A draft of a controversial plan to consolidate Connecticut’s 12 community colleges was released online on Thursday. The plan includes cuts in jobs and spending in an effort to save the college system $28 million.
The departments that would take the biggest hit would be the Administrative Services and Finance Departments across all 12 campuses. They would lose 70 of 149 staff members, which would save almost $8 million.
The plan was proposed last year by Mark Ojakian, president of Connecticut State Colleges and Universities. He said a structural change is needed to address the low graduation rates and drops in revenue due to declining enrollments and reduced state funding.
The final report will be submitted to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges on March 16. They will decide if the new consolidated college will get accreditation. Without it, the plan cannot go forward.
