CCSU Profile
Central Connecticut State University is a regional, comprehensive public university dedicated to learning in the liberal arts and sciences and to education for the professions. Comprising four schools--Business; Education & Professional Studies; Engineering, Science & Technology, and Graduate Studies plus the Carol A. Ammon College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences--CCSU offers undergraduate and graduate programs through the Master's and sixth-year levels and the EdD in Educational Leadership. Committed to offering Connecticut citizens access to distinctive academic programs of high quality, the University is also a responsive and creative intellectual and economic resource for the people and institutions of our state's Capitol Region. More than 85 percent of CCSU graduates remain in Connecticut, contributing to the intellectual, cultural, and economic health of the state.
CCSU is, above all else, a vibrant learning-centered community dedicated to teaching and to scholarship. Education at the undergraduate and graduate level balances academic challenge and personal support, leading students to become thoughtful, responsible, and successful citizens. The faculty's commitment to scholarly inquiry ensures the intellectual vitality of our classrooms. A network of study-abroad opportunities, overseas inter-institutional arrangements, and other internationally focused educational programming prepares students to become "global citizens," responsive to a world of cultural differences and able to succeed in an increasingly international marketplace.
Dr. Zulma R. Toro is the president of CCSU. The first woman and the first Hispanic to hold the position, she is also the University's 13th president.
History
Founded in 1849 as the New Britain Normal School--a teacher-training facility--CCSU is Connecticut's oldest publicly supported institution of higher education. It became the Teachers College of Connecticut in 1933, and after a period of extensive institutional growth it became the Central Connecticut State College in 1959. In recognition of the institution's continuous development in mission and aspiration, the present name and educational charter were conferred in 1983.
The University values the development of knowledge and its applications in an environment of intellectual integrity and open discourse. Faculty, students, and staff have a rich history of engaging in activities that range beyond campus to help our neighbors and our fellow citizens. Public service is a principal, valued, and expected part of CCSU's mission to serve Connecticut, and it is recognized as an important means to enhance students' intellectual, moral, civic, and professional growth.
As a public university, we receive support from the State of Connecticut. We take very seriously our commitment to provide access to higher education for all citizens in this State who can benefit from our offerings. Our high expectations for ourselves contribute to the fine quality and continuous improvement of our undergraduate and graduate programs. We believe that quality and access are compatible and simultaneously achievable; our objective is to provide the support needed for our students to reach their full potential.
We also believe that higher education should promote the personal and social growth of our students, as well as their intellectual achievement and professional competence. We provide various opportunities for students to engage in activities or to join organizations and clubs where they develop leadership and other social skills. We foster a welcoming environment in which all members of our diverse community receive encouragement and acquire self-confidence.
Student Enrollment
The largest of four comprehensive universities within the Connecticut State Colleges
& University system, CCSU serves nearly 11,800 students--9,800 undergraduates, and
2,000 graduate students. Female students account for 48 percent of the student population;
males, 52 percent. CCSU is richly diverse: more than 30 percent of students are students
of color; African American students comprise 11 percent of the student body; Latinos,
12 percent; and Asians, 3 percent.
For more detailed information, please see Institutional Research and Assessment.
Faculty
The University has a full-time faculty of 400 members, more than 75 percent of whom possess the doctorate; additionally, some 400 part-time instructors offer a variety of distinctive educational and professional experiences. CCSU faculty have earned Ph.D.s at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cornell, Columbia, Duke, the universities of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Virginia, and Indiana, Tufts, Brown, Rensselaer, New York University, and other world-class institutions. A nationally recognized hallmark of the CCSU faculty is the close working relationships established between students and professor, often leading to collaborative publications or joint presentations.
Even though CCSU professors consider teaching their first calling, they produce excellent scholarly works that not only enliven the classroom but also contribute to the advancement of knowledge. CCSU faculty published books on teaching, school violence, experimental psychology, Irish immigration, Connecticut & the Civil War, a dictionary of world philosophy, LEAN management, development communication, family therapy, and modernism and history. Testifying to the importance of faculty scholarship, prominent national media, from MSNBC to the Discovery Channel, from USAToday, to The New Yorker, and the Chronicle of Higher Education, have relied on the academic expertise of our faculty for insightful, expert commentary. CCSU President Jack Miller's annual "America's Most Literate Cities" survey brings widespread coverage in nationally and internationally, reaching an audience of well over 100 million.
Points of Pride
The college guide book, Great Colleges for the Real World: Get in, Get out, Get a Job, selected CCSU as one of the "best 200 colleges" in the nation.
Recognizing the University's many community engagement activities, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching designated CCSU as one of the Foundation's Community Engagement Institutions.
Alumni
CCSU has more than 65,000 living alumni. Many work actively on CCSU's behalf as volunteers supporting the University's efforts in admissions, career advising, communications, and fundraising. Although 85 percent remain in Connecticut, the University's alumni are also to be found throughout the nation and around the globe. CCSU graduates are accomplished in richly diverse fields-successful industrialists and corporate leaders, award-winning teachers, path-breaking inventors, medical doctors, and distinguished novelists. They enjoy lives of accomplishment, personal satisfaction, and civic participation.
Curriculum
CCSU's undergraduate curriculum offers 100 majors in more than 80 fields of study--a breadth of programming that promotes students' post-graduate success in whatever career they choose. Programs range widely--liberal arts and sciences, teacher education, nursing, engineering, technology, the sciences, and business. The University also offers a wealth of special programs that enrich and further diversify educational opportunities. International and area studies and study abroad opportunities prepare CCSU students to become global citizens, at home in the world and able to thrive in America's multicultural society. The University's global connections feature innovative learning partnerships with leading universities in nearly 40 countries throughout the world.
Covering 41 academic fields, the University's School of Graduate Studies offers a wealth of choices for enhancing careers or enriching minds. Students may pursue Master of Arts or Master of Science degrees in a wide range of fields, the Master of Arts in Teaching, and the Educational Doctorate in Educational Leadership degrees, as well as certificate non-degree programs of study.
Student Cooperative Programs
The University's Co-Op program provides students with invaluable career-related work experiences plus the opportunity to make connections with potential employers, often leading to permanent employment.
Student Internships
As part of their educational programs, many CCSU students intern with local and area businesses and agencies. While students benefit from this opportunity to test classroom learning in the "real world," business owners and agency directors benefit from student labor valued in the millions of dollars.
Athletics
Sports are at the heart of CCSU's active campus life and are a constant outlet for fun and recreation. The University offers 16 NCAA Division I sports programs. The Blue Devil men's baseball, cross country, and football teams and the women's soccer and cross country teams have frequently been crowned Northeast Conference Champs.
The University also offers club and intramural sports teams as well as a state-of-the-art fitness center, swimming pool, and modern exercise equipment. For up- to-the-moment scores and more, please see the Blue Devil athletics site.
Campus
With a campus of nearly 165 acres and some 40 buildings, CCSU offers a welcoming and attractive campus, featuring state-of-the-art technologies, places to study, relax and enjoy friends. A state-leading commitment to environmental sustainability ensures the University's place among the finest educational institutions in Connecticut. Wireless access is available throughout the campus. The University offers 10 residence halls, housing 23 percent of students.
CCSU is located in a neighborhood on the northern edge of New Britain, 15 minutes from the state capital of Hartford and about two hours from New York City and Boston.
The Elihu Burritt Library
CCSU supports a comprehensive library designed to meet the needs of undergraduate and graduate students and a faculty of serious scholars. Current holdings of books total more than 750,000 volumes; periodicals total over 3,000; and microform and other non-print materials total an additional 550,000 items. The library facility offers both individual and group study areas and is open over 112 hours per week during the academic year.
Electronic Resources
The Library offers a wide range of electronic information services, including access to electronic journals, databases, and full-text resources. CONSULS (Connecticut State University Library System) is a shared library information system linking the catalogs of the four CSU libraries and the State Library of Connecticut.
Special collections
The Elihu Burritt Collection, an archive of books, articles, manuscripts, pamphlets by and about the New Britain blacksmith who became a linguist, educator, humanitarian, and a U.S. consul, provides a compelling view of mid 19th-century America. Connecticut Polish American Archive (CPAA) presents documents related to the history of the Polish American community, with a special emphasis on the history of the Polish Americans in Connecticut and New England.
The Equity Archive Collection comprises substantial holdings on women, feminism, and sexuality and includes holdings from the libraries of the George W. Henry Foundation, the Hartford Women's Center, and the Audrey Beck Learning in Equity (A.B.L.E) Archives. The Library is also a repository for the John Woodcock "Lemon Law" collection, as part of the emerging Center for Public Policy and Practical Politics.
For more information, please see the library's website.
New Britain and Central Connecticut
The University has been an important part of New Britain's educational and cultural life since its founding in 1849. On campus, CCSU offers outstanding cultural events, exciting sports, distinguished guest speakers, innovative educational programs, and the energies of our students, faculty, and staff, who each year reach out to serve our neighbors.
College Finances
The market value of CCSU's endowment was $70 million on June 30, 2017.
More than 4,505 donors supported the Annual Fund in 2016-17, contributing more than $4.5 million. CCSU alumni generously contributed a total of more than $1.8 million.
The annual operating budget for the University is approximately $200 million.
Tuition
For the most current information about tuition and fees, please see the Bursar's website.
Financial Aid
CCSU’s comprehensive financial aid program annually provides approximately $96 million in student aid. Approximately 47 percent of CCSU students receive some form of financial aid. Recognizing that for most students financial aid is the key to academic success, the University has expanded its financial aid resources more than 65% in the past 10 years. For more information, please see the Financial Aid website.
Governance
CCSU is governed by the Connecticut State Colleges & Universites (CSCU) Board of Regents, which oversees the four Connecticut state universities (Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western) and the state's 12 community colleges and Charter Oak. For more information: http://www.ct.edu/