Goal 6

Extend the university’s engagement in the central Connecticut region through more thorough and assertive external affairs and outreach for the purpose of knowledge dissemination and to address a variety of social, economic, and technical problems.

• Extend efforts by the Office of Continuing Education to promote professional and personal development, civic engagement, and life-long learning and increase Graduate School support and involvement in these efforts. 

 Rationale. The demand of a changing workforce for ever-emerging new employment skills means that there will be an increasing number of individuals coming back to CCSU in pursuit of credit and non-credit continuing education opportunities, advanced degrees, and renewal certificates.  We want CCSU to be a resource that  social, economic, and educational agencies come to for talent and for educational services for their employees. Similarly, we want individuals to seek continuing and advanced education either for their own enlightenment or to retrain for new roles and advance their careers.  Their involvement can be translated into resources for CCSU and the region, and can be vital to our total curriculum, including our research agenda.

• Extend efforts to develop effective partnerships with both public and private agencies to more effectively respond to a variety of social, educational, and economic needs.

Rationale.  We strive to partner with institutions that have strategies to keep a valuable work force in the region and also with those social and educational institutions that have goals of providing continuing education for continuous learners.

• Synchronize and coordinate the program planning efforts between the Office of External Affairs and the Office of Continuing Education.

Rationale. Current unmet educational needs could be effectively addressed by organizing our academic resources and delivering both credit and non-credit classes throughout the region.  We can foster regional engagement with creative program planning efforts linked to some kind of revenue sharing formulae that recognizes departments for entrepreneurial course offerings.

• Create a Center for Research and Professional Renewal in the School of Education and Professional Studies.

Rationale.   The Center would afford closer working relationships with public schools for the purpose of helping them meet state and federal student achievement and professional development needs as   well as a means to enhance student recruitment.

·        Develop and promote Welte Auditorium as a Center for the Performing Arts

Rationale.  Similar to other universities in the area, CCSU   should have a Center for the Performing Arts. This would help CCSU to improve its image as a center for cultural, aesthetic, and intellectual enrichment as well as be a resource-producing venture. The availability of convenient parking next to the Welte Auditorium, especially on Fridays and Saturdays makes this possible.  We envision the development of a classical concert series that brings in well-known performing artists as well as showcasing some of our outstanding on-campus talent.  Smaller performances could take place in the Torp Theatre or Founders Hall. 

• Develop new funding formula to support regional engagement and outreach.

Rationale.  It takes considerable resources to engage the community through continuing education, external affairs, and outreach. If done properly, these efforts can be revenue generating. CCSU needs different funding formulae for continuing education and outreach that provides incentives for faculty and others to engage in these types of activities.

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