The recent leadership controversies that have rocked Connecticut’s public higher education system are not isolated incidents but symptoms of deeper institutional challenges.
That’s according to Colena Sesanker, chair of the Faculty Advisory Committee for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system and ex-officio, non-voting member of the Board of Regents.
Sesanker said the departures of multiple CSCU leaders over the past 15 years have reinforced concerns she first raised when the state moved to consolidate its public colleges and universities under a single system.
“Perhaps most of what we predicted was correct,” Sesanker said in an interview with Connecticut Public.
State response
State leaders have acknowledged the recent turmoil but argue it should not overshadow the broader mission of Connecticut’s public colleges and universities.
In announcing recent leadership changes, Gov. Ned Lamont said the Board of Regents has made progress despite the controversies.
“Enrollment is up, our institutions are better aligned with the workforce needs of our state,” Lamont said in a statement. He added that anyone found to have failed to follow proper procedures in connection with the ongoing investigations should face “the appropriate consequences.”
Newly appointed interim Board of Regents Chair Ari Santiago also said the recent scandals should not define the system.
“The events of recent weeks have been troubling, and the public, and especially our students, deserve better,” Santiago said in a statement. “At the same time, this board cannot be defined solely by what has gone wrong. CSCU educates the next generation of Connecticut’s citizens and workforce.”
Interim Chancellor Natalie Braswell similarly described the system’s colleges and universities as “essential engines of opportunity, workforce development, economic growth, and social mobility” for Connecticut residents.
A system under scrutiny
Sesanker noted that the CSCU system has experienced repeated leadership turnover since its creation in 2011, including a Board of Regents chair, multiple chancellors and, most recently, an interim chancellor who resigned amid sexual harassment allegations. The general counsel for CSCU is also currently on administrative leave, as a result of the fallout from the allegations surrounding the interim chancellor.
“There’s a very good reason to wonder whether this system is one that we should keep around,” Sesanker said.
Consolidation supporters argued it would reduce costs and improve efficiency by bringing Connecticut’s community colleges, state universities and Charter Oak State College under a unified structure.
Sesanker said those promises have not been fulfilled.
When asked whether the consolidation had delivered the anticipated savings, Sesanker said “no.”
“It was just the wrong direction to go in,” Sesanker said.
Too distant from campuses
Sesanker argues the system has become overly centralized and disconnected from the institutions it oversees.
“We have managers managing managers,” Sesanker said.
She said the structure places decision-makers too far from the day-to-day realities facing campuses, faculty and students.
Among the reforms Sesanker would like to see are greater participation by faculty and staff in governance decisions, increased financial transparency and stronger accountability to the public.
“There needs to be more participation from the folks who actually make this thing run,” Sesanker said.
She also questioned whether the current Board of Regents structure is the best model for overseeing Connecticut’s public colleges and universities - given the recent allegations against the Chancellor’s Office.
“While the Board of Regents is supposed to be holding the [CSCU] system office accountable,” Sesanker said “really all of the information, the data, everything they get comes through the Chancellor's office.”
Why students and taxpayers should care
While much of the recent attention has focused on executive departures and governance disputes, Sesanker said the stakes extend far beyond administrative offices.
“At stake is our workforce,” she said. “This is about opportunity.”
Sesanker argued that public higher education plays a central role in preparing Connecticut’s workforce and expanding economic opportunity for residents across the state.
Despite the turmoil, Sesanker said students continue to benefit from the work of faculty and staff across the system.
“They still have dedicated professionals holding this thing together,” she said.
But she warned that continuing instability could eventually take a toll.
Calls for change
Sesanker said lawmakers should consider significant governance reforms, including greater transparency about system finances and more direct input from educators working on campuses.
Regardless of the structure ultimately chosen, Sesanker said Connecticut must make a stronger commitment to higher education.
“The state needs to think about what an investment in education as a whole can do for us,” Sesanker said, “and really see that as an investment in our future and in our people.”
