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Governor M. Jodi Rell launches CSUS 2020 at a news conference on July 23, 2008 at Central Connecticut State University. CSUS Board of Trustees Chairman Lawrence McHugh and Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams were among those at the announcement.
Governor Rell's News Release on CSUS 2020 Plan
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CSUS 2020: Investing in Connecticut’s Future
Signed into law by Governor M. Jodi Rell on November 2, 2007 just days after near unanimous bipartisan approval by the state legislature, CSUS 2020 is the Connecticut State University System's comprehensive long-term capital infrastructure investment plan.
It was developed consistent with master facilities plans developed by its individual universities - Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Connecticut State Universities - and approved by the Board of Trustees.
"If there is a crown jewel in this bonding bill, it is the program that will continue the glorious transformation of higher education in Connecticut," Gov. Rell said.
CSUS 2020 will help to address pressing state needs in fields such as nursing, teaching, engineering, science and technology, and provide students with the facilities and equipment necessary to be well-prepared to respond to the needs of Connecticut employers and strengthen the state's economic well-being. (See list of projects.)
As in numerous other states, Connecticut has two distinct systems of four-year public higher education: the Connecticut State University System (CSUS), which includes Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Connecticut State Universities, and the University of Connecticut with its branch campuses. With more than 35,000 students, CSUS is the larger of the two.
The number of full-time students attending CSUS universities has increased by 37 percent since 1996 and undergraduate enrollment is at the highest level on record. CSUS also has a larger percentage of students coming from Connecticut (93 percent) and a larger percentage of graduates who remain in Connecticut (86 percent) to pursue careers, contributing to our economic well-being and quality of life.
CSUS 2020 includes funds for code compliance, infrastructure improvements, mechanical and electrical upgrades, renovation and equipment, as well as new construction which, in many cases, is to replace antiquated or inadequate facilities - some dating back to the 1950’s and 1960’s. Stressing accountability and transparency, CSUS 2020 provides for project management by the Department of Public Works and oversight by the Department of Public Safety.
CSUS 2020 is an investment in Connecticut's young people and Connecticut's future.
Governor Rell signs CSUS 2020 legislation at Western Connecticut State University on November 2, 2007, flanked by members of the CSUS Board of Trustees, university presidents and legislators.
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Highlights of projects in CSUS 2020...
scroll down to list below
Learn more about CSUS 2020…
List of projects included in CSUS 2020
READ MORE>
Alumni and student enrollment, town by town
READ MORE >
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CSUS 2020 In the News...
Governor Rell: $95 Million to Launch ‘CSUS 2020’ Expected to Gain Bond Commission Approval
(July 23, 2008) -- Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that $95 million in bond funding to support the first phase of the 10-year, $950 million Connecticut State University system “CSUS 2020” capital improvement program is expected to gain approval when the state Bond Commission meets August 4.
The announcement was made at an afternoon news conference on the New Britain campus of Central Connecticut State University in Willard Hall – a 1960s-era building that will see major improvements under CSUS 2020.
The CSU system is comprised of Central; Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic; Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven; and Western Connecticut State University in Danbury.
Together, the four universities have an enrollment of more than 35,000 students, the vast majority of whom – 93 percent – come from Connecticut. Most graduates – 86 percent – go on to stay in the state to build their careers and families.
“Connecticut’s higher education system is going through a remarkable transformation – far more than a simple face lift or a scattering of new academic buildings,” Governor Rell said. “We have enhanced academic programs, added new courses of study in areas we know will be critical to our 21ST-century economy and expanded the financial aid available to help students get this all-important education. Their futures depend upon it – and so do our own.
“Connecticut has always had a well-deserved reputation for academic excellence and a well-trained, highly skilled and motivated work force,” the Governor said. “That asset is a vital element of our economy today and absolutely essential to our success in the future. This is especially true as the economy – in Connecticut and around the nation – expands in technology-dependent sectors such bioscience, pharmaceuticals and aerospace. We must also maintain our edge in businesses that have always been a Connecticut mainstay: insurance, financial services and manufacturing.
“Equally important, the CSUS 2020 program has numerous safeguards to ensure accountability and oversight,” Governor Rell said.
“Few – if any – investments are as critical as the ones we make in the education of our children,” the Governor said. “We are not only committed to CSUS 2020, we are committed to making sure it is done right, for the sake of our taxpayers and our children.”
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Highlights of projects included in capital investment plan:
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY (New Britain)
- Willard Hall, constructed in 1953, and DiLoreto Hall, completed in 1969, have not undergone comprehensive renovation since their construction. The two academic buildings, located next to one another, would undergo comprehensive renovation of all building systems and be joined as one facility through the construction of a four-story in-fill addition that will provide a single ADA accessible elevator system, and additional offices and classrooms.
- Burritt Library was constructed in 1972 and since that time, space demands on the library have grown in terms of collection size, student use, and library automation. This project includes renovation of the existing library and the construction of an addition, primarily for library, media and information services functions.
- The public safety facilities at Central are in a wood frame single family splitlevel house built in approximately 1960, connected to two mobile homes. Design for a public safety facility is complete; FY2008 includes funds for construction.
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY (New Haven)
- A multi-phased renovation, construction and demolition program will develop a new academic laboratory building and parking garage. The project calls for demolition of Seabury Hall, built in 1956 as a dormitory and subsequently reassigned for faculty use without substantial renovation. It has deteriorated significantly, and has long been recommended for demolition, yet presently houses the School of Business.
- CSUS 2020 also includes construction of a Health and Human Services instructional building at Southern, centralizing departments and providing upgraded clinical facilities to support growing programs in Nursing, Communications Disorders, Social Work and Public Health, as well as inter-disciplinary faculty research and teaching.
WESTERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY (Danbury)
- The plan provides for the comprehensive renovation of the interior and exterior of Berkshire Hall, built in 1958, including roofing, windows, brickwork, and mechanical and electrical systems to meet academic needs. One of the major goals of the project will be the creation of a central location for the School of Professional Studies, which includes the Nursing, Education and Social Work Departments.
- The arts departments are currently housed in facilities that are outdated and grossly inadequate for University needs. A new facility, to be constructed on the Westside Campus, would bring programs together in facilities reflecting state-of-the-art technology, to be utilized by students for classes required as part of the core academic curriculum as well as those with majors in the arts.
EASTERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY (Willimantic)
- Constructed in 1966, Eastern’s Goddard Hall has had minimal renovations through the years, and presently houses science facilities, general purpose classrooms and computer labs. The building has asbestos paint, tile, and lab hoods which will need abatement, and lighting, data, electrical, and HVAC systems are all outdated and need to be upgraded for future use.
- Development of a new campus police station in FY2008. The police are currently located in a former private residence that is insufficient for current department needs.
- A new fine arts instructional facility is needed to provide classroom and instructional space for non-majors as well as students majoring in the arts. The current arts academic program is housed in Shafer Hall, built in 1946 for classrooms and offices. Subsequently, use of the facility was redirected for the arts, however, it contains obsolete and poorly equipped classrooms and facilities.
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University Presidents Comment on CSUS 2020
President Cheryl Norton
Southern Connecticut State University
“Our attention will be focused first on long-awaited remodels and new construction identified in our campus master plan. We will also be addressing programmatic needs in areas where students are showing the greatest interest. For example, our latest enrollment report shows that business administration, along with science and health-related fields, lead the way.”
 President John Miller
Central Connecticut State University
“At Central, we are grateful to Gov. M. Jodi Rell and members of the General Assembly for approving the "CSUS 2020" bond package. This will enable Central to make critically needed improvements in our academic buildings, ensuring that our students continue to receive a quality education in a supportive environment.”
 President Elsa Nuñez
Eastern Connecticut State University
“The funds authorized by the CSUS 2020 bond bill will provide Eastern students with much needed equipment and instructional space. The General Assembly’s investment in CSUS will yield dividends to our state for years to come as we seek to maintain and improve Connecticut’s economic competitiveness.”
 President James Schmotter
Western Connecticut State University
“At Western, our burgeoning enrollments have placed a notable strain on many of our classroom and laboratory facilities. CSUS will help address that, and will enable us to continue to provide access to high-quality public education for the citizens of Connecticut.”
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Middletown Press
Editorial
November 5, 2007
"There are sensible safeguards that should have been included in the original UConn package and were, perhaps, omitted out of an enthusiasm for the project. But we are confident that CSUS 2020 will go forward under the competent leadership of the chancellor, Dr. David Carter, who led the first stages of Eastern's renovations effectively, cost-efficiently and with hands-on oversight. Now that he is leading all four campuses, we expect the same high level of accomplishment."
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Hartford Courant
October 23, 2007
"The importance of CSUS to the Connecticut economy is undeniable: Two of every three teachers in Connecticut's public schools are CSUS graduates, CSUS confers more bachelor's degrees in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) than any other college in the state and CSUS plays a leading role in the preparation of professionals for social work and nursing."
READ MORE
David F. Walsh
President of the Connecticut State University American Association of University Professors, which represents more than 3,000 faculty, librarians, coaches and counselors.
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Danbury News Times
October 14, 2007
“At a time when the eroding cohort of 20- and 30-year-olds headline virtually every report about Connecticut's population, CSUS graduates are one group that sticks in our state. Thus, improving the education provided by these institutions is clearly an investment in Connecticut's future, the benefits of which will accrue to every resident.
So, just who are these graduates? They are our future teachers (already, two of every three classroom teachers in Connecticut schools graduates from a CSUS university), small business entrepreneurs and bank presidents, directors of nursing and mechanical engineers, chambers of commerce executives and municipal fire chiefs. In the traditional Land of Steady Habits, they are precisely the people who will keep Connecticut steady, our economy growing and our quality of life second to none.”
READ MORE>
Harold C. Wibling
Chairman of the Board, Western Connecticut State University Foundation
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Hartford Courant
October 2, 2007
“To put it bluntly, the quality of the education we provide the 36,000 students attending Connecticut's largest university system will, to a great extent, define Connecticut's future. A high proportion of these graduates - 86 percent - remain in the state to work and raise a family. This is the highest retention rate of all public and private four-year colleges and universities in Connecticut. In the age of global competition, we need to act now to better prepare our future workforce by closing the urban achievement gaps and opening the doors to higher education and the opportunities it affords.”
READ MORE>
Oz Greibel
President and CEO, MetroHartford Alliance
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New Haven Register
October 17, 2007
“There’s no doubt that the dollars invested by Connecticut taxpayers in the ten-year CSUS 2020 plan would pay dividends right here at home. … it is not only in their interest, but in our interest as a state, to provide these students with the facilities they need to fully prepare to take their place in our state’s work force upon graduation; particularly when state Department of Labor statistics show that between 2002 and 2012, more than half of the new jobs statewide will require significant post-secondary education or a higher education degree.”
READ MORE>
John Soto
President/CEO Space-Craft Mfg.
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Hartford Courant
October 8, 2007
“CSUS 2020 is squarely focused on Connecticut: our young people, our workforce, our business climate and our quality of life. As economists and demographers point out, Connecticut is changing and the opportunity to reverse unsettling trends, such as a projected drop in the number of students with four-year college degrees, is upon us right now.
CSUS 2020 brings greater transparency, oversight and accountability:
- Requiring the involvement of the state Department of Public Works in project management, which was not part of UConn 2000.
- Requiring the state Department of Public Safety to review the design and construction of buildings for compliance with fire, safety and building codes, a provision absent from the original UConn 2000 plan.
READ MORE>
David G. Carter
Chancellor, Connecticut State University System
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More about CSUS 2020
Governor Rell signs CSUS 2020 plan into law
"If there is a crown jewel in this bonding bill, it is the program that will continue the glorious transformation of higher education in Connecticut." - Governor Rell
CSUS Board Chairman and Chancellor Express Appreciation to Governor, State Legislators
"A generation of Connecticut’s young people, the core of our state’s future, will now have a better opportunity to reach their potential. Governor Rell, legislative leaders - Senate President Williams, Speaker Amann, Senate Minority Leader McKinney, and House Minority Leader Cafero - and the members of the General Assembly are to be commended for their vision and steadfast commitment to our students and our state."
Senate President Don Williams Applauds Signing of CSUS 2020
"It is probably the most historic thing the General Assembly has done for higher education since UConn 2000. We saw the incredible transformation that brought about for the University of Connecticut. This will do the same for our State University System."
Senate President Don Williams
Comments on CSUS 2020…
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