Sen. Harding: Questions on CT higher ed $$ demand answers

For Immediate Release

Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding today issued the following statement in advance of today’s Appropriations Committee public hearing on Connecticut higher education agency budgets.

“There are many questions that demand answers. With regard to the Office of Higher Education, for example, why were former Stone Academy students told to sign a waiver of their rights against the State of Connecticut in exchange for payment of just a small fraction of the damages they incurred?

With regard to UConn Health Center, we must hear more about the plan to hire consultants to develop a ‘vision for the future’ of its clinical operations.

With regard to the Connecticut State Universities and Colleges system, large raises were recently given to senior staff at the same time tuition was hiked. People on Main Street see something like that and want to know why it happened. That decision should be explained to Connecticut taxpayers.

Finally, with regard to all public higher education agencies, we must hear about systemic efficiencies that are being created and implemented in order to safeguard taxpayers’ dollars now and in the future. Those efficiencies will ensure students are getting the education they are paying for.”