Senate Leadership
November 2, 2007
Williams Applauds Signing of Historic Improvement Plan for State University System
CSUS 2020 Program key to bond bill signed into law
Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) heralded final approval of the compromise $2.8 billion two-year bond authorization bill that includes a major investment in improvement projects for the four universities that comprise the Connecticut State University System (CSUS). Senator Williams was on hand during a ceremony a Western Connecticut State University in Danbury today, when Governor Rell signed the bonding package and the CSUS 2020 Program into law.
"It is probably the most historic thing the General Assembly has done for higher education since UConn 2000," said Senator Williams. "We saw the incredible transformation that brought about for the University of Connecticut. This will do the same for our State University System."
- 93 percent of students in the CSUS (approximately 36,000 students) are Connecticut residents, and 86 percent of graduates stay in Connecticut to pursue their careers and contribute to our economic vitality and quality of life.
- In 2006, total CSUS enrollment was 35,795 (the largest university in Connecticut)--an increase of nearly 3,000 compared with 10 years ago.
The package includes a $950 million, 36-project, 10-year investment in the Connecticut State University System for system-wide infrastructure and capital improvements, slated to begin in 2009.
The CSUS 2020 improvement plan was part of the bonding package approved by the General Assembly in September, but was vetoed by the governor. Stressing the need to upgrade higher education in Connecticut, Senator Williams was successful in his efforts to have it included in the revised bonding bill.
"This plan is very similar to the plan that was originally vetoed by the governor in September. The biggest difference is instead of starting in two years, this initiative will now start one year from now. In addition, we received an additional commitment from the governor for $80 million of bonding during the current year," said Senator Williams. "This actually converts the ten-year program into an eleven-year program with a total expanding from $950 million to $1.03 billion."
|
Senator Williams’ Larry Cook |
Listing of Leadership’s recent press releases. |
Senator Looney’s Larry Cook |
