Housatonic Community College Program Finalist for National Award

Housatonic Community College's advancements in the areas of efficiency and effectiveness were recognized by the Community College Futures Assembly, which recently named the College's Family Economic Security Program (FESP) as a finalist for its national 2019 Bellwether Award. "It is an honor to be among the finalists for this prestigious award. We're excited to compete and share the program with other colleges because it is really helping our students," said Alese Mulvihill, Associate Dean of Student Success at Housatonic Community College (HCC). "Our hope is that other schools will institute FESP in their own communities and get the same results we're seeing."

The FESP program provides bundled services to HCC students of low to moderate income, whereby students receive resources and tools to advance their education, career and economic security. Achievement coaches provide academic, financial and life counseling, career coordinators provide career counseling, and students participate in workshops and activities.

The high-touch program was adopted from the Center for Working Families model from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and is an innovative partnership between HCC, Fairfield County's Community Foundation Fund for Women and Girls, and the Housatonic Community College Foundation.

As part of the Bellweather Awards process, the awards application must identify the issue or challenge that the leading edge program or activity was designed to address, describe the process, timeline, participants, and resources required to implement the program or activity, specify the results and/or impact, and elaborate on lessons learned for colleges considering a replication of the initiative.

Now in its fourth year, the FESP program is a model for student success, with retention rates for FESP students a full 30 percent higher than those of the College.

"FESP is a perfect example of the power of partnerships to transform services for students," said Dr. Paul Broadie, HCC President. "Through these collaborations, the program increases graduation rates, leading to greater employment opportunities, increased earnings, and the economic expansion of surrounding communities. The impact is tremendous."

Bellwether College Consortium through the Community College Futures Assembly addresses the best practices at community colleges. Thirty finalist colleges in three categories were competitively chosen by a national panel of judges to compete for the coveted award.  The selection process culminates with the winning program initiatives to be announced this month.

"The Fund for Women & Girls designed FESP to address the academic achievement gap among Fairfield County's low-income women and simultaneously promote their economic advancement. FESP uses a proven model that yields higher graduation rates,” said Tricia Hyacinth, Director, Fairfield County's Community Foundation's Fund for Women & Girls.  “We've seen firsthand how the program improves odds for women and their families.”

https://youtu.be/xFFkZb9RQjU

Manufacturing Assistance Program Aims at CT Companies

If you are looking for more evidence that manufacturing is back in Connecticut, you need look no further than Hartford and East Hartford.  The Technology Labs Assistance Program (TLAP), just getting underway, was created as part of the Hartford/East Hartford Innovation Places Initiative, which is striving to make the area a more vibrant hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. Hartford and East Hartford-based companies with less than 300 full-time employees in their Connecticut facilities are invited to apply to a new manufacturing assistance program that offers – among a dozen possibilities - 3D printing, engineering design and prototype development.  Those chosen will receive a project subsidy of 50 percent off the total project cost, with subsidies reaching up to $10,000 annually.

The innovation begins with the partners in the program. TLAP is designed to provide Connecticut entrepreneurs and businesses with easy access to the vast manufacturing resources and services available at various schools, universities and Advanced Manufacturing Centers in the Greater Hartford Area. Participating organizations currently include the University of Hartford, Goodwin College, and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology. Funding for the project subsidies is supported by CTNext.

“There’s a wide array of area companies who perform advanced tech work, but they might not have the machines or resources to, say, build a prototype, optimize a process or fabricate a complex part,” said Paul Striebel of the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT). Goodwin College, the University of Hartford and CCAT are part of an effort providing easy access to advanced resources and services available at their facilities.

“We are in a new era of interagency collaborations among state and private educational institutions and corporate partners,” said Cliff Thermer, Goodwin College’s Assistant Vice President for Strategy and Business Development and Department Chair for Business, Management, and Advanced Manufacturing. “The future of Connecticut innovation is bright.”

CCAT and the University of Hartford have a long history of working together developing programs, obtaining grant funding, sharing equipment and facilities, and ensuring that students have interesting research projects as well as hands-on learning opportunities through internships and experiential education.  This is the latest program collaboration.

The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology Inc. (CCAT), driving the program, is a dynamic and innovative applied technology organization that leads regional and national partnerships that assist global industrial companies and the manufacturing supply chain across industry sectors to drive advancements, efficiencies and adoption of leading edge technologies.

Project possibilities include – but are not limited to j- Engineering Design Services, Prototype Development, 3D Printing, Part Fabrication, Process Testing & Analysis, Technical assessments in conjunction with engineering projects and manufacturing challenges, Research to support proof of principle, Process Improvement, Commercialization Services, Tooling development and manufacture, Reverse Engineering and Inspection Services and Failure Analysis.

CT Ranks 4th Among Nation's Most Educated States, Analysis Shows

Connecticut ranks third in the nation in the percentage of residents with graduate or professional degrees, and fourth in the nation in the percentage of residents with a bachelors degree.  Those statistics helped lead Connecticut to an overall ranking of fourth in the U.S. in an analysis of the nation’s “most educated states.” In this study, the financial website WalletHub examined the key factors of a well-educated population: educational attainment, school quality and achievement gaps between genders and races. They compared all 50 states across 20 total metrics grouped into two categories.

"Connecticut is the fourth most educated state as it has a high quality school system, the fourth largest share of adults aged 25+ with at least a bachelor's degree, 38.5%, and the third largest share of adults with at least a graduate or professional degree, 17%,” said WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez.

“The projected college graduation rate for 2020 in Connecticut is 64.5%, the fifth highest in the country, and 31% of 2017's high school class received high scores on advanced placement exams, the third largest share nationwide," Gonzalez added.

The data reviewed includes the share of adults aged 25 and older with at least a high school diploma,  average university quality, and gender gap in educational attainment. Metrics also included graduation rates, math and reading test scores, advanced placement exams and public school system quality.

Leading the way was Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and Vermont.  Rounding out the top 10 after Connecticut was Colorado, Virginia, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Utah and Washington State.  At the bottom of the rankings: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia and Mississippi.

Last year, a similar ranking of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas saw Bridgeport-Norwalk-Stamford rank tenth in the U.S. and the Hartford area rank 26^th.  Greater New Haven ranked 44^th in that analysis.

In the state education analysis, Connecticut ranked 11^th in average university quality and 17^th in the percentage of Associate's Degree Holders or College-Experienced Adults.

It is the third consecutive year that Connecticut has ranked in the top five, although the criteria has differed slightly each year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kAqi_Xs3xE&feature=youtu.be

State Office of Early Childhood Welcomes Bye with $8.5 Million from Feds

The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) has announced what amounts to a welcome gift for its incoming leader, former State Senator Beth Bye, named by Gov. Lamont two weeks ago to head the state agency.  Just days ahead of Lamont’s inauguration, OEC said it had been awarded an $8,591,087 federal grant - funds intended to enable the state to design and launch better, more cost-effective systems serving families with young children. The most anticipated federal early childhood initiative in years, according to OEC officials, the new Preschool Development Grant program was highly competitive. Connecticut is a national leader among states in both grant size and per capita funding, officials indicated. 

“This new grant will allow Connecticut to build on our nation-leading efforts, giving OEC new resources to work across agencies and increase impact for children and families,” former Gov. Dannel Malloy said as the grant was announced, in the final days of his administration. Connecticut was selected to receive one of the nation’s largest awards by the two federal agencies administering the grant, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education. Among the largest state recipients, no state received more funding per target family than Connecticut.

Bye will begin serving as the Commissioner-designate later this month. Her nomination will be sent to the General Assembly for confirmation.  Earlier in her career, Bye was director of the University of Saint Joseph School for Young Children and Trinity College Community Child Center preschools, and was early childhood director at the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC), where she supervised the birth to three program for CREC, and also helped to open two early childhood magnet schools.  She was later elected to the Board of Education in West Hartford, then to the State House and State Senate.  Reelected last fall, she did not take the oath of office last week in order to accept Lamont’s offer to lead the agency.

“Beth Bye has devoted her entire professional career to helping to build a more progressive and equitable early childhood system in which all children, regardless of their parent’s socioeconomic status, can grow, learn and develop,” said Lamont. “It’s clear that the formative early childhood years are key to providing children a solid educational base and platform, and I know Beth is the best person to take helm of this critical agency.”

Her soon-to-be-predecessor, David Wilkinson, said “Connecticut punched well above its weight on this grant. That’s because its goals are in our DNA. OEC’s enabling legislation calls on us to be data driven, to be outcomes accountable, and to support the whole family by working across government silos. We’ve been delivering on that mission, but no agency can do those things alone. What’s exciting here is that these resources will allow the next administration to build a smart, collaborative infrastructure across agencies – one that better supports young children and families, reducing redundancies and focusing on shared goals for family success.”

Unlike a previous iteration of this federal grant program – which focused on expanding preschool for four year-olds – the new grant focuses on child success from to zero to five, with an emphasis on infants and toddlers. Further, officials said, it calls on states to look beyond the classroom to broader measures of child and family success, including mental and physical health, family stability, and parental employment. Because such considerations involve multiple agencies, it calls on states to advance a cross-system data and performance infrastructure, asking them to cost-effectively implement new solutions with an emphasis on measurable outcomes.

With this new grant, federal authorities call on states to improve measurable outcomes for children and families and to more efficiently use federal and state resources. The grant program asks states to do this by planning and building more coordinated systems, deploying resources to:

• Better link families to the full range of services they need, aligning and improving coordination among existing agencies and programs while blending and braiding funds for better efficiencies
• Advance an infrastructure for data sharing across the silos of government to better support families
• Design and implement a performance management approach focused on measurable child and family outcomes
• Develop and implement evidence-based practices to cost effectively improve child and family outcomes
• Investing in the cross agency, digital infrastructure to support all of the above

Established in 2014 with bi-partisan support and at the urging of Gov. Malloy, Sen. Bye and colleagues, the  Connecticut  Office  of  Early  Childhood  advances  a  family-centered  approach  to support young children  and families. Integrating early childhood programming formerly administered by five separate state agencies, OEC serves children each year through programs including child care, preschool, home visiting, health and safety assurance, early intervention and parenting supports.

From Students to Employees: Businesses Increasingly See Benefits of Hiring People with Disabilities

There are 2.4 million students with disabilities nationwide and 3 out of 5 of them are not currently employed - making this population important for employers to include in their hiring strategies.  That’s according to the website Getting Hired, which teamed up with Hire Potential on a recent webinar for inclusive employers to explain “why it’s important to tailor talent acquisition strategy to engage and hire students with disabilities.” The organizations recommend three organization “touch points” on campus for recruiting businesses: the offices of career services and disability services, and student support groups.  Each plays a different role on campus, and can offer effective connections to students for businesses seeking to considering hiring them.

For the opposite vantage point, for students seeking to evaluate businesses as prospective employers – and their willingness to hire individuals with disabilities - a relatively new national rating may be helpful.

The Disability Equality Index will be issued for the 5^th year in 2019, evaluating the practices of leading national corporations.   The DEI measures a wide range of criteria within six categories, including Culture & Leadership, Enterprise-Wide Access, Employment Practices, Community Engagement, and Supplier Diversity.

Developed by the DEI Advisory Committee, a diverse group of business leaders, policy experts, and disability advocates, the DEI is a national, transparent, annual benchmarking tool that offers businesses an opportunity to receive an objective score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, on their disability inclusion policies and practices. The Disability Equality Index (DEI) is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN.

Former Connecticut State Senator Ted Kennedy, Jr., a leading advocate for persons with disabilities and Board Chair of AAPD, said recently “we cannot achieve our goals without engaging our friends in the corporate community.”

On the 2018 Index, among the Connecticut-based companies scoring 100% were Aetna, Travelers, and The Hartford.   A score of 100 on the DEI means that a company adheres to many of the numerous leading disability inclusion practices featured in the DEI.

Companies can register through January 31, 2019 to be evaluated for inclusion in the 2019 Disability Equality Index when it is published later this year.

For companies making the commitment to hire individuals with disabilities, a recent report suggested they’ve made a good business decision.

Companies that embrace best practices for employing and supporting more persons with disabilities in their workforce have outperformed their peers, according to a research report issued in November by Accenture, in partnership with Disability:IN and AAPD.

“Persons with disabilities present business and industry with unique opportunities in labor-force diversity and corporate culture, and they’re a large consumer market eager to know which businesses authentically support their goals and dreams. Leading companies are accelerating disability inclusion as the next frontier of corporate social responsibility and mission-driven investing,” Kennedy said in the report.

The 45 companies that were identified as standing out for their leadership in areas specific to disability employment and inclusion had, on average over the four-year period, 28 percent higher revenue, double the net income and 30 percent higher economic profit margins than their peers, according to the report. The analysis also revealed that U.S. GDP could get a boost of up to US$25 billion if more persons with disabilities joined the labor force.

Added David Casey, VP, Workforce Strategies & Chief Diversity Officer at CVS Health: “People with disabilities tend to be some of the most creative, innovative and, quite frankly, most loyal employees. A person with a disability wakes up every day thinking about being innovative – that is a skill set. That ability to problem solve is innate to them. Our training programs quickly went from philanthropy to skill search.”

Navigating Post-Graduation Employment Metrics of Colleges Scrutinized

While students consistently rank the ability to get a good job as one of the most important factors in their college choices, too often this critical information is unavailable or misleading, according to a new analysis by The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS). The three entities tasked with oversight of the U.S. higher education system—accrediting agencies, state governments, and the federal government—each issue their own uncoordinated set of requirements governing the calculation and provision of employment metrics, according to the report. 

“The resulting patchwork of data makes meaningful comparison across programs and colleges nearly impossible and leaves major questions about the accuracy and reliability of the available information,” according to the Institute.” Job placement rates provide a textbook example of how the wide variation in definitions and calculations render the rates almost impossible to compare across schools,” the report states.

The University of Connecticut reports a “positive outcome rate” of 88 percent for graduates of the most recent academic year, within six months of graduation, at a “knowledge rate” of 72 percent.  The destinations include 63% who are employed, 22% who are continuing their education, 1% serving in the military, and 1% participating in volunteer service.

The report, Of Metrics and Markets: Measuring Post-College Employment Success, describes the many misleading conceptions of employment rates and proposes two specific, verifiable measurements that could better inform student choices.

According to the UConn website, in 2014, NACE developed national standards and protocols for colleges and universities to use in collecting and reporting graduating student career outcomes data. The result of this effort is NACE’s First-Destination Survey, which captures information regarding how new college graduates fare in their careers within six months of graduation.

NACE is the leading source of information nationwide on the employment of the college educated, and forecasts hiring and trends in the job market; tracks starting salaries, recruiting and hiring practices, and student attitudes and outcomes; and identifies best practices and benchmarks.

The Institute report recommends federal, state, and accrediting agencies standardize the job placement rate—which measures the share of graduates employed in occupations for which they were trained—and that states collect the data needed to calculate verifiable rates at low cost. And second, it recommends the federal government calculate and publish a threshold earnings rate—which measures the share of graduates employed and earning above a certain amount—for all programs using a federal data match.

“Higher education proves a powerful lever of upward mobility for many Americans, but leaves too many worse off than when they started, with substantial debt and little or no increased earnings power to pay it off,” said TICAS president James Kvaal. “Simply put, students are entitled to this foundational information as they make key decisions about where to invest time and money.”

The report indicates that “A 2016 survey of incoming freshmen at four-year colleges found that 84 percent identified the ability to get a better job as a very important factor in their decision to attend college, a larger share than for any other factor cited.  Similarly, 41 percent of American adults believe the most important factor in choosing between colleges or universities is the share of graduates who are able to get a good job. Beyond students and families, other decision-makers need to be able to evaluate and compare colleges and programs when deciding where to allocate limited higher education resources.”

The Institute is based in Washington, D.C. and Oakland, California.

Hartford Ranks #13 Among Best Metro Regions for STEM Professionals, Analysis Finds

A new analysis of the nation’s best metropolitan areas for workers in the STEM professions has Hartford ranked just outside the top 10 at number 13.  New Haven is ranked at number 55, Bridgeport/Stamford/Norwalk at number 80. The comparison of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the country by financial services website WalletHub, included 20 key metrics, ranging from per-capita job openings for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) graduates to annual median wage growth for STEM workers. 

According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis, STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — professions grew at over twice the rate that non-STEM jobs did between 2009 and 2015, according to WalletHub. Most types of STEM jobs are expected to expand faster than all other occupations until 2024.

The top 10 in the new analysis were Seattle, Boston, Pittsburgh, Austin, San Francisco, Madison, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis and Cincinnati.  Just ahead of Hartford were San Diego and Columbus, and following Hartford in the rankings were Springfield and Worcester, MA.

While Hartford ranked 24^th a year ago, the criteria were slightly revised for this year’s analysis.  WalletHub’s analyst explained that “An addition to this year's methodology is the presence of tech summer programs within a given metro area, which Hartford ranked well for. In these programs students start developing skills in coding, game development, robotics or design. Other new metrics that were added this year and contributed to Hartford's overall better ranking are utility patents and the number of tech meetups per capita."

In addition, “the unemployment rate in [metro] Hartford for adults with at least a bachelor's degree is the lowest in all the metropolitan areas analyzed, whereas last year, it was in the middle of the pack.”

The nearly two-dozen metrics were divided into three overall categories:  professional opportunities, STEM-friendliness and quality of life.  Hartford ranked tenth in quality of life category, 14^th in professional opportunities, and 17^th in STEM-friendliness, which included the quality of engineering universities, research & development spending and intensity, and mathematics performance.

The Quality of Life category included housing affordability, recreation and family friendliness, and singles friendliness.  The Professional Opportunities category included median wage, wage growth, STEM employment growth and job openings for STEM graduates.

Among the various individual metrics, the Bridgeport/Stamford/Norwalk metropolitan region ranked third nationally with among the highest annual median wage growth for STEM workers.  New Haven was eighth nationally in STEM-friendliness. The overall rankings for Bridgeport/Stamford/Norwalk and New Haven were relatively unchanged from a year ago.

Credit Union Branch Inside High School Encourages Financial Literacy

Getting banking business done – or being introduced to an array of personal financial services for the first time – has become easier than ever for students attending Rocky Hill High School.  That’s because they don’t even need to leave the confines of high school to visit a Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union branch – it’s just steps away from their school cafeteria. Credit union branches located inside high schools are not common.  In fact, this might be the first of its kind in Connecticut. The branch is a new step for the credit union and focuses on preparing students for their financial future. It features tablets, an ATM, and (coming soon) a self-service kiosk to be used by students and faculty for transactions such as account transfers, loan payments, and check and cash deposits or withdrawals.

Nutmeg State FCU President and CEO John Holt says his enthusiasm and the support from Rocky Hill High Schools administrators and teachers is matched by the student response.

“We want to give students first-hand knowledge and experience,” Holt explains, “to help them better understand banking and prepare them for smart decision-making in the future.”

The staff includes three Rocky Hill High School students who are specially trained not only in technology but in terminology, so they can pass along that combination of know-how and understanding to their peers. For many, understanding the differences between a credit union and a bank is an unexpected first lesson. And students are often intrigued by the credit union structure, including that it is a non-profit institution which allows them to become members (and therefore part owners of the credit union).

If the initial weeks are any indication, there is a receptive audience of students, very supportive teachers and administrators, and parents looking on approvingly from the sidelines. More than 100 accounts have been opened at the branch in the first few months of operation, and there have been many more conversations providing insight for high school students into the products and services a financial institution offers – plus some tips on how to manage money effectively.

“The need for financial literacy education has never been greater,” said Jeremy Race, President and CEO of Junior Achievement of Southwest New England, an organization with a strong classroom presence focused on financial education and entrepreneurship. “According to a recent Forbes article, 44% of Americans don’t have enough cash to cover a $400 emergency and 33% of adults have $0 saved for retirement.  This is staggering evidence that clearly demonstrates the critical need for young people to learn financial responsibility and financial ‘smarts’ at a young age.”

Because the technology is intuitive for most students, their transaction time can be used to talk about subjects they may be less familiar with – such as balancing a checkbook, how debit cards and account balances relate to each other, loans and interest rates, and what a credit score is all about.  Not the typical teen conversation, but Holt indicates that students have been quite interested in learning more.

“The younger generation has a passion for community,” Holt has observed, “and they see the practical value. This has really opened their eyes.”

Some of the lessons are already being integrated into the school’s business classes – which seem “real” with a financial institution’s branch office just down the hall.  The branch is open during lunch periods, study halls, and other times convenient to students, teachers and staff, without being a distraction from more traditional school curricula.

Outgoing Connecticut State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier, a longstanding proponent of financial literacy, has stressed that “Financial education is important during all stages of life, because economic opportunity can be a catalyst for change and enduring success,” adding that “information and training can help them build a better future.”

With the program off to a solid start, Holt said that Nutmeg State FCU would be interested in a similar initiative in another high school near one of their 11 credit union branches in Connecticut. They are headquartered in Rocky Hill, having been chartered in 1936. In addition to Rocky Hill, they’re located in Manchester, New Britain, Hartford, Glastonbury, West Hartford, Cromwell, Orange, Stratford, Milford and North Haven.

The Connecticut-based credit union also reaches out to local communities in other distinctive ways. In Milford and North Haven, they have added “DMV Express” services in conjunction with the state Department of Motor Vehicles, and three locations are within retail stores – the Walmart in Cromwell, and the ShopRite supermarkets in Stratford and Orange. To learn more about Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union, visit www.nutmegstatefcu.org.

Photos:  (Top right) - Rocky Hill High School Student Alisha Chhabra conveniently accesses the new Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union branch at her school.  (Midde left) - Rocky Hill High School recently celebrated the opening of its first on-site Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union branch. From left: Chuck Zettergren Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Mark Zito Superintendent, Mike Petti Vice Chairman, John Holt President & CEO, Ben Lukens Student, Alisha Chhabra Student, Michael Patano Student, Muhammed Bilal Student, Cynthia Latina Business Education Teacher, Timothy Bifolck Business Education Teacher, Mario Almeida Principal. (Bottom right) Nutmeg State FCU President and CEO John Holt.

Co-Working Headed to Sacred Heart University in Alliance with Verizon, Alley

Co-working in Connecticut will be gaining another player in the field, with a distinctive twist.  Sacred Heart University in Fairfield will be the site, as the university signs an agreement with Verizon and Alley, for the creation, management and operation of a coworking space on the university’s West Campus in Fairfield, formerly the corporate headquarters for General Electric. This new partnership, called Alley powered by Verizon, will be the first in Connecticut and the first time “Alley powered by Verizon” is located on a college campus. Verizon and Alley together have successfully built innovation hubs in New York, Cambridge, and Washington.  Locations in Palo Alto and Los Angeles were announced in September, described as “the next phase of its business that will fuel local innovation and entrepreneurship on the West Coast.”

“Fairfield County has several corporations and businesses that stand to benefit from the work that will be done here, not to mention its ideal location between New York City and Boston. We’re helping to create a startup mindset and environment that will provide members much-needed access to corporate resources typically unavailable to small businesses, from key relationship introductions to cutting-edge technology,” said Jason Saltzman, CEO of Alley.

Work on the new innovation coworking space is expected to be completed with the space open for business late next year.  It is slated to be a hub for innovation teams from large and small companies; for entrepreneurs who want to test their ideas, grow their businesses and work collaboratively in a supportive environment; and for individual professionals who want to work in a dynamic office environment, according to officials.

“A robust commitment to innovation is in keeping with the University’s dedication to educating our students on technology, emerging trends and entrepreneurship. This is exactly the kind of innovative and entrepreneurial platform that Connecticut desperately needs, and we’re delighted to be hosting it on our campus, working collaboratively with Verizon and Alley,” said SHU President John J. Petillo.

A dedicated SHU project coordinator will help identify, activate and create engagement between the innovation community and SHU’s faculty, staff, administration and student body.  As part of this venture, Alley will oversee marketing and advertising to develop a vibrant community of members, manage member experience and help coordinate events and programs. SHU also will establish a Student Concierge Service that members can use as a resource for making connections with various University programs, internships, recruiting, events, speaker sessions, office hours and mentoring.

The new center at Sacred Heart University will further Verizon’s commitment to cultivate strong relationships with academic institutions with emerging technology curricula, officials stressed.  The coworking spaces allow Verizon to tap into local startup and innovation networks, build relationships with potential partners and open new doors for ideas and technology. With Verizon, Alley is bridging the gap between startup and corporation by helping the community workspace build next-level ecosystems for entrepreneurs. Verizon provides entrepreneurs and start-up companies working on new products with the technology and services they need for growth.

As with other coworking spaces that have increasing taken root across Connecticut, the space is expected to offer various levels of memberships and services that include private office space, hot desks, meeting and conference room space, events, recruiting services, marketing services and programming services. The community also plans to draw on SHU faculty, staff, students and other resources to build an academic-focused environment that attracts local startups, entrepreneurs, corporations and other forward-thinking organizations and individuals.

“This is a major boost to Fairfield’s economic development efforts to bring more jobs and businesses to our town,” said Fairfield First Selectman Mike Tetreau. “I am very excited about this Sacred Heart University initiative as it certainly goes a long way to helping replace the loss of GE in our community.”

Attending College in CT, From CT, Staying in CT Afterwards?

The numbers have diminished during the past decade, but the percentage has remained relatively constant.  About 93 percent of students attending the state’s four regional universities – Central, Eastern, Southern and Western – are from Connecticut.  During that time, the student population has dropped from an all-time high of just over 36,000 in 2010, to just under 33,000 in the fall of 2018. At the University of Connecticut, the state's flagship university, the overall number of students has climbed from 30,034 (including 21,881 undergraduates) to 32,182  (including 23,845 undergraduate) last fall.  The number of Connecticut residents attending UConn dropped somewhat in recent years – from 23,201 students in 2011 to 22,934 in 2016, before bouncing back slightly. The number of in-state students starting at UConn this semester (Fall 2018) increased by 4 percent, with about 74 percent of the class made up of Connecticut natives, according to UConn officials. 

Two universities in New Haven reflect the contrast that illustrates where Connecticut students are headed for college.  Seven percent of Yale students are from Connecticut, compared with 95 percent of students at Southern Connecticut State University who are undergraduates in their home state.  The only other college with that high a percentage is the private Goodwin College in East Hartford, but with less than half the number of students.

The latest breakdowns for the four regional state universities, according to data on the website of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU):  Central has the largest number of undergraduates (7,235 full time in-state; 1,924 part-time in state, 341 part time in state, 46 part time out-of-state), followed by Southern (6,594, 1,222, 283, 23), Western (3,457, 832, 671, 68) and Eastern (3,787, 760, 6).    Together, the four universities have 27,704 undergraduate students and 5, 013 graduate students attending.

The University of Connecticut enrolled a total of 32,182 students in the Fall of 2017, including 23,845 undergraduate and 8,337 graduate/professional students.  Among the undergraduate students, 19,241 attended classes at the main campus in Storrs, while 4,604 were students of the regional campuses.

By number of undergraduate students enrolled in Fall 2017, the ten most populous colleges in the state are the University of Connecticut (23,845), Post University in Waterbury (10,840), Central Connecticut State University (9,554), Southern Connecticut State University (7,952), Quinnipiac University in Hamden (7,305), Yale University (5,746), Sacred Heart University (5,603), University of New Haven (5,216), University of Hartford (5,088), Western Connecticut State University (5,082) and Eastern Connecticut State University (5,073).

The top ten with the highest percentage of students from Connecticut reads quite differently.  Southern and Goodwin top the list at 95 percent, followed by Central and Eastern, both at 93%, Western (89.8%) UConn (76% at campuses statewide, 72% at Storrs), University of Bridgeport (55%), University of Hartford (53%), University of New Haven (42%),  Sacred Heart University (35%), and Fairfield University (29%).

Data on the percentage of students who remain in Connecticut after graduation is less clear, although the four public state universities, excluding UConn, indicate that the number exceeds 8 in 10.   In 2016, UConn announced that 78 percent of in-state students who graduated from UConn and started work in the previous year remained in the state.  In addition, UConn noted that about 30 percent of out-of-state students who graduate from the university and find work within a year put down roots in Connecticut.