The Connecticut State Colleges and University board of regents has voted in favor of a plan to consolidate campuses and staffing by combining the state's 12 community colleges into one college with three regions and 12 campuses.
The plan is expected to save nearly $28 million and Mark Ojakian, president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, said declining state support over the years has made the current system unsustainable. The plan will allow all the schools to remain open and will not affect faculty, he said.
“This is about making choices and about prioritizing where we spend our limited resources,” Ojakian said.
He said this will not affect teaching and learning.
Faculty members have questioned the plan, said the financial details are foggy and expressed concerns that the plan might mean campuses don't meet accreditation standards.
Ojakian said they're looking to get provisional accreditation in June and start implementation in July 2018 with full implementation of the new system by July 2019.