Negussie Tirfessa

The Committee discussed the Dual Credit Advisory Council's year-end report, which included recommendations for concurrent enrollment funding and teacher credentialing. The Committee reviewed updates to the CT State Community College Academic Fresh Start Policy and considered program modifications, including renaming the Disability Specialist associate degree program to Disability Studies. Academic updates were provided across the CSCU system, highlighting enrollment growth, faculty research grants, promotion and tenure approvals, emeritus awards, and professional development initiatives. Additionally, the Committee discussed the ACT-BOR Spring 2026 Enrollment Report and rescinded the legacy CSCU Rights of Students Policy.

The Board of Regents meeting included the adoption of the agenda and an update regarding a planned executive session to discuss board affairs. The Board Chair addressed concerns about the conduct of a prior interim chancellor, emphasizing the commitment to an independent investigation for which an RFP process has been initiated with selection finalization currently underway. The appointment of an interim chancellor was noted, along with reports on the system's northstar framework to improve student economic mobility and success. Additionally, faculty and students provided public commentary regarding the financial resilience of institutions, concerns about potential restructuring and resource allocation, the need for enhanced mental health and support services, and systemic issues regarding system office bureaucracy and institutional autonomy.

The board meeting primarily consisted of an executive session held in accordance with the general statutes to discuss specific legal or confidential matters. Following the executive session, the board reconvened briefly for the sole purpose of formally adjourning the meeting.

The committee reviewed and approved two major contracts for Central Connecticut State University: a multi-year HVAC maintenance agreement and a food service contract amendment. Additionally, the committee received an informational notice regarding a construction contract for a synthetic turf field at Eastern Connecticut State University. A significant portion of the discussion focused on the ongoing development of enhanced budget reporting practices, including the adoption of a consolidating financial statement format, the separation of recurring operations from one-time funding, and the alignment of institutional financial results with strategic priorities. The meeting concluded with an executive session to discuss preliminary drafts and notes.

The committee meeting covered a status update on current projects, focusing on project tracking fidelity and the challenges of managing customizations versus baseline configurations in SaaS environments. The committee also received an update on the Charter Oak AI project, noting the finalization of the contract and an upcoming kickoff. Finally, the committee discussed a new digital accessibility policy driven by legislative changes, addressing its implementation, staff responsibilities, and impact on other ongoing projects such as active directory cleanup and security initiatives.