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Changing Nature of Information, Knowledge
and Scholarship. The evolution of the information age will continue to
revolutionize the nature of knowledge and scholarship. This will demand that
universities rethink the way knowledge is created, used, and transmitted.
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Economic Resources: The economic climate
in Connecticut will remain sluggish for the next several years and state
financial support for higher education is not anticipated to increase
significantly. This situation will lead to tuition and fee increases.
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Workforce: The workforce in Connecticut
over the next decade will continue to put an emphasis on technology and
knowledge workers who will be more mobile, who will demand more autonomy, and
who will require continuing education and retraining
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Demand for Undergraduate Education:
National and state demographic trends predict a continued increase in the number
of high school graduates. This trend suggests that there will be an increasing
demand for undergraduate education in Connecticut and the United States, and this
demand is expected to peak between 2008 and 2012. Expectations will continue for
all CSU campuses to be accessible and affordable.
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Undergraduate Enrollment: Over the period
covered by this plan, enrollment is expected to remain constant, now at
approximately 7500 FTE each fall semester. Additionally, marketing efforts could
be made to attract more part-time continuing education undergraduates if these
efforts were resource enhancing. The overall enrollment goal will be to maintain
8800 FTE (graduate and undergraduate) students each fall semester.
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Demand for Graduate Education. The demand
of a changing workforce with ever- emerging new employment skills suggests that
there will be an increasing number of individuals coming back to CCSU in pursuit
of credit and non-credit continuing education opportunities as well as advanced
degrees and renewal certificates.
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Graduate Enrollments: Over the period
covered by this plan the enrollment is expected to gradually increase,
culminating with approximately 600 full-time graduate students each fall (goal
in current plan is 300; however we now have 500). Additionally, marketing
efforts could be made to attract additional part-time graduate and continuing
education students (now 2300).
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Retention and Graduation Rates: Because of
more academically qualified students, improved advising, and enhanced student
support programs, we expect retention rates and graduation rates to gradually
improve (now 74% and in Tier II status; goal could be set at 77%).
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Faculty: The university job market will
continue to be very competitive. It will remain difficult for CCSU to attract
and retain faculty members of high quality, particularly in fields where
shortages exist or where there is very high demand. Enhanced faculty resources
will be required for CCSU to approach Tier II status.
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Facilities: By the end of the planning
cycle a new academic building, a new admissions building, and renovations of
Willard and DiLoreto will have been completed. These expansions will accommodate
some programmatic changes, but additional facilities are required to address
continuing space constraints.
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Fund Raising and Grant Support: The
University will continue to strive to be more effective in raising funds from
private and alumni sources and to improve capacity to acquire research and
service grants and contracts.
