HARTFORD, Conn. — The Board of Regents for Higher Education has agreed to consolidate Connecticut’s 12 community colleges to put the system on a good financial footing for the future.
The Hartford Courant reports that board members voted unanimously Friday in favor of the plan, which is expected to save $28 million. The plan also calls for reducing staff by 200 people.
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges is expected to consider the proposed merger plan in April. If the accrediting body approves it, Connecticut will have a single, statewide community college in July 2019. All the existing campuses will be preserved.
Mark Ojakian, president of the Connecticut State Colleges and University System, says officials would be “doing our students a disservice if we didn’t move this forward.”