Investment aims to grow Stamford enrollment

Next Generation Connecticut, a $1.5 billion investment in UConn’s science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs, including big plans for UConn’s regional Stamford campus, was discussed at Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting.

The academic expansion in Stamford includes the addition of a digital arts major, as well as some business-related majors. These new majors, including risk management, are specifically designed for the Stamford campus’s convenient proximity to New York City.

Thomas Kruger, a member of the board’s Financial Affairs committee, recapped the events held on Stamford’s campus last week, which Kruger described as being “very well-received by the Stamford community.”

University President Susan Herbst hosted a lunch with 14 business leaders to detail the plans for Next Generation Connecticut and its planned academic expansion for both the Storrs and Stamford campuses.

“She [Herbst] also talked about the importance of the development of a residential solution at Stamford to meet increased student demand and attract students from a broader market to that campus,” Kruger said.

Next Generation Connecticut includes plans to increase undergraduate enrollment by 30 percent, totaling more than 6,000 students, over the course of 10 years. Nearly 1,500 of these prospective students would be at the Stamford branch.

The plan, as outlined in a slide presentation on UConn’s Next Generation website, would see an increase in undergraduate digital media students by 840 and undergraduate risk management and global business students by 680.

Kruger went on to discuss Gov. Malloy’s “well-attended” press conference, which was held after his lunch with Herbst. Malloy discussed job stagnation, the exodus of uneducated youth from Connecticut and how the STEM programs plan to combat these issues by training the state’s youth for jobs.

“He [Malloy] made the point that Connecticut needs to join states like North Carolina, who have made major investments in their research triangle,” Kruger said.

The third event Kruger discussed was a town meeting attended by students, residents and faculty, who addressed similar topics.

“All three events had a lot of active participation on the part of the audience, and the feedback from the community down in Stamford that I’ve heard since then has been very positive,” Kruger said.