Apr 16
jonpeltoBridgeport, Malloy, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor, UConn Bridgeport, Malloy, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor, UConn
Paul Vallas doesn’t have the credentials necessary to be a superintendent of schools in the State of Connecticut.
Governor Malloy’s “education reform” law included language that would allow Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, to waive Vallas’ certification requirements IF Vallas successfully completed his one year probationary period and completed a school leadership program at a Connecticut institution of higher education.
Last month, the Bridgeport Board of Education voted 5 to 3 to give Vallas a three year contract as Superintendent of Schools in Bridgeport, despite the fact that he had not completed his probationary period or even begun an education leadership program. Soon after he announced that he had enrolled at UConn and would be done by the end of the semester.
Part of the problem was that the State Board of Education had never approved a “school leadership program” as required in Malloy’s law.
According to a story in the CT Post, “The 6-0 approval came with no discussion after the board spent more than a half-hour in executive session to discuss a lawsuit filed earlier this month over Vallas’ credentials to serve as superintendent.”
The CT Post story went on to explain that, “The pathway being created is a narrow exception open only to someone Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor deemed exceptionally qualified, Nancy Pugliese, chief of the bureau of educator standards and certification for the state, said Monday to the state school board.”
The CT Post article went on with, “Developed by the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education, the program requires Vallas to complete a curriculum that meets the same standards that exist for all who seek to become school superintendents, but can be completed in a shorter amount of time.”
So on the one hand, the State Department of Education is claiming that, “The pathway being created is a narrow exception open only to someone Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor has deemed exceptionally qualified” while at the same time, UConn is saying that Vallas will “complete a curriculum that meets the same standards that exist for all who seek to become school superintendents.”
UConn is saying that Vallas has to meet the same standards that exist for all who seek to become school superintendents?
Okay, what does a “normal” person need to do if they’d like to get the certification necessary to be a superintendent?
(1) To get your CT-093 certification, you’d have to meet the criteria required for acceptance to UConn’s Executive Leadership Program that is located within the Department of Education Leadership. That program requires students to have “a Master’s degree and a minimum of 15 appropriately related graduate credits beyond Master’s…”
(2) Then, “A committee consisting of UConn faculty will review all applications and select qualified candidates for admissions interviews in March and April.”
(3) And then you’d actually have to complete The Executive Leadership Program which, “is structured using a cohort model, and requires 13 months to complete 15 Credits. Five (5) three-credit courses including an internship (3 credits). Participants can expect to attain their CT-093 certification in one year upon satisfactory completion of this program.”
So “normal” people who want the necessary certification must have fifteen credits beyond a Masters; you must go through a rigorous application process that requires a full faculty review of your application and you must complete an additional 15 credits of course work in the program..
- Plus you need to pay the following tuition and fees:
- A non-refundable $75 application fee.
- A tuition payment of $5,112 per semester for a Connecticut student registering for nine or more credits or $13,266 per semester for an out-of-state student. (Vallas would probably be considered a resident of Illinois).
- A General University Fee of $612 per semester.
- A Graduate Matriculation Fee of $42 per semester.
- An Infrastructure Maintenance Fee of $220 per semester.
- A University non-refundable fee of $13 per semester for taking courses.
- A graduate student Transit Fee of $35 per semester.
- A non-refundable Student Union fee of $13 each semester.
- A deposit of $50 which must be maintained by every registered student.
- A one-time, refundable Cooperative Bookstore payment of $25.
The total cost for an out-of-state student to complete the UConn Education Executive Leadership Program would be in the range of $28,552
Or alternatively you could be Paul Vallas, who apparently DOESN’T EVEN HAVE the fifteen credits beyond a Masters that is necessary for acceptance to the program, but who is considered “special” by Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor.
As the CT Post noted in an earlier article, “Vallas said he has enrolled in a three-credit, semester-long independent study course to become a certified Connecticut school superintendent. It will cost him about $3,881 in tuition and fees, according to university officials. Robert Villanova, an associate research professor and director of the Executive Leadership Program at UConn’s Neag School of Education, who will lead Vallas through the program.”
Almost makes you feel bad for all those normal people out there.
Or, more to the point, so you want to get your CT-093 certification.
Well, as the modern-day phrase goes; “it sucks to be you.”
Apr 15
jonpeltoBridgeport, Malloy, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, State Board of Education, Stefan Pryor, UConn Bridgeport, Malloy, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, State Board of Education, Stefan Pryor, UConn
Here comes one more benefit for the power elite!
Some of the “rules” that apply to the rest of us, simply don’t apply to them.
When Governor Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, recruited “education reformer extraordinaire,” Paul Vallas, to become Bridgeport’s $234,000, part-time, Acting Superintendent of Schools a major problem immediately developed.
Unlike every one of Connecticut’s other superintendent of schools, Vallas’ didn’t have the qualifications needed to serve as a school superintendent in Connecticut.
No problem…Malloy’s “education reform” legislation included special language that would allow Commissioner Pryor to waive requirements and allow Vallas to serve as Bridgeport’s Acting Superintendent of Schools for up to one year. The new law would further allow Pryor to waive Connecticut’s certification requirements if Vallas completed that one-year probationary period and completed an “educational leadership course” approved by the State Board of Education.
However, the problems facing Vallas and Pryor grew exponentially when the five members of the Bridgeport Board of Education that are loyal to Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch voted to make Vallas Bridgeport’s permanent Superintendent of Schools effective March 4, 2013. Vallas hadn’t completed his probationary period, as required by law, and hadn’t even started his “education leadership program.” In fact, the State Board of Education hadn’t approved the “education leadership program” that the law demanded.
At the time, Pryor was quoted as saying it wasn’t a problem and the Chairman of the State Board even said he thought any program approval process was within the authority of Commissioner and not the State Board of Education, despite the fact that the law specifically says that it is the State Board of Education’s responsibility to approve such a program.
Meanwhile, Vallas had begun a course of study with UConn’s graduate program in Educational Leadership at the Neag School of Education.
Well surprise, surprise…today, the State Board of Education is meeting at 9:30 a.m. and an agenda item has suddenly appeared that reads;
VI. Items Requiring Action:
B. Approval of School Leadership Program – University of Connecticut, Neag School of Education
So, with Vallas already enrolled in UConn’s Educational Leadership Program, but with no committee process and no public input, the State Board of Education will rush a vote today to approve the program that Vallas is taking.
The problem, as readers will learn in coming days, it that Vallas doesn’t actually qualify for UConn’s Education Leadership Program nor is his course of study the program required for all other students in UConn’s Education Leadership.
But hey, as we’ve learned, there are laws and rules and then there are “laws and rules.”
One set applies to the elite and another to the rest of us.
Apr 05
jonpeltoBoard of Regents, Higher Education, Malloy, UConn Board of Regents, Malloy, UConn
The CTMirror has a “must read” follow up story about Governor Malloy’s “request” to interview and select a finalist for the position of President of the Connecticut Board of Regents.
In the article, the CTMirror reports that, “The governor’s spokesman, Andrew Doba, said the interviews aren’t unusual. He noted that the University of Connecticut trustees in late 2010 allowed then-Governor-elect Malloy to interview finalists for the president’s post that went to Susan Herbst.”
File that one under somewhere between “misleading spin” and “out-right lie.”
In fact, in 2010, Governor Rell and Governor-elect Malloy met with Susan Herbst, as did dozens of other individuals, PRIOR to the UConn Board of Education’s vote.
Then, according to press reports, including the Associated Press’ national story, “UConn’s Board of Trustees unanimously selected Susan Herbst at a special meeting Monday, calling her an exceptional leader in higher education who will use her enthusiasm and experience to help UConn push ahead academically and in research.”
The situation that played out yesterday was very different. In this case, “the regents voted Thursday to recommend three finalists to Malloy for the president’s position…” and Lewis Robinson, the chairman of the Board of Regents, who was appointed by Governor Malloy, explained their decision to the CTMirror by saying, “the governor had requested three. And I thought as a courtesy or respect to his office, it would be appropriate to accede to that wish.”
This approach despite the fact that Connecticut law clearly states that it is the Board of Regents who is responsible for selecting the name of the President of the Board.
So just to be clear…
Despite what the Governor’s spokesman says, there is actually a very big difference between Malloy meeting with Susan Herbst before the UConn Board of Trustees voted to make her president and the Board of Regents inappropriately voting to forward three names to Governor Malloy so that he can interview and pick one.
In one scenario, the UConn Board of Trustees was acting legally.
In the other scenario, the Connecticut Board of Regents was acting illegally.
You can read the latest CTMirror story at: http://www.ctmirror.org/story/19641/governor-will-get-pick-next-college-president
Mar 14
jonpeltoEducation Reform, Malloy, New London, Stefan Pryor, Steven Adamowski, UConn, Windham Education Reform, Malloy, New London, SERC, Stefan Pryor, Steven Adamowski, UConn, Windham
If there is one thing you can say about Connecticut “education reformers” like Paul Vallas and Steven Adamowski it is that they sure do know how to double and triple down on making money.
Bridgeport’s Acting Superintendent, Paul Vallas, wouldn’t sign a $234,000 annual contract unless it allowed him to maintain his private consulting company, the Vallas Group. The same held true for the three top staff people that he brought in to help him run Bridgeport’s Schools. Despite making about $200,000 each, Vallas required that they be allowed to do outside consulting, including work in other states for his own company.
Meanwhile, Steven Adamowski’s $225,000 a year no-bid contract to serve as “Special Master” of the Windham and New London school systems apparently isn’t enough to keep him busy. As a result of a recent Freedom of Information request, it turns out that he is collecting extra public funds as a consultant to the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education.
Last year, the Department of Educational Leadership at UConn’s Neag School of Education paid Adamowski to “provide a series of guest lectures on urban school leadership and reform… participate in the redesign of the Executive Leadership Program…” and consult on some other matters. For that he collected a check for $4,000.
This Spring Adamowski is collecting another $4,269 to teach a course entitled Data Driven Decision Making for School Improvement and Policy Development. Rather than the usual weekly classes, Adamowski’s class meets six times for extended class periods.
The UConn money comes in addition to his $225,000 salary as “Special Master,” the $16,800 to pay for the medical insurance for himself and his spouse, the $1,080 to pay for the dental insurance for himself and his spouse, the $3,900 for a special life and disability insurance policy, the $11,000 to cover his worker’s compensation policy, the $5,000 to pay for his professional and general liability insurance and an extra $10,000 to cover any travel and other work expenses.
Adamowski’s “Special Master” contract was one of those that the State Department of Education inappropriately ran through the State Education Service Center (SERC) in order to get around Connecticut’s competitive bidding laws.
Adamowski’s no-bid contract does allow him to engage in outside work, but on a very limited basis. In fact, the contract reads;
“Dr. Adamowski cannot perform services for other districts, agencies or parties while performing the services pursuant to this agreement, except as set for herein. Dr. Adamowski may continue to teach one course per semester in a Connecticut institution of higher education beginning in the spring 2012 semester as long as such engagement does not unreasonably interfere with his responsibilities under this Agreement.”
While his present UConn contract to serve as an “Adjunct Faculty” from 1/17/2013 to 5/14/2013 appears to meet the requirement of his SERC contract, how Adamowski and SERC could claim that his UConn contract last year from 2/24/2012 to 8/22/2012 to serve as an “Academic Specialist” meets the language of the contract is more of a mystery.
In any case, back at the State Department of Education, once the State Auditors ruled that the end-run Commissioner Pryor and the State Board of Education were using to get around Connecticut’s bidding laws was illegal; they announced that they were proposing legislation that would end their use of that technique. However, as Wait, What? readers know from previous posts, the proposed legislation Pryor put forward to the Connecticut General Assembly this session doesn’t actually do what Commissioner Pryor reported that it did.
Feb 01
jonpeltoHigher Education, Malloy, State Budget, State Deficit, UConn Higher Education, Malloy, State Budget, State Debt, State Deficit, UConn
By adding $1.5 billion in new state bonds on top of the remaining $235 million in UConn 2000/21st Century UConn state bonds, Governor Malloy is proposing an impressive plan to invest in “science, technology, engineering and math programs at the University of Connecticut.”
According to the Hartford Courant, “Malloy emphasized that the investment was needed to improve the state’s economy, which some see as stagnating. He predicted that over the next decade the project would attract $270 million in research grants and $527 million in business activity, as well as supporting more than 4,000 permanent jobs.”
“Quite frankly this investment should have been made 10 years ago,” Malloy said. “If it were made 20 years ago, our economy would be stronger today.”
Malloy’s plan would include $450 million for new science and engineering facilities and $770 million in infrastructure improvement, including a major expansion of UConn’s Stamford campus. The plan would also increase the number of undergraduates attending UConn from 17,000 to about 24,000.
While the University of Connecticut and Connecticut’s other public colleges and universities definitely need more operating support, the Governor proposal overlooks three key points.
First, over the past two years, this Governor has implemented the deepest cuts in state history to the University of Connecticut and the state’s other public institutions of higher education. UConn alone has been hit with over $50 million in cuts. It wasn’t that long ago that the state provided about 50 percent of the funds needed to run the University of Connecticut. As a result of the on-going reductions in support, the state’s share of funding for UConn has dropped below 30 percent. These cuts have translated into program reductions and much higher costs to students and parents. In essence, students are already being asked to pay more and get less.
Second, more recognition should be given to the fact that the state has already invested $2.3 billion in the University of Connecticut through the UConn 2000 and 21st Century bonding program. Those funds have allowed UConn to completely overhaul its facilities. Thanks to those funds, UConn has a new chemistry building, a new biology building, a new agricultural biotechnology building, a new marine science facility, two new engineering buildings, new and renovated facilities for math, physics and material sciences, a new pharmacy building and numerous other new specialized labs and classrooms.
While more facilities would certainly be optimal, what UConn desperately needs are funds to staff the new facilities and create the appropriate teaching, research and service programs that were supposed to go into those new facilities.
As most people recognize, borrowing should be used for buildings, not on-going programs.
However, in this case, while Malloy’s plan moves money around, significant amounts of the new bonding would be used to pay for new faculty members; 1,400 scholarships for top students; 50 doctoral fellowships; and 2,000 grants for students and faculty to launch projects.
Finally, Connecticut already faces significant debt and long-term liabilities that must be paid. In fact, these are liabilities that the state MUST pay off in the next couple of decades. Before adding more debt and liabilities to the state’s books, state officials must take far more aggressive action to increase funding to reduce the existing liabilities. The following chart summarizes Connecticut’s existing debt and liabilities.
| Category |
Amount of State Debt or State Unfunded Liabilities |
| State Borrowing |
$20 billion |
| State Pension Fund |
$11 billion |
| Teacher Pension Fund |
$11 billion |
| Post Retirement State and Teacher Health Benefits |
$19 billion |
| GAAP |
$1.5 billion |
| TOTAL |
$62.5 BILLION |
UConn definitely needs more funding. A more realistic approach to increasing operating funds would have been a better step forward.
You can read more about Malloy’s proposal via the following links: http://www.courant.com/news/breaking/hc-engineering-uconn-0201-20130131,0,4372437.story and http://ctmirror.org/story/18962/21-billion-plan-uconn and http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2013/01/uconn-state-officials-announce-launch-of-next-generation-connecticut-initiative/
Jan 31
jonpeltoBudget Cuts, Higher Education, Malloy, State Budget, State Deficit, UConn Malloy, State Budget, State Deficit, UConn
According to a breaking story from the Hartford Courant, “Science, technology, engineering and math programs at the University of Connecticut could get a $1.5 billion boost over the next decade, with the intention of creating a pipeline of talent that will yield substantial returns for the state workforce and economy.”
Governor Malloy has scheduled a press conference for later today to explain his initiative, but Kathy Megan of the Courant writes that the so-called Next Generation Connecticut program would:
“Increase faculty in science, technology and engineering by 258 at the three campuses, in addition to 290 new faculty the university is in the process of hiring.
Outdated classrooms, laboratories, research space and infrastructure on the Storrs campus would be renovated and new housing would be designed for the students.
The Stamford campus would expand its digital design program, creating a school of fine arts and digital design and media, while also expanding business programs in financial management, international business, global risk management, sports management and other areas. There would be some money for student housing.
In Hartford, the program would help cover the relocation of the Greater Hartford branch from West Hartford to downtown Hartford — a move that is expected to take place within a year — including the construction of laboratories. It also would fuel a collaboration with community colleges and be used to attract “high poverty, but high-potential students,” a source said, and will be used to enhance internship opportunities for undergraduates and those in graduate professional programs.”
Well at least there is the money for the mysterious move of UConn’s West Hartford branch to downtown….
So the proposal is $1.5 billion?
One would have to assume that this initiative will be funded through additional borrowing (bonding money) since the state is facing a $1.2 billion plus deficit next year and it will be hard pressed to maintain existing services, let alone add major new programs, in the years to come.
As a result of UConn 2000 and 21st Century UConn, the state of Connecticut has already committed to borrowing $2.3 billion – meaning it will cost taxpayers well over $4 billion just to pay back the funds that have already been borrowed.
And, of course, as noted in yesterday’s Wait, What? post, Connecticut is already the most debt laden state in the nation.
But another $1.5 billion in borrowing?
[As an aside, don’t get me wrong. I may be known as one of UConn’s harshest critics but I’m also one of its strongest supporters. I represented UConn and Mansfield in the Connecticut General Assembly for ten years. I wrote the Higher Education Autonomy and Flexibility bill that gave Connecticut’s public colleges and universities the autonomy they now have. I designed and coordinated the UConn 2000 advocacy campaign that led to the state’s investment of $1 billion in 1995. I supported 21st Century UConn that extended that program by $1.3 billion in 2005. And I co-chaired the Governor’s Commission on UConn 2000 that investigated the massive construction, management and financial problems associated with that spending. It was an investigation that discovered that at one point UConn had more than 5,000 students living in dorms that didn’t meet fire code. In fact, the investigation discovered UConn wasted tens of millions of dollars during the first decade of the UConn 2000/21st Century UConn program. Thankfully, all the Commission’s recommendations were adopted by the Legislature, much of it over UConn’s opposition, and the program got back on track.]
But another $1.5 billion in borrowing?
Considering the massive amount of state debt and the unfunded pension liabilities and the lack of sufficient funds for post-retirement health benefits, and the money needed to put Connecticut on GAAP accounting, Connecticut will have a difficult, if not impossible, time paying its existing bills.
Is it possible that the Governor is suggesting more debt be added?
Then again, maybe Malloy has identified a creative way to finance this initiative.
Check back later for more details.
Until then, here is the link to the Courant story: http://www.courant.com/community/mansfield/hc-uconn-engineering-school-0131-20130130,0,4906946.story
Jan 25
jonpeltoCorporate Welfare, Higher Education, Malloy, UConn Malloy, Susan Herbst, UConn, West Hartford Campus
There must be big money and politics at play behind UConn’s downtown move.
Or as they say at the Legislative Office Building – “You can smell a rat with this one.”
On Wednesday the Hartford Business Journal wrote, “The University of Connecticut’s relocation of its West Hartford campus to downtown Hartford has hit a stumbling block as the office building the school is targeting for relocation in Constitution Plaza has several issues including asbestos and space constraints…”
On Thursday the Hartford Business Journal wrote, “The University of Connecticut Thursday morning put a request for proposals seeking 150,000 square feet of office space from landlords in downtown Hartford, as the state’s flagship university looks to relocate its West Hartford campus to the Capital City.
According to the Hartford Business Journal, “UConn officials say moving into the Travelers Education Center is still not out of the question, but the school is now trying to broaden its search to it determine its options.”
However, the far more relevant question is who is pushing the entire project. Why the secrecy, the speed and the decision to walk away from millions in taxpayer funds that have already been spent on the West Hartford Campus.
On December 3rd, 2012, Wait, What? readers had a chance to learn about the issue from a post entitled, “Corporate Welfare Boondoggle Alert: Moving UConn’s West Hartford Campus downtown.”
In that post I wrote that in early November, UConn President Susan Herbst issued a statement announcing that the University of Connecticut’s Greater Hartford Campus would be moving from its West Hartford location to downtown Hartford within the year.
For starters, it was bizarre that such a significant announcement would be done by press release, and considering Governor Malloy’s approach to public relations, it was strange that he wasn’t mentioned, especially considering he is, by law, the President of the UConn Board of Trustees.
Instead UConn President Herbst rationalized the move by saying, “An estimated $18.4 million would be required to bring the buildings [at the West Hartford Campus] to an acceptable state. Furthermore, updates and repairs needed to be made to the technology infrastructure, the mechanical systems in the three main campus buildings need to be completely replaced. Combined, nearly $25 million would be needed to keep the campus operational.”
What UConn’s President failed to make clear is that $25 million in UConn 21st Century bond funds were allocated to the University in 2005 to renovate the West Hartford campus and UConn has already spent millions of dollars of that money on West Hartford campus renovations, especially over the last few years. Some of those renovations include;
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – Electrical Switchgear Replacement: $1 million (2012)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – Student Lounge $839,000 (2011)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – 1800 Asylum Boiler Replacement: $850,000 (2011)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements-Chemistry Lab $1.5 million: (2010)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – Phase I $1.4 million: (2010)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – Trecker Library Repairs $525,000 (2010)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – Social Work Building $1 million (2009)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – Parking Lot: $850,000 (2005)
Furthermore, less than ten years ago, UConn spent millions for a university wide master plan including one for the West Hartford Campus. It was that plan that led to the renovations that have already taken place.
Are more renovations needed? Perhaps.
Does it make more sense to move UConn’s West Hartford campus to downtown Hartford and walk away from all the work that was done? Probably not.
No matter what, policymakers, students and taxpayers deserve to know a whole lot more about what is really pushing this plan forward.
Perhaps the most telling point of all can be found in the Business Journal’s recent article where it reports, “UConn also said Thursday that it did not intend to make its move to downtown Hartford public until it had located its new location picked out, but the move was leaked by the media.”
Wait, What?
The state’s public research university is saying that it had NO INTENTION of alerting the public that it was moving its major Hartford regional campus until the new location was picked out?
It is time for a legislative investigation of this one.
You can read the first Wait, What post on this here: http://jonathanpelto.com/2012/12/03/corporate-welfare-boondoggle-alert-moving-uconns-west-hartford-campus-downtown/
And the latest two Hartford Business Journal articles here: http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130123/NEWS01/130129940 and http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130124/NEWS01/130129909
Dec 14
jonpeltoBudget Cuts, UConn Budget cuts, UConn, UConn President Susan Herbst
Faced with criticism about the high rate of compensation for UConn administrators, the University of Connecticut’s Board of Trustees hired Sibson Consulting to determine whether the rate UConn was paying its senior administrators was appropriate.
According to their public relations materials, Sibson Consulting reports to be leaders in, “executive compensation and corporate governance design for over 50 years. We act as independent, outside counsel to both compensation committees and their senior management. Our principals and senior consultants specialize in the development of comprehensive compensation programs tailored to the particular needs of each client.”
In this case, the UConn Board of Trustees’ new Compensation Committee needed an analysis of how UConn is doing when it comes to salary packages and policies for its senior executive management team.
The answer was recently reported to the Board via a memo from the Compensation Committee. The memo read:
“With respect to current salaries for UConn’s senior administrators Sibson concluded that they are ‘generally consistent with the salaries for positions and comparable duties and responsibilities’ in the academic markets studied (i.e. Top 20 Public Research Institutions, Top 50 Public Research Institutions and Top 50 National Research Institutions). When compared with not-for-profit and corporate organizations, UConn’s salaries are generally below market practices. Sibson also concluded that UConn’s senior administrator salaries are “consistent with what Sibson would expect for an institution of UConn’s size and complexity.” Lastly Sibson found that UConn lacks a coherent compensation philosophy for its senior administrator salaries to guide the determination of starting salaries and incumbent salary increases as well as to support the recruitment and retention of outstanding management professionals.”
So, all in all, a pretty good report.
Salaries are not overly excessive and UConn lacks any coherent compensation philosophy.
Kudos to Sibson Consulting for engaging in a successful consulting project.
And special compliments to UConn who successfully revealed, yet again, that given the right perspective, you can even make s**t smell like flowers.
The memo reporting on the consultant’s report can be found here: http://courantblogs.com/capitol-watch/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/UCONN-salaries.pdf
Dec 03
jonpeltoCorporate Welfare, Higher Education, Malloy, UConn Malloy, UConn, UConn President Susan Herbst, West Hartford Campus
On November 8, two days after this year’s election, UConn President Susan Herbst released a statement announcing that the University of Connecticut’s Greater Hartford Campus will be moving from its West Hartford location to downtown Hartford within the year.
Beyond a claim that “this will be a win-win for UConn, our students and the City of Hartford,” UConn’s President failed to provide any details whatsoever, citing the need for secrecy since negotiations on the issue where on-going.
As the Associated Press put it, “UConn said it’s not ready to identify possible Hartford sites that would house the new campus.” The only other fact that came to light was that the 58 acre West Hartford campus would be sold after the move.
Stepping back for a moment it becomes apparent that nothing about this development or the statement makes sense.
In fact, it is so devoid of logic that it begs the question, what is really going on behind the scenes with UConn’s West Hartford Campus?
First off, these types of announcements are never made by press release. UConn moving into downtown Hartford is the type of announcement that this Governor (or any governor) would be part of. Particularly since under Connecticut law, the Governor serves as the President of the UConn Board of Trustees.
Second, as a public entity, a move like this would require a transparent process (or at least that is what the law requires).
Instead, the AP reports that, “the move would cost about $125,000, but UConn says it would save about $25 million in a few years. It also intends to sell the 58-acre West Hartford campus, which includes five buildings.”
$125,000 to move the entire campus downtown?
Perhaps the biggest clue that things are not what they seem is that UConn’s President felt the need to skip over large segments of the truth when making the announcement in the first place.
According to UConn President Herbst, “An estimated $18.4 million would be required to bring the buildings to an acceptable state. Furthermore, updates and repairs needed to be made to the technology infrastructure, the mechanical systems in the three main campus buildings need to be completely replaced. Combined, nearly $25 million would be needed to keep the campus operational, in addition to the $7.2 million spent on continual repairs to the campus over the past four years.”
Yes, in fact UConn has spent a good deal of money to upgrade and renovate the West Hartford Campus in recent years. Projects Include;
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – Electrical Switchgear Replacement: $1 million (2012)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – Student Lounge $839,000 (2011)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – 1800 Asylum Boiler Replacement: $850,000 (2011)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements-Chemistry Lab $1.5 million: (2010)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – Phase I $1.4 million: (2010)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – Trecker Library Repairs $525,000 (2010)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – Social Work Building $1 million (2009)
- West Hartford Campus Renovations/Improvements – Parking Lot: $850,000 (2005)
And it wasn’t as if this money was spent without proper planning and consideration.
In 2004, the University of Connecticut spent millions for a Master Plan for the Storrs Campus and the regional campus. In fact, a whole separate Greater Hartford Campus Master Plan was developed and published.
The document, based on the University’s academic plan identified that UConn needed to renovate and expand, in order to generate an additional 30,140 ASF of space by 2013. The plan outlined the steps necessary to increase the amount of academic space by 21%, adding classrooms, labs, research space and other departmental spaces. In addition, Academic Support Space would be increase of 41% for the library, community center and the physical plant facilities.
The next year, in 2005, when UConn went to the General Assembly for the second part of UConn 2000, called UConn 21st Century; it provided a list of $1.3 billion worth of construction for both the University and the UConn Health Center.
And in 2006, UConn’s new construction plan included spending $9.5 million on the West Hartford Campus in FY10, 10 million in FY 12 and 4 million in FY14.
Then, within a year, those funds disappeared as UConn’s administration decided that they’d rather use the money to build or renovate in Storrs.
In the end, only about $7 million was left and spent for improvements to the West Hartford Campus.
So call it more than a bit disingenuous for UConn’s President Herbst to claim that they need to move downtown because it would cost $25 million to fix up the West Hartford Campus. UConn knew that, they had the money and plans to make those renovations as late as 2006, and for reasons Herbst doesn’t explain, they chose to shift the money.
Even more peculiar is the suggestion that it would only cost $125,000 to move the campus downtown.
Obviously, it would cost millions to lease and fit out an existing building.
Something big is afoot, and whatever it is, it can’t handle the light of transparency or UConn and the Malloy Administration would be doing it in the open.
As the Hartford Courant noted, “Three locations have emerged as leading contenders for the new campus: the former Travelers Education Center on Constitution Plaza; the two-towered Connecticut River Plaza; and One Talcott Plaza on Talcott Street. All three locations are within a block of a UConn graduate business program.
The vacant Traveler’s Education Center encompasses 135,000 square feet and has been for sale or lease for about a year. The building is outfitted with classrooms and meeting space.
The 575,000-square-foot Connecticut River Plaza on nearby Columbus Boulevard has been under consideration by the state as a leading location to consolidate state workers in other leased office space, according to real estate sources.
The smaller, 103,000-square-foot building on Talcott Street near the G. Fox Building has long been vacant.”
So perhaps it is all part of a corporate welfare deal to fill up some private developer’s empty building?
Of course, getting the West Hartford Branch off of a prime piece of property on Asylum Avenue has its advantages as well.
Regardless of who “wins” the one thing we can be sure of is that UConn’s students and Connecticut’s taxpayers will be the losers.
UConn has put more than $7 million into its West Hartford Campus and is now walking away from those improvements, and its own plan.
And just as incredible, UConn, with no feasibility study, no academic plan and no money is going to lease space and move downtown?
As the saying goes, “I wasn’t born yesterday.”
UConn and the Malloy Administration are engaged in a major ruse and it deserves more coverage than the reporting it has gotten to date. There was a reason they dropped the media statement during election week. It was to limit coverage and that is exactly what has happened.
For what substantive coverage there was, see the Hartford Courant’s article November 8, 2012: http://articles.courant.com/2012-11-08/news/hc-uconn-moves-to-hartford-20121108_1_west-hartford-campus-uconn-plans-new-campus and here is the Ch. 8 version http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/hartford_cty/uconn-to-quit-west-hartford-for-move-to-hartford#.ULzlCIPXZrU
And here a link to UConn’s West Hartford Campus Master plan: http://www.masterplan.uconn.edu/hartford.html
Nov 28
jonpeltoBen Barnes (OPM Secretary), Board of Regents, Budget Cuts, Higher Education, State Budget, UConn Ben Barnes, Board of Regents, Budget cuts, Malloy, UConn
Faced with a $365 million budget deficit in this fiscal year, Governor Malloy and his budget chief, Ben Barnes, released a list of $170 million in cuts today.
Their list of cuts is quite a commentary on Malloy’s vision of shared sacrifice and on where cuts can actually be made.
After implementing the deepest cuts in Connecticut history to Connecticut’s public colleges and universities…Governor Malloy is now cutting another $10 million from UConn, another $14 million from CSU and the Community Colleges and $1.3 million in student financial aid. (But Malloy is only cutting the financial aid that goes to students attending public colleges; the financial aid to the students attending Connecticut’s independent colleges has already been given out and so can’t be cut).
UConn’s budget is about 1.2 percent of the total state budget – and yet their share of cuts amounted to 6 percent of today’s $170 million in cuts.
Meanwhile, the Connecticut State University and the Community Colleges (now known as the Board of Regents) gets about 1.5 percent of the total state budget – and yet their cut amounted to 8 percent of today’s total cuts.
The message couldn’t be much clearer – Connecticut is dedicated to competing in the 21st Century by disproportionately cutting its system of public higher education.
The full list of $170 million can be found here: http://www.ct.gov/opm/lib/opm/budget/2012_2013_biennial_budget/DeficitMitigationPlan/RescissionTransmittalMemo_11282012.pdf
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