President Named to Lead Transition to Merged Community College in Connecticut

Connecticut’s Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) has appointed Dr. John Maduko to serve as president of Connecticut State Community College (CT State), which will be the institution that results from the planned merger of 12 community colleges next year.

Maduko, a medical doctor who currently serves as vice president of academic and student affairs for Minnesota State Community and Technical College, a member of the 37 institution Minnesota State Colleges and University system, will lead the state’s single, merged community college with 12 campuses and more than 32,000 students.

“I have come to Connecticut because I believe that CT State has a mission that is meaningful and authentic,” Maduko said. “We are establishing a ‘new normal’ of higher education. The impact of the pandemic over the last two and a half years has been enormous and will have long-lasting effects. But there is an even stronger history here of success in academics and career programs, student affairs and wrap-around student services that we will leverage.”

“John Maduko approaches this position as an experienced and talented educator, with significant teaching experience,” Governor Ned Lamont said. “We are now about a year away from the official opening of CT State as our single community college with all current locations continuing to stay open and remaining fully operational. I am confident that, with John Maduko in charge of the college and Terrence Cheng leading the CSCU system, we are in good hands to improve student success and provide workforce opportunities for all Connecticut residents.”

In a letter to the New England Commission of Higher Education earlier this year, state higher education officials said “the decision to merge Connecticut’s existing colleges into CT State was not made lightly,” and laid out the priorities of the new structure:

“the central aim of CT State is to address systemic inequities – both between students of different socioeconomic backgrounds and between institutions… Connecticut’s student success measures are simply not good enough, with students of color falling disproportionately behind their white counterparts. Central to the merger is the implementation of a Guided Pathways suite of reforms, including the hiring of hundreds of advisors to increase student retention and ultimately bolster completion rates, particularly for first-generation students and those from traditionally underserved backgrounds.”

The BOR is undertaking a major reorganization of Connecticut's community college system and plans to merge the 12, independent community colleges into a single accredited institution, to be known as Connecticut State Community College, by 2023.  

Efforts to effectuate the merger first began five years ago, in April 2017.  The plan was approved by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) last month, in March 2022.  NECHE noted in its approval that an academic transition website has been launched; a logo for CT State has been selected; six Academic Deans have been hired and searches for 18 Associate Deans and two Assistant Deans have been launched; and an Interim Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been hired.

 Last May, the Board of Regents appointed Terrence Cheng to serve as president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system. Cheng, who was serving as campus director of the University of Connecticut Stamford campus, continues as CSCU president..

“John is someone who understands the need to change and innovate based on data and the needs of the students we serve – but he also understands the importance of community buy-in, for a constructive working relationship with all employees within the college,” CSCU President Terrence Cheng said. “In short, he knows how to work together and get tough things done. I am confident that, thanks in large part to his experience as an educator and his laser focus on student success and equity, that John will be a tremendous leader for CT State.”

“On behalf of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, it is my pleasure to welcome Dr. John Maduko as president-designate of Connecticut State Community College,” BOR Chair Matt Fleury said. “Dr. Maduko is eminently qualified for this position as an experienced educator and administrator. Perhaps most importantly, he is guided by a set of principles that are reflective of the mission, vision, and values or the Board of Regents, CSCU, and CT State – putting access, equity, and student success at the forefront of everything he does.”

Maduko has served in his current position since 2019. Previously, he has held administrative leadership and faculty roles at North Central Texas College District, Rasmussen University, EDMC, National Paralegal College, Mountain State University, and Hillsborough Community College.

The BOR conducted a national search for the system president, which was chaired by Regent Aviva Budd. A search advisory committee, consisting of more than 40 students, faculty, professional staff, administrators, foundation leaders, union representatives, and external partners, was involved in interviewing candidates and putting forward recommendations.

Through a multi-year process that, at its “peak” involved 468 faculty, staff, administrators, students, and foundation members, according to state higher education officials, and included “almost two years of leadership team meetings with hundreds of stakeholders,” a governance structure has been developed.

Maduko will begin his new role on June 3, 2022.