Standard Ten:

Public Disclosure

February 12, 2008

Central Connecticut State University publishes a wide, diverse range of information pieces – news releases, event happenings, profiles of faculty, students, and programs, catalogs, course, departmental information, institutional data, and so on. On those pieces, contact information is published as a policy.

The University’s website has an “online 411” page where general information about the University and how inquiries can be addressed in an FAQ format can be found. (http://www.ccsu.edu/HowDoI/Default.htm)  The page also contains links to University departments and offices where information specific to that office or department can be found or requested.  Links are also provided for visitors to contact the Webmaster.

The web offers current and archival editions of the undergraduate and graduate catalogs (http://www.ccsu.edu/Catalogs/).  The content on the website and in authoritative publications is derived from the catalog.

Since we post only the current courses offered and their descriptions on the web, there will be some variations between what is published in the printed catalog and what is available online. This discrepancy is met by the disclaimer published in the print catalog.  The Office of Marketing and Communications ensures that all institutional publications are consistent and accurate.

The University publishes its mission and objectives in a number of places, both online (http://www.ccsu.edu/mission.html and http://www.ccsu.edu/goals/) and in printed publications, such as the University catalogs, course schedules/listings and student handbook, known as the Survival Guide.

The Office of Admissions puts forth comprehensive information for all interested applicants both in print and online formats, including the necessary steps and forms for admittance, tuition and fees rates, applications for campus housing, financial aid forms and procedures, registration materials and the Health Service’s rules for medical compliance (http://www.ccsu.edu/Future.htm).  Furthermore, students are made aware of any missing credentials throughout the application process.  In addition, the Office of Academic Partnerships and Articulation works with CCSU’s Admissions Office and regional Connecticut Community Colleges for seamless transfer equivalency.

The availability of courses is published in print and online formats shortly before the beginning of the advising and registration periods.  The web version uses a search system that brings up course information relevant for visitor-selected semesters and years.  (https://ssb.ccsu.edu/pls/ssb_cPROD/bwskfcls.P_TermSel).  The catalog’s comprehensive listing of courses specifies the semester that a course is offered if the course is offered only once during the academic year.  An online degree evaluation (http://www.ccsu.edu/registrar/Degree_Eval.htm), which displays a current history of degree requirements met and those requirements still needed for graduation, is also available to students.

The graduate and undergraduate catalogs include a list of current, full-time, tenure-track faculty, indicating departmental affiliation, professorial rank, highest academic degree(s), institution granting degree(s), and year of hire at CCSU.  The names and positions of administrative officers, as well as all full-time administrative staff, are included as well.  The list is updated annually and is posted on the University’s website.

A list of the members of the Board of Trustees is also published in the graduate and undergraduate catalogs.

Through the Center for International Education, the university offers numerous study abroad opportunities and markets itself externally to bring international students to campus.  While CCSU has no branch campuses, the Departments of Educational Leadership and Reading and Language Arts offer Master of Science Degree Programs in Jamaica.

Information pertaining to the size and characteristics of the student body, the campus setting, the availability of academic and other support services, the range of co-curricular and non-academic opportunities available to students; and those institutional learning and physical resources from which a student can reasonably be expected to benefit is captured in various places on the web. 

CCSU produces a number of publications (also available online) that provide this information as well; the application packet (http://www.ccsu.edu/apply/default.htm), the viewbook (http://www.ccsu.edu/viewbook/), the University catalogs, as well as the course listing booklets.  The University publishes updated information on the characteristics of the campus as well as the student and faculty populations in printed formats, including the student handbook.  In addition, a brief history of CCSU is included in order to give proper perspective to the student.  The University also discloses a current array of both academic and non-academic resources.  The resources are designed to enrich the student’s life and provide a healthy supplement to his/her class attendance and course study.  In addition to detailed announcements of various co-curricular opportunities, the University supports the Student Center as a meeting place of the campus community, providing community service, student development opportunities and various services that support student life.

The University provides a number of resources available to the student, including tutoring, academic support and assistance to persons with disabilities (http://www.ccsu.edu/learnctr/).  These resources are made known to the University community in print and online through the University catalog, viewbook, Survival Guide, course offerings booklets and all admissions application materials.

While new strategic goals are still being developed, a website is under construction that will outline institutional goals and the progress being made toward achieving them (http://www.ccsu.edu/goals/).  Student success data is carried on the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment website (http://www.ccsu.edu/planning/sitemap.htm). 

All information concerning cost of attendance, financial aid and payment resources appear on the web pages published by the Bursar (http://www.bursar.ccsu.edu/) and Financial Aid Offices (http://www.ccsu.edu/finaid/) on their respective CCSU web pages.  All incoming financial aid recipients receive an entrance counseling interview wherein they are advised completely of their financial responsibilities and the available resources.  Upon graduation or departure from CCSU, all financial aid recipients receive an exit interview wherein they are informed of their continuing responsibilities.

Our marketing messages and other such claims are all based on solid evidence – Princeton Review, Hartford Advocate, Association of American Colleges & Universities, data from Institutional Research and Assessment.  The Institutional Research and Assessment (http://www.ccsu.edu/planning/Assessment/default.htm) website has an entire category on “Assessment” where the degree program assessment reports since 2003 are readily available.  Within these reports is a summary of learning outcomes that will be posted on the web.  This website also has reports for enrollment, graduation, and incoming students.

CCSU has readily available valid documentation for statements regarding achievements of graduates or faculty.  This information can be found on the Institutional Advancement/ Marketing and Communications website under “CCSU in the News” as well as on the CCSU home page and is well-documented.  The Research and Assessment website has an online fact book (http://www.ccsu.edu/planning/IR/Statistics/Facts/Default.htm) listing faculty characteristics, but these are largely percentages regarding the composition of CCSU’s faculty as a whole. 

A complete list of accreditations for the University and its academic programs is included in both the undergraduate and graduate catalogs (print and web versions). This list is updated for accuracy each year by Academic Affairs before the catalog is printed.  In addition, accreditations are also noted within some program of study descriptions within the catalog as well as in student recruitment materials.

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