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Jan 2022

From the President

Dear CSCU Community,

As we begin to settle into the spring semester, I am thrilled to share some of the great work happening across all of our campuses. In recent weeks, we have made emergency funding available to help hundreds of students continue their studies. We have taken in transformational philanthropic gifts. We have taken part and helped found initiatives to increase diversity in higher education, and we stood up a program to help people with disabilities find meaningful employment opportunities.

Our system and our institutions are doing incredible work on behalf of the students we serve, and I thank all of you for your passion and commitment.

Sincerely,
Terrence Cheng
President, CSCU

In the News

CSCU Announces $25 million in Direct Payments to Community College Students

President Terrence Cheng announced that the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system has completed the distribution of more than $3.6 million in emergency grants to community college students. Funded with federal COVID relief money, more than 2,400 students applied for and received $1,500 payments.

NCCF Receives $1 million Transformational Gift

The Norwalk Community College Foundation (NCCF) received a $1 million transformational gift from an anonymous donor to be used within two years to help address the most pressing needs of Norwalk Community College and its students.

Science Building at ECSU Named to Honor Trailblazing Educator Dr. David G. Carter Sr.

Eastern Connecticut State University named the Science Building on campus after David G. Carter Sr., the University’s fifth president, serving from 1988 to 2006. He was the first African American to lead a four-year institution of higher education in Connecticut and in New England when he was appointed president.

CSU Libraries Partner to Implement RapidILL

The libraries of Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Connecticut State University have partnered to implement RapidILL, a system that enhances their abilities to provide electronic access to articles and book chapters that are not available within their own collections.

CT Statewide Healthcare Industry Pathways Project Website Now Live

The CT Statewide Healthcare Industry Pathways Project (CT SHIP) website is now live and will feature continuous information about CT SHIP, the $3.4 million US Department of Labor consortium grant where Norwalk Community College serves as the lead institution with consortium partners Housatonic, Tunxis, Middlesex and Gateway Community Colleges. The total cost of CT SHIP is $6.9M. $3.4M (49%) is funded through a U.S Department of Labor – ETA grant and another $3.5M (51%) is committed through non-federal state and local resources. Doreen Forbes-Rogers was named CT-SHIP Project Director, and Theresa Pilch was named Grant Compliance Officer for the grant.

HCC and Senator Moore Announce Scholarship in Honor of State Senator Ed Gomes

Housatonic Community College and State Senator Marilyn Moore announced the creation of the Ed Gomes Memorial Endowment Fund to honor the memory of the former state senator and passionate advocate for working families. Pictured are (left to right) Senator Moore and Dr. Dwayne Smith, HCC CEO.

CCC Professor Featured on “Grating the Nutmeg: The Podcast of Connecticut History”

Antoinette Brim-Bell, professor of English at Capital Community College, discusses Ann Plato, one of the first Black women to publish a book in the United States, in a podcast titled “Another Name for Happiness: The Life of Ann Plato” on “Grating the Nutmeg: The Podcast of American History.” Ann Plato is part of Capital Community College’s NEH-funded Hartford Heritage Project.

MCC Names Two Associate Deans to Leadership Team

Manchester Community College has named Trent “T.J.” Barber associate dean of student development and Andrew “Drew” Fraser associate dean of campus operations.

NVCC Presents Annual Scholarship and Manufacturing Awards

Naugatuck Valley Community College CEO Lisa Dresdner joined Thomaston Savings Bank to present the annual Manufacturing Incentive Awards and the Thomaston Savings Bank Scholarship Award to the program’s highest achieving students.

QVCC Celebrates 50 Years and Five Champions

Quinebaug Valley Community College celebrated 50 years of serving the communities of Northeast Connecticut last fall. “Five Champions of QVCC” were also honored for their work in the betterment of the institution. They are (pictured left to right): Lynn Pasquerella, Monique Wolanin, Joy Chartier, Gary Osbrey, Karen Osbrey, and Denise Walsh.

TRCC 58th Pinning Ceremony Celebrates 38 Nursing Student Graduates

Three Rivers Community College held its 58th Nursing Pinning Ceremony in which 38 nursing students of received their nursing pin and earned an Associate of Science in Nursing. Upon completion of a licensing examination, the graduates will earn the credential of Registered Nurse.

New Gift to Fund CCSU Engineering Scholarships

Anna Sielawko, a Central Connecticut State University Polish Studies Program supporter, established the $500,000 John Eismont and Anna Sielawko Engineering Scholarship Fund for undergraduate Engineering Studies students, with preference given to applicants of Polish descent. Sielawko is pictured (left) with CCSU President Zulma Toro.

New CCSU Director of Athletics Named

Tom Pincince was appointed Central Connecticut’s Director of Athletics and has served as the CCSU interim Director of Athletics since December 2019. He spent the 17 prior seasons leading communications efforts for CCSU.

Eastern Co-Founds North Star Collective to Benefit Faculty of Color

Eastern Connecticut State University is one of 13 founding institutions of a new reparative justice effort by the New England Board of Higher Education. The North Star Collective comprises a series of initiatives to support Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) faculty. The North Star Collective Faculty Fellowship benefits junior faculty of color through their writing and publication endeavors. Eastern’s Theatre Professor DeRon Williams (left) and Social Work Professor Isabel Logan (right) were selected for the fellowship’s inaugural cohort this spring semester.

SCSU’s Rutledge Named AVP for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Dr. Kelvin Rutledge was named associate vice president for Southern Connecticut State University’s Institutional Inclusive Strategies and Change Management, the first person to hold this new position. Rutledge, currently SCSU’s director of the Office of Career and Professional Development, will start this new role on Feb. 11, 2022.

WCSU Online Graduate Degree Programs Earn Top Rankings

Western Connecticut State University again received top rankings from Intelligent.com for its M.S. in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and M.F.A. in Creative and Professional Writing programs for 2022.

CSCU, Aging and Disability Services Announce Digital Accessibility Specialist Training at WCSU

The Connecticut State Colleges & Universities and the Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services launched the Digital Accessibility Specialist training program at Western Connecticut State University to provide career opportunities for individuals with disabilities who are either unemployed or under-employed.

GearUpCT Winter 2022 Newsletter

InGear, the GearUpCT Winter 2022 Newsletter is now available and outlines the significant progress made as GEARUP students have successfully transitioned into high school and teams have been preparing, implementing, and expanding services.

Please submit story ideas for CSCU Buzz to cscu-newsletter@ct.edu.