Statement of Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford) regarding today’s decision by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges to reject a plan by the state Board of Regents to consolidate Connecticut’s community colleges:
“I found today’s NEASC decision extremely shortsighted and harmful. It has put the Board of Regents and our community college students in an untenable position: completely close several college campuses, raise tuition rates substantially, demand tens of millions of dollars more every year from state government, or some combination of all of the above. For those who opposed the Board of Regents’ Students First proposal, this NEASC rejection may come as good news, but I would remind my colleagues that we still expect the Board of Regents to achieve a huge cost savings in its operating budget, and its options for doing so in a timely manner have been severely curtailed. The Board of Regents system is already suffering due to the legislature’s cuts—$61 million, or 17 percent less, since 2015.”