Hartford, CT – The Connecticut State University American Association of University Professors (CSU-AAUP) is presenting its 2024 legislative agenda ahead of Gov. Ned Lamont’s 2024 State of the State Address on Wednesday .
CSU-AAUP made great strides in its legislative priorities last year. Of the bills we supported, seven were passed, including bills that
- Require access to reproductive healthcare on all public college campuses (SB 1108)
- Require the BOR to report annually on Students First (SB 921)
- Establish limits on withholding of student transcripts based on debt collection (SB 922)
While we secured additional funding in the final biennial budget passed last year, it was not enough to prevent the cuts and tuition hikes we are now seeing. Library staff has been cut in half on some campuses. Class sizes are getting larger. Tutoring and food services are cutting their hours. All while tuition is slated to go up to 5% in the fall.
We warned legislators and state leaders that this would happen.
We are now asking for emergency funding during this legislative session to support our institutions and prevent further cuts. However, in the long-term, the Legislature must provide sufficient funding for public higher education in Connecticut to prevent this situation from occurring again. CSU-AAUP members have been talking with many legislators who understand our needs and agree that we deserve more, including Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney.
Connecticut needs a strong, affordable public higher education system to continue growing as a state. The vast majority of our students come from Connecticut and stay in Connecticut after they graduate. Most CSU students come from under-resourced areas in the state, and many are first-generation college-goers, from minority communities, or working parents trying to improve their lives. They are the future of Connecticut, and the work we do at the CSUs helps them pursue their dreams.
“We are continuing the fight we began last year for necessary support for Connecticut’s students,” said CSU-AAUP President Louise Williams. “We are optimistic that many of our state’s leaders understand the importance of our institutions and will work to provide additional funding this spring. CSU-AAUP will always advocate to improve the lives of our students by providing high quality education and support services through our state universities.”
