Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | DECEMBER 9, 2024 27 5 WE WATCHED IN 2024 Dr. O. John Maduko in April was inaugurated as the first president of Connecticut State Community College. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Learning Curve Under Maduko, newly merged CT community college system records enrollment gains, erases deficits reductions, with a focus on elimi- nating executive leadership roles and duplicative jobs. CT State also benefited finan- cially from the higher enrollment and conservative cost projections. The state Board of Regents raised tuition by 5% at the state's regional universities and community colleges for the fall 2024 semester, further boosting revenues. "It can't be all just cutting, there has to be some revenue enhancement," Maduko said of balancing CT State's $452.5 million operating budget. But there are still headwinds on the horizon. Pandemic-era federal aid is slated to dry up, leaving funding gaps for higher education and other key sectors that rely on government support. Maduko said CT State is projecting a deficit in fiscal 2026. Even still, he says CT state is "in a decent financial position compared to other (higher educational institutions) that are woefully in the red." Capital improvements There have also been some important capital investments made over the past year, Maduko said. In late October, CT State's Hart- ford Capital campus debuted a new 2,925-square-foot manufacturing center, completed in just under a year. It was funded with the help of $500,000 from the Capital Commu- nity College Foundation, combined with $733,180 in state bond funds. Another manufacturing center is expected to open in Farmington next year at the Tunxis campus. At the Manchester campus, an existing suite was converted into a 2,100-square-foot occupational therapy lab and classroom. Numerous energy upgrades were also made, including fuel cell installations at the Naugatuck and Manchester campuses; EV changing station additions at the Tunxis, Quinebaug, Three Rivers and Manchester campuses; and LED lighting upgrades. Moving forward Now that the merger is relatively complete, Maduko said he will shift his focus to developing a five-year strategic outlook. Details of that plan are not yet laid out, but one of his focus areas will be to ensure all campuses get the same support when it comes to service delivery, capital improvements, finan- cial aid, etc., so there is equity within the community college system. He also wants to maintain and enhance CT State's core mission to be a workforce development engine for students and companies. "The end goal for CT State students is not graduation, it doesn't stop there," he said. "At the end of the day, we want them to leave here having the tools for family-sustaining career training." By Hanna Snyder Gambini hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com W hen Dr. O. John Maduko took over as the first president of the new Connecticut State Community College system, CT State, he had lofty goals and significant challenges to overcome. He's made progress over the past year by boosting enrollment, clearing deficits, upgrading campus facilities and improving student and faculty diversity. Maduko took over the role in June 2022, unanimously selected by the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Board of Regents for Higher Education to lead the consol- idation of Connecticut's 12 commu- nity colleges into one unified system. That process, which at times was contentious as a result of some faculty push back, was completed in June 2023. Now in its second year, CT State is the largest community college in New England, and Connecticut's largest higher-education institution, serving 25% of all undergrads across the state at 12 campus locations. "It was a huge undertaking," Maduko said of the merger. His overall goal in 2024 was to "stabilize the institution," he added. Growing the pipeline A key focus area for Maduko has been reversing the commu- nity college system's long-term enrollment decline. Progress was made this year, with fall 2024 headcount enrollment, which includes full- and part-time credit-earning students, up 3.8% from a year earlier to 36,315 enrollees, according to data provided by CT State. That represents the first enrollment increase for the community college system since fall 2012. However, enrollment is still well behind pre-pandemic levels, when commu- nity college headcount totaled 45,905 students in fall 2019. Additionally, full-time equiva- lent enrollment grew 3% this fall compared to a year ago to 21,708 students, while enrollment in certifi- cate-only programs rose by 14%, CT State data shows. Several factors contributed to the enrollment growth, Maduko said, including offering programs in in-demand fields like health care and manufacturing, which have signifi- cant job openings. CT State also offers early- and dual-enrollment programs that allow high school students to earn both high school and college credits. That's helped build a pipeline of high school recruits, as has a free tuition program that covers some commu- nity college costs for Connecticut residents who are enrolled full- or part-time. Maduko said he also helped launch an aggressive marketing campaign — using billboards, advertisements and social media — to target high school students and promote CT State's course offerings, job training and tuition support. Sixty-seven percent of CT State students are first-generation college students, while 57% hold down jobs while taking classes. DEI and deficits Other major focus areas were diversity and budget stability, Maduko said. CT State this year has seen an 11% increase in students identifying as Hispanic/Latino, and a 9% rise in Black/African-American students. Nearly 60% of CT State's students are minorities, Maduko said. There's also been an increase in minority faculty and staff. Meantime, Maduko said he's been able to close multiple deficits that were projected in fiscal years 2024 ($33.6 million) and 2025 ($91.3 million) through a number of cost- saving initiatives, including staff O. JOHN MADUKO President Connecticut State Community College Education: M.D., St. Matthew's University School of Medicine; B.S., biology, California State Polytechnic University Pomona Age: 43

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