CSCU unions paint picture of system in decline, demand increased funding
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities students, faculty members and union leaders rallied on campus Thursday, demanding state and institutional leaders better invest in the public higher education system.
"Our classrooms are overcrowded, our student services are gutted, and faculty are continuing to be expected to do more with less," said Audra King, philosophy department chair at Central Connecticut State University and member of the Connecticut State Universities chapter of the American Association of University Professors (CSU-AAUP).
"Every budget mitigation, every tuition increase, every reduction in services sends a message to the most vulnerable students that they don't matter, that their education doesn't matter," King said at the press event outside the CCSU student center in New Britain. "We refuse to accept this any longer."
Michael Hinton, an assistant professor of English and theater at CT State Tunxis and union representative for the Congress of Connecticut Community Colleges (4Cs), said he'd escaped poverty via his own education at CSCU and fears that budgetary restrictions may preclude many future students from having such an opportunity.
"Every day I see students struggling to access essential services they need to get an education," Hinton said. "Class sizes are expanding while class options and formats are being cut back. Disability services is overwhelmed. Cafeterias are shutting down. Recruiter positions remain unfilled, yet somehow we're still expected to increase enrollment."
Syafira Azzahra is a senior psychological science student at Central who said budget-imposed tuition hikes are top of mind for many students in the CSCU system.
"We need state investment, we don't need 'right-sizing,'" Azzahra said. "Students should focus on their studies – they should not be stressing over tuition increases ."
In a release, CSU-AAUP said the system needed significantly more funding than it had so far requested from the state government.
"System leadership has asked for just over $50 million for the biennial budget – woefully less than what our students need and deserve," the union said. "In FY26, the CSCU System will lose $156 million in temporary funding. Instead of fighting for what our students need, the system is instead planning to mitigate $95 million in just FY26. We need at least $100 million more than what the system is asking for just to stay where we are. This comes after years of cuts and reductions in services."
In a statement, Chancellor Terrence Cheng pointed out that the system had yet to present an "investment case" for further resources.
"The best investment Connecticut can make is in its public colleges and universities," Cheng said. "Our students are from Connecticut, stay in Connecticut after they graduate, and serve as the state's workforce engine. State leaders have made it clear that CSCU must prepare for the expiration of one-time federal funding. At the same time, we are working with stakeholders to present an investment case that addresses the needs of our students and state, for consideration by the Governor and General Assembly."
Louise Williams, CSU-AAUP president, and other speakers placed blame at the feet of Gov. Ned Lamont.
"In the last legislative session, Gov. Lamont refused to provide adequate funding for public higher education," Williams said. "I trust the election has changed his mind when he described it last week as a quote, 'wake up call that we ought to be fighting for the middle class every day.' If he now really wants to do that, he must commit to fully funding our state colleges and universities."
Lamont's office responded in a statement.
"Governor Lamont is a strong supporter of CSCU, and every single budget he has ever signed into law has increased state funding for this system by millions of dollars," Lamont's office said. "In fact, the amount of state funding appropriated to CSCU has never been cut in any budget approved while Governor Lamont has been in office."
"The administration is still working on a budget proposal for the upcoming year and anticipates that this proposal will include support to ensure that this system can continue to thrive," the statement concludes.
The Connecticut Mirror reported Thursday that the governor has targeted state colleges and universities for mid-year budget cuts.
Thursday's rally comes weeks after news reports of questionable personal spending by the chancellor , after which Lamont ordered an audit of CSCU . Speakers said they found reports of Cheng's spending on dinners, chauffeurs and other items "disappointing" but not their main point of contention.
"We do not want that one instance of wasteful spending to detract from the bigger issue, which is the ongoing and continued failure of the governor and our legislature to fund our system," said Seth Freeman, 4Cs president. "But with that said, it's extremely painful to see our system managers misallocating the underfunding we get. But that's not the that's not the prime problem. We will say that's a secondary problem."
