CSCU chancellor accepts comptroller findings, outlines reforms and assistance for Western; proposes tuition freeze

Chancellor Cheng told the Board of Regents on the Manchester campus that the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) had released a special examination of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system and that he accepted its findings and recommendations.

“Even though they were taken on behalf of the system, I recognize that my intent did not match the impact and the perception, and that falls on me,” Cheng said, adding, “That is my responsibility, and I will be held accountable for it.” He said the system will implement tighter controls, updated policies and comprehensive training over the next 100 days to improve compliance and reporting.

The comptroller’s review, Cheng said, examined procurement-card use, travel records and other financial practices. The chancellor told regents the report found weaknesses in controls and called for corrective steps; he announced formation of system-level improvements and said the work would be a top priority of the redefined system office.

Cheng also described a new advisory effort between Central Connecticut State University and Western Connecticut State University to address Western’s ongoing operating shortfall. “The problem we are trying to solve for is the fact that Western Connecticut State University has a $12,000,000 a year structural deficit,” he said. He said Western’s reserves declined from about $25 million in 2015 to near depletion before his arrival and currently stand at $11 million; the system office has provided about $10 million in support over the last two years.

Central’s president, President Toro, will chair a search for Western’s next permanent president and produce a recommendations report after an initial listening phase, Cheng said. He characterized the Central–Western work as supportive and advisory, not a takeover: “This is not a takeover. Central’s leaders are not making decisions for Western,” he said. The chancellor said the advisory work and the search could take up to three years, and implementation decisions will follow further discussion between system and Western leadership.

Cheng also announced the reappointment of Dr. John Maduco as president of Connecticut State Community College. He credited Maduco with leading a 4% enrollment increase in fall 2024 — the first year-over-year gain since 2012 — and said CT State’s participation in the state’s free-tuition initiative now serves more than 59% of CT State students.

On tuition policy, Cheng urged the board to approve a proposal to freeze tuition for the 2025–26 academic year, saying the change would reduce student financial burdens. “Freezing tuition rates for our students is part of our shared North Star for ensuring our colleges and universities remain accessible and affordable for all,” he said.

The chancellor said he has met with institutional senates, student leaders and bargaining-unit representatives in recent months to hear concerns and to coordinate development of the ACT framework, which he described as a system-wide effort to align access, academic quality and workforce relevance. He said he would work with the board to implement OSC recommendations and to model higher standards across the system.

Cheng closed by thanking faculty, staff, presidents and regents for their work and by asking the board to support the tuition-freeze proposal.