislative session came to an end and I’m pleased to report that our systemwide advocacy efforts were successful in securing the funding needed to close our $274 million projected shortfall for FY23! 

I want to thank each and every one of you who took the time out of your busy lives to reach out to your legislators and make the case for a much needed investment in our students and our institutions. This success belongs to all of you, from the amazing students who testified at our Appropriations Committee panels, to all the faculty, staff, administrators, campus leaders, and regents who helped legislators see the value in investing in CSCU. I would like to especially thank the bargaining units that supported our advocacy requesting state support. This united effort sent a powerful signal to our legislators, and I am convinced it was a big reason for our successful legislative session.

This is a huge win for our students, our employees, our institutions, our system, and the communities we serve. This infusion of one-time support provides a lifeline for FY23 while we fight to rebuild enrollment, address our budget challenges, and come back next legislative session to make as much of these one-time funds recurring as possible.

Outside of the new funding, I’m pleased to report that working in collaboration with our partners in the legislature we were able to help secure the passage of new policy changes that will help our students and communities. This includes:

• Expanding the PACT debt free college program to part time students earning between 6-12 credits. 
• New reporting and tools to address student food insecurity.
• A new state initiative to support faculty positions and student financial aid in high demand nursing and mental health programs at the colleges and universities. 
• Increased funding and new policies to help expand child care options at our campuses.

These new state laws and much needed funding will go a long way toward helping our system to continue our mission to provide accessible, affordable, and excellent educational opportunities for all of Connecticut’s residents. Thank you again for all of your efforts and support in advocating on behalf of our students and our system this year. I look forward to working with all of you again next year to make these one-time funds recurring and convince legislators to make an even larger investment in CSCU!

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

Dear CSCU Community:

Each May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions of those of Asian descent to our CSCU community.

As you may know, I am an immigrant from Taiwan. My parents – who had previously fled mainland China when Mao Zedong came to power in 1949 – came to the United States when I was a baby, leaving good jobs behind, to give me the opportunity for a better life. In many ways, my story is typical of the immigrant experience. And I know that like my parents, many of our AAPI employees and students have sacrificed so much to be here today.

We have witnessed in recent years that anti-Asian sentiment, racism, and even violence continues to be all too prevalent. The otherization of Asian-Americans has deep roots in this country, stemming from explicitly racist policies like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the unconstitutional internment of Americans during the Second World War because of their Japanese heritage. AAPI individuals have been ascribed the problematic “model minority” label and expectations. And, tragically, hate crimes directed at Asian American communities have climbed in recent years.

Yet there is so much to celebrate. Asian Americans are an integral part of our society at large, making innumerable contributions to academia, the arts, government and politics, STEM, and culture. Here at CSCU, they are our colleagues in faculty, staff, and administrative positions, and they are our students, making each of our institutions stronger.

Of course, there is no one monolithic “AAPI community.” We are diverse in nation – or nations – of ancestry, language, race, and political affiliation. Yet AAPI individuals and communities are a big part of what makes this country great.

This month, let us celebrate the contributions of our Asian American colleagues, students, and friends, and let us commit to speaking up and speaking out against anti-AAPI sentiment.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

Dear CSCU Community,

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Rai Kathuria has accepted the position of CSCU provost/senior vice president of academic and student affairs and will officially begin his tenure on June 3, 2022.

Dr. Kathuria will join the CSCU system with experience in system-wide collaborative efforts with faculty, staff and administrators, and a proven track record of success as an academic leader, scholar and administrator. He brings strategic, collaborative and innovative leadership during this critical time in the CSCU system, as we serve the educational needs of our students coming out of the pandemic.

He comes to us from Indiana University (IU) where he is currently assistant vice president in the office of the executive vice president for University Academic Affairs (UAA) and director of the Office of Collaborative Academic Programs (OCAP), IU Online. Dr. Kathuria has served in the Office of UAA since 2016, and has 16 years of higher education experience, serving the last 14 years as a faculty member and administrator at IU.

In these roles, he creates, implements and administers online and hybrid degrees over seven IU campuses, and has created 56 undergraduate and graduate programs targeting adult and continuing learners. As the director of OCAP, he leads a system-wide collaborative effort to build and implement collaborative degrees. Dr. Kathuria is a tenured associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Indiana University East, one of the seven campuses in the IU system.

He holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Delhi in New Delhi, an M.S. in biochemistry from Hamdard University in New Delhi, and a B.S. (honors) degree in biochemistry from the University of Delhi. He also completed the management development program at Harvard University and holds master reviewer certification from Quality Matters™ and is a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Kathuria to the CSCU system. His energy, enthusiasm, sophistication, presence, and ingenuity are going to be a vital piston in the engine of CSCU’s work in the years to come. I have no doubt his efforts will help to catapult our system to the next level.

I would also like to thank Dr. Ken Klucznik, who has served as interim provost since Dr. Jane Gates’s retirement in December. Ken has handled the role ably, and I greatly appreciate his leadership and partnership over these last few months.  I am very pleased that he is returning to his position of vice president for academic affairs and will continue to contribute to the important work of the provost’s office.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities

Dear CSCU Community:

As we enter the final weeks of the 2022 legislative session, the CSCU team is working around the clock to ensure our system is fairly funded. To that end, I am happy to share with you a joint letter of advocacy signed by every institutional leader within the system and the presidents of the majority of the unions representing CSCU employees. I am proud that labor and management were able to come together to request the funding necessary to support the students and institutions we are entrusted to serve. I am optimistic that, thanks in large part to this show of unity in our advocacy efforts, we can come to a successful resolution this session.

Please take a moment to read the letter, which was sent late last week to all members of the General Assembly.

Sincerely,
Terrence Cheng

Joint Letter from CSCU Administrative and Union Leaders re: Midterm Budget Adjustments

To the Honorable Members of the Connecticut General Assembly,

We write today as leaders of our 17 CSCU institutions and the 6 unions representing more than 60,000 students and more than 15,000 faculty and staff with a joint request to help close our projected budget shortfall. This is the first time in the history of our system that CSCU labor and management have presented a united budget request to the Connecticut General Assembly, and our purpose is to underscore the seriousness of the financial challenge facing our system. 

First, we deeply appreciate the additional funding for CSCU included in the Appropriations Committee proposal. This builds on the significant investments proposed by the Governor and goes a long way toward reducing the projected shortfall for the system for FY 2022 and FY 2023. However, this proposal still leaves more than $33 million in projected shortfalls across the system in FY 2023. 

This shortfall reflects the decennial 27th payroll and associated fringe benefits required next year. While both the Governor and the Appropriations Committee proposed $10 million of carryforward funds to help CSCU cover this, it is projected to cost CSCU $40,785,409 in FY 2023. We are asking legislators to help us cover the remaining $30.8 million in 27th payroll and related fringe costs. 

The pandemic and its related enrollment impacts have depleted our revenue by $84 million (compared to FY 2019) and left our institutions with severely limited reserve balances to cover this shortfall until we are able to rebuild our enrollment. CSCU is committed to preserving our capacity to serve students with a wide range of programs at our colleges and universities across the state. Providing the funding to continue these programs is critical to our ability to support our students and deliver pathways to economic and social mobility to countless Connecticut residents, particularly for our students hardest hit by the pandemic. 

We are doing everything we can to address our financial shortfalls on our own, in addition to our request for more support from the legislature. The Board of Regents approved increasing tuition at the community colleges and the state universities by 5% next year, but we also believe that raising it any further to close this gap is not fair to our students and their families, will not serve our mission of excellence, affordability, and accessibility, and risks a further downward push on our enrollment. 

It took nearly a year and half for us to come together and reach collective bargaining agreements which do right by our students that we all serve, our employees, and our institutions. Our negotiations were contentious, difficult, and labor and management disagreed strongly on various issues. And yet, we reached fair and equitable agreements, because we agree wholeheartedly on this: our institutions are critical to the lives of our students today and those that will come tomorrow. Connecticut cannot stand by and allow these vital institutions to falter or fail while the state has the funding to support them. We urge you to support our labor agreements, and the necessary funding that is needed for our colleges and universities to thrive. 

We look forward to working with all of you and Governor Lamont to help close this funding gap to make sure we can continue to provide excellent, accessible, and affordable higher education to all of Connecticut’s residents across the colleges and universities of the CSCU system.

Sincerely,

President Joe Bertolino, Ph.D.
Southern Connecticut State University

CEO William (Terry) Brown, Ph.D.
Gateway Community College

President Terrence Cheng
Connecticut State Colleges & Universities
              
President John Clark, Ph.D.
Western Connecticut State University

CEO Michelle Coach, Ed.D.
Asnuntuck Community College 

Regional President Tom Coley, Ph.D.
Shoreline West Region Community Colleges

President Gregg Crerar
State University Organization of Administrative Faculty (SUOAF)
Local 2836 of Council 4, AFSCME
              
CEO Cheryl DeVonish, JD
Norwalk Community College

CEO Lisa Dresdner, Ph.D.
Naugatuck Valley Community College    

CEO Duncan Harris, Ed.D.
Capital Community College

Interim CEO Kimberly Hogan
Middlesex Community College  

CEO Karen Hyneck, Ed.D.
Quinebaug Valley Community College

CEO Mary Ellen Jukoski, Ed.D.
Three Rivers Community College
              
President Ed Klonoski
Charter Oak State College

Regional President Jim Lombella, Ed.D.
North-West Region Community Colleges              

President Paul Morganti
Charter Oak State College Professional Bargaining Unit
AFSCME Local 1214, Council, AFL-CIO

President Elsa Núñez, Ed.D.
Eastern Connecticut State University      

President Patricia O’Neil, Ph.D.
Connecticut State University - American Association of University Professors (CSU-AAUP)

CEO Darryl Reome, Ed.D.
Tunxis Community College          

President Mike Rooke, Ph.D.
Northwestern Connecticut Community College
Interim President, CT State

President Larry Salay
AFSCME, Local 2480 (Community Colleges)
              
CEO Dwayne Smith, Ph.D.
Housatonic Community College

Regional President Rob Steinmetz, Ed.D.
Capital-East Region Community Colleges              

President Zulma Toro, Ph.D.
Central Connecticut State University

Dear CSCU Community:

March 31 marks Transgender Day of Visibility, and I would like to take the opportunity to reaffirm to our trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming community members that you are seen and valued. You are esteemed colleagues and friends who make our institutions stronger because of your lived experiences.

In recent months we have seen a noticeable uptick from politicians around the country – and, yes, even here in Connecticut – proposing anti-trans legislation and engaging in hateful and transphobic discourse. The Board of Regents for Higher Education and the CSCU system have long been at the forefront of inclusivity. We understand that respecting each other’s humanity and expanding accommodations to allow every person to live their truth improves our community and the educational services we offer.

As long as I am president of this system, I will continue to advocate for our trans community members and push for policies and procedures to make our institutions even more welcoming.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU
 

Dear CSCU community,

Today I share the bittersweet news that Dr. Steve Minkler will be moving on from his role as CEO of Middlesex Community College. His final day at MxCC is April 7. Fortunately, he’s not going far, as he has accepted the position of Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Central Connecticut State University.

During Steve’s decade at Middlesex, he oversaw the creation of an Honors Program, credit-bearing programs in Computer Information Technology, Health Information Management, New Media Production, Veterinary Technology, and post-primary certifications in diagnostic imaging, and an expanded set of offerings for short-term workforce training. He helped secure over $13 million in federal, state, and private grants to enhance academic programs and student support services, to create a GEAR UP partnership serving over 650 high school students in the city of Meriden, and to build the state-of-the-art Center for New Media.

Dr. Minkler expanded partnerships with CCSU to bring university classes and a recruiting office to Middlesex’s campus. He worked closely with nearby Wesleyan University to build the Center for Prison Education partnership, jointly offer filmmaking classes, and allow Middlesex Honors students to take two classes at Wesleyan free of charge. And, he has nurtured close relationships with Middlesex Health and Pieper Veterinary, which serve as the clinical teaching locations for the Radiologic Technology and Veterinary Technology programs.

Steve also co-created the monthly "Courageous Conversations" series and developed the college's Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Both have fueled work on campus to create an inclusive, compassionate environment, address equity gaps, and strengthen a sense of community for all faculty, staff, and students.

I thank Steve for his great work at Middlesex and congratulate him on the new role at CCSU.

I am also very pleased to announce that Kim Hogan, MxCC’s current Dean of Administration, has agreed to assume the role of interim CEO. I am fully confident that Kim has the skills and experience to be a highly successful leader for the Middlesex campus.
 
Dean Hogan will provide leadership through June 2023, while we conduct a full national search for a permanent CEO. We look forward to engaging the campus community in the search as we’ve done in the past. 
 
Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

Rob Steinmetz
Regional President, Capital-East

Dear CSCU Community:

Today marks the start of the 2022 Women’s History Month, an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women in our historical endeavors to build a more equitable society. Through hard work, organization, and occasionally civil disobedience, women have overcome significant obstacles. Winning the right to vote in 1920 is an obvious example. But other victories are less well known today: women won the right to serve on federal juries in 1957, to access credit in their own name in 1974, to guarantee they wouldn’t be fired for getting pregnant until 1978, and to serve in military combat in 2013.

There has been real and demonstrable progress in recent years but change is slow for white woman and even slower for women from minority communities.
 
Of course, Women’s History Month should not be restricted to cisgender women. Despite some gains, trans women are amongst the most discriminated people in our society. A significant number of states continue to have no protections – discrimination remains ostensibly legal – for trans individuals. And trans kids continue to be subject to widespread harassment at school, in their communities, in the media and in political rhetoric.

Connecticut, thankfully, is better than that. Connecticut has some of the strongest laws protecting women’s rights and we were one of the first states to adopt significant protections based on gender identity. And CSCU, at the direction of the Board of Regents, has actively worked, through policy and in practice, to foster a welcoming and affirming environment.

We must recognize that much work remains, from equal pay, to representation in corporate boardrooms and government. All of us in public higher education have a role in building that better, more equitable future. Our institutions and the education they provide can and should be a ladder to economic and social mobility. Let us look at women’s history, at the ongoing struggle for equal rights, as an inspiration for that work.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

Dear CSCU Community,

As we head into the weekend, we have all seen the horrific images from the invasion of Ukraine. It is important to remember that, as a state with tens of thousands of Ukrainian-Americans residents, many within the CSCU system continue to have family members in the region.   As this siege persists, let us keep our colleagues, students, and community members with ties to Ukraine and its neighbors in our thoughts.  

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU
 

Dear CSCU Community,

Each February, we celebrate Black History Month in the United States and reflect on the rich economic, scientific, civic, cultural, and educational contributions of Black Americans to our society at large.

Appropriately, this year’s Black History Month theme is health and wellness. This highlights the difficult reality that the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated health disparities between white communities and communities of color – disparities that have, tragically, existed for generations. Of course, it also highlights the work Black Americans have done to build and strengthen the medical and public health fields, often finding innovative solutions in the face of discrimination. The creation of the Howard University College of Medicine and Meharry Medical College, for instance, was necessary because aspiring physicians who were Black were barred studying medicine at traditionally white institutions. Of course, it is not difficult to draw a direct line from this segregation in early medicine to disproportionate health outcomes, even generations later.

I also use Black History Month as the opportunity to ask myself and our institutions what we are doing to break cycles of discrimination that continue to exist today. How can we, as diverse institutions, better serve all of our students, and in particular our students of color? How can we do more to ensure our employee population more closely resemble the diverse communities and state we serve? I certainly don’t have all of the answers, but my commitment – and that of each of our extraordinary campus, system and BOR leaders – to diversity, equity and inclusion is steadfast. I am confident that by working together, defining shared goals for a stronger and more diverse community, and creating plans of action, we can better serve our students and do our small part in the effort to bring equity to our state.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

P.S. I am sharing some additional resources below.

• The Official BHM website (blackhistorymonth.gov)
• NCI study highlights pandemic’s disproportionate impact on Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Latino adults (nih.gov)
• The forgotten history of defunct black medical schools in the 19th and 20th centuries and the impact of the Flexner Report (nih.gov)
• Black History Month Toolkit (minorityhealth.hhs.gov)

Dear CSCU Community,

I am writing today to give you an update on a change in the system office organizational structure.

Broadly speaking, the new structure will consist of two new teams. The first, under the leadership of CFO Ben Barnes, will bring together all finance and administrative functions in order to organize their services, practices, policies and expertise, and to provide better services to the campuses and system office. This will expand his direct reports to include IT and HR Vice Presidents in addition to the Finance and Facilities leaders who currently serve on his team. At the same time, Andy Kripp has made the decision to step back from his role as vice president for human resources and into an advisory position. I greatly appreciate Andy’s continued service in this capacity and thank the new administrative team in advance for their hard work ahead to improve services at CSCU.

In addition, Chief of Staff Dr. Alice Pritchard who manages the President’s office as well as the Board Affairs office will reposition her team to prioritize efforts on strategic planning and partnerships, external relations, resource development, and workforce initiatives. Her team which includes communications, government relations, board affairs, and legal affairs functions will be focused on ensuring CSCU is positioned to take advantage of partnerships with state agencies, business and municipal leaders, community organizations and others to bring resources to our institutions and most importantly our students.

It is important to note that, except for a few managers, reporting lines will not change for most employees. However, I believe that the changes will foster additional interdepartmental collaboration, greater strategic capacity, and improved external relations and ultimately yield better results for the institutions and students we serve.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU
 

Dear CSCU Community,

Before the hustle and bustle that comes with the beginning of the semester, we take a moment to reflect on the life of Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. and his enduring legacy. Of course, Dr. King’s teachings, strength through nonviolence, the importance of universal and equitable education, and an emphasis on community service, continue to influence the fight for social justice. As one of our most iconic leaders of the 20th century, and the most prolific orator of a generation, the power of his deeds and words continue to inspire us.

More than 50 years after his assassination there has been progress, but many of Dr. King’s dreams remain unfulfilled. And in recent years, we have backslid on a number of important issues – from states working to make it more difficult for people to vote, to concerted attacks on k-12 curricula that teach the history of racial oppression in the United States. Democracy and freedom are fragile concepts if we do not work to codify them as reality for all.

Let us understand that the roles we play in higher education—faculty, staff, and students—are more important than ever. Our public colleges and universities, long paragons for creative thought and robust debate, must continue to fulfill our critical responsibility as the most accessible high-quality educational opportunity for all residents, regardless of their socioeconomic background. By doing our part with boldness, integrity, and consistency, we will live up to Dr. King’s teachings and move society in a more equitable direction.

I hope you have a relaxing and meaningful day before we hit the ground running this week. Thanks again to all of you for what you do. Your ethos and work weave the tapestry that is CSCU. As single threads we are weak, but together we are strong.

Sincerely,

Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU