Communications

Dear Members of the CT State Community,

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to take this opportunity to extend my sincere appreciation to every member of our CT State community. This season reminds us of the importance of gratitude, and I am deeply thankful for the dedication, hard work and spirit of excellence that each of you brings to our college.

Whether you are teaching, supporting our operations or pursuing your educational goals, each of you plays an important role in making CT State a place where talent is nurtured, futures are built, and communities across Connecticut are strengthened.

I encourage you to take this time to rest, reflect and enjoy the company of family and friends. Our success as Connecticut’s largest institution of public higher education is rooted in your belief in our mission and in our students, who go on to lead transformative lives that shape Connecticut’s future, and their own, for the better.

As we prepare to conclude the fall semester, I look forward to learning more about the accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff and the many ways you continue to move CT State forward. But for now, I wish you and your loved ones a joyful and restorative Thanksgiving.

With gratitude,

Christina

• Cheslea Wright, Asnuntuck
• Zadrea Barnes, Capital
• Alejandro Martinez, Capital
• Caitlin Brown, Gateway
• Mary Mattheis, Gateway
• Shelley Tomey, Housatonic
• Theresa Janeczek, Manchester
• Eva Jones, Middlesex
• Lisa Knapp-Wilson, Middlesex
• Miguel Cruz Jr, Naugatuck Valley
• Sandra Eddy, Naugatuck Valley
• Stacey O'Connor, Naugatuck Valley
• Amy Royal, Naugatuck Valley
• Angela Skyers, Naugatuck Valley
• Michelle Coach, College Office
• Deborah Kline, Northwestern
• Ryan Rebstock, Northwestern
• Lia Barone, Norwalk
• Michelle Hopson, Norwalk
• Alison Wang-Huang, Norwalk
• Almouhallab Tmeem, Three Rivers
• Elizabeth Houston, Tunxis
• Forrest Helvie, Tunxis
• Anna Syta, Tunxis
• Jennifer Vamvakas, Tunxis

• Charles Knurek, Asnuntuck
• Michelle White, Capital
• Odile Dilone, Capital
• Monica Madeux, Gateway
• Negussie Tirfessa, Manchester
• Yoli Bergstrom-Lynch, Manchester
• Kegan Samuel, Middlesex
• Ezechiel Dominique, Norwalk
• Tamara Greer, Quinebaug Valley
• Alexa Shelton, College Office

• Innovation Positioning CT State at the forefront of educational technology
• Excellence Empowering our faculty and staff community with cutting-edge AI expertise
• Collaboration Building sustainable frameworks for continuous learning and development
• Transformation Creating measurable, meaningful impact across all our campuses

Dear Members of the CT State Community,

I want to take a moment to connect with you about the ongoing federal government shutdown and how it may be affecting members of our community. At CT State, we remain grounded in our mission to support student success and well-being, especially during times of uncertainty.

As you are aware, the federal government has been shut down since October 1, 2025, after a failure by Congress to pass the necessary funding legislation. As of early November, this impasse has become the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history. Many federal agencies have scaled back operations and, while, essential services continue, several programs — including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — are already experiencing some disruptions amid funding lapses and are at further risk if the shutdown continues.  

I want to acknowledge how concerned many members of our community must feel right now, including students, employees, and their families, especially those who depend on SNAP benefits or other critical federal assistance for support. We know that even temporary interruptions in support can create real hardship. 

In light of these challenges, the college will be issuing $3,000 to each campus (with additional support allocated for Danbury) to help restock and sustain our food pantries with essential items to help offset any SNAP disruptions created by the shutdown. These resources will help ensure that students and community members affected by the shutdown continue to have access to essential supplies and nutritious food options. I’ve asked our campus presidents to prioritize restocking our campus food pantries immediately upon receiving the funds. 

This action reflects our mission and values as a college community — and state — by helping to remove barriers to success wherever possible. I am deeply grateful for the care and compassion our campuses continue to show in support of our work as an institution of higher learning during this period of uncertainty, as well as our campus foundations who often step up in big and meaningful ways.

For now, we will continue to monitor other potential impacts of the federal government shutdown and share updates as needed.

With appreciation, 

Christina Royal, Ph.D.

Interim President

Dear CT State Community,  

We are excited to announce the launch of CT State’s inaugural, comprehensive, college-wide strategic planning process. This process will help provide clear direction through a series of engagements that create space to articulate our shared priorities and vision as we progress as a singly accredited institution embracing the ‘one college, many communities’ model.

Strategic planning officially begins this fall, by establishing clear expectations for the college, the steering committee, and sharing more information on the progress of our institution. We will launch a college-wide engagement event in the spring that is led by our peers that will ultimately help inform the strategic plan’s development. 

To help communicate and keep you informed of our steps and goals, we have prepared a dedicated strategic planning website informed by discussions with college governance, campus presidents and colleagues across our institution, to help ensure full transparency throughout the process. This is a working webpage that will continue to be updated. There you’ll find our planning vision, strategic anchors, values and an overview of the timeline that we’re anticipating. The anchors and values are designed to help keep us grounded through planning, keeping in mind a few of our critical areas to pay attention to. Regular updates on strategic planning will also be shared on the website.

To ensure broad representation through planning, we are announcing an exciting opportunity to help facilitate and lead the college’s work in developing its inaugural strategic plan. Below, you’ll find more information to nominate yourself or another qualified colleague to join the Strategic Planning Steering Committee that will help guide the process, connect planning to campus operations and student experiences, and serve as ambassadors of engagement across our 12 campuses and statewide community.

Call for Strategic Planning Steering Committee Nominations

The employees’ voice is critical in helping to identify our strategic priorities for the future. We invite faculty and staff — both longtime colleagues and those new to CT State — to nominate yourself or a talented colleague for the Steering Committee by completing this short survey. Nominations will remain open until Wednesday, October 22. Committee membership will reflect diversity across the college, disciplines and governance, ensuring broad representation of all our campuses, bargaining units, faculty, staff and administration, as well as the student voice.

The time commitment will be three hours per week from Spring through Fall 2026. In alignment with collective bargaining agreements, faculty will receive associated release time or additional responsibility equivalence. Staff will receive reassigned time as the priority, followed by comp time, and, if neither is available, associated compensation to account for these additional responsibilities. We do anticipate one or two meetings this fall with the steering committee to plan for full, college-wide engagement in the spring. Applicable compensation will be given for any fall meeting of the committee.

The college is seeking active, engaged committee members who will serve as strong links between college-wide planning and campus-level engagement. Members will be expected to participate in meetings and activities, contribute to data review and analysis of surveys, research and environmental scans, act as champions and liaisons to their home campuses to ensure two-way communication, facilitate stakeholder engagement to incorporate diverse perspectives and collaborate with colleagues from all campuses as ambassadors of the process.

Co-chairs of the steering committee will be identified and announced once the full roster is released following selection. We invite the College Senate to offer nominations for a co-chair for the president’s review. The co-chair will be given release equivalent to six hours per week.  

For all interested committee members, please be mindful of your current workload commitments. Supervisor approval will be needed to participate in the steering committee.

Coming Soon: Call for Strategic Planning Presidential Fellows

We’re thrilled to preview the Strategic Planning Presidential Fellows program, an exclusive leadership development opportunity that's part of CT State’s expanded Presidential Fellows initiative. The Strategic Planning Presidential Fellows program will select one faculty member and one staff member to play a key role in shaping CT State’s next strategic plan. Fellows will serve as ex officio members of the strategic planning steering committee. 

Fellows will gain hands-on leadership experience translating college-wide goals into actionable strategies, coordinating campus engagement, communicating college-wide and helping align our work with CT State’s mission and vision. More information on how to apply to become a strategic planning presidential fellow will be announced next week. 

In Closing

I look forward to doing this work alongside you. Participating in strategic planning is a great way to learn the institution through a data-informed lens and create a roadmap for long-term growth and stability and to help leave your mark on Connecticut’s most important mission: affordable, high-quality, and accessible education.

I hope many of you will consider participating in strategic planning to help shape the future of Connecticut’s largest institution of public higher education. Your time and talents are greatly appreciated (and needed!), and we are committed to making this process inclusive and participatory.

As a reminder, I have my virtual office hours tomorrow. I’d be happy to address any questions you may have. I’ll also be giving a bit more information on our planning process, too. 

Sincerely,

Christina Royal, Ph.D.
Interim President

Dear Members of the CT State Community, 

On my first official day as your College President, I am pleased and excited to share that today, Friday, August 1, the State Bond Commission approved funding of more than $29.6M for two important CT State capital projects: the renovation of B-Wing at CT State Norwalk and the design for renovations at Kinney Hall at CT State Naugatuck Valley.

These approvals mark a critical step forward in our commitment to deliver high-quality, equitable, and workforce-aligned education to communities across Connecticut. Both B-Wing and Kinney Hall are far more than buildings; they are foundational spaces that support student success, academic innovation, and regional economic development.

B-Wing, the academic core of Norwalk, serves more than 4,000 credit and workforce students and contains one-third of the campus’s classroom space, along with vital student services. The recently approved funding will support efforts to enhance learning environments, improve operational efficiency, and ensure Norwalk remains an accessible and competitive higher education option for students in lower Fairfield County and beyond in what is the oldest building on campus.

The building’s systems have exceeded their useful life, and the Bond Commission’s approval will help address critical infrastructure needs, including the remediation of asbestos-containing materials, replacement of failing curtain walls, and upgrades to outdated mechanical systems. The funding will also support renovations to inflexible and outdated interior spaces and help eliminate accessibility barriers that continue to limit equitable access to education.

Kinney Hall, located at Naugatuck Valley, is an important gateway to opportunity for over 5,000 credit and non-credit students in the western part of the state. Renovating this facility strengthens our efforts in academic excellence, workforce readiness, and public safety — supporting in-demand programs in health, manufacturing, STEM, and more, while sustaining critical partnerships with Waterbury Public Schools and the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board.

The Bond Commission’s approval of funding will help address critical infrastructure needs at Kinney Hall, including improvements to ADA compliance, public and fire safety, and mechanical and electrical systems. The funding will also support the remediation of environmental health concerns — such as asbestos and persistent mold — and the replacement of outdated classroom designs, like cramped tablet desks, that present barriers for pregnant students and those requiring accessibility accommodations.

These projects are made possible thanks to the leadership and partnership of Governor Ned Lamont, the Office of Policy and Management, the General Assembly, and members of the State Bond Commission. We are deeply appreciative of their support and for recognizing the vital role CT State plays in advancing Connecticut’s economic and educational future and the talented students and professionals we serve.

I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to our College Senate, students, faculty, and staff for their strong advocacy. Your voices matter and were instrumental in having these projects approved. 

These investments reflect the importance of our mission and the critical role each of you plays in driving it forward for our students. Thank you for the meaningful work you do every day to support our communities across Connecticut.

Sincerely,

Christina Royal, Ph.D.

Interim President

Dear Members of the CT State Community, 

Ahead of my official August 1 start date, I want to express my genuine excitement to join Connecticut State Community College as your Interim College President, and to thank Interim Chancellor Maduko for his leadership, vision, and entrusting me with this opportunity. From my earliest conversations with leaders across the system, I’ve been inspired by the passion, perseverance, and resilience that define the CT State community — and I am energized to now be part of it. 

Throughout my career in higher education and corporate leadership, I’ve been driven by a deep belief in the power of learning to transform lives. As a first-generation college student, I understand firsthand the life-changing impact that access to education can provide, and that’s why I’m especially proud to join an institution so deeply committed to student access, opportunity, and success. CT State is a vital engine for Connecticut’s workforce, and the work you do each day opens doors for learners and professionals across the state.

As CT State enters its third year, I look forward to working alongside you — across campuses, through shared governance, and with our dedicated faculty, staff, and students — to sustain and strengthen the college’s momentum. I’m particularly eager to support the strategic planning process, the journey toward full accreditation, and key priorities already underway in partnership with our business, industry, and civic leaders. 

I deeply appreciate the pride CT State takes in serving more students than any other public higher education institution in the state; in every corner of Connecticut, the impact of your work is evident through the students you educate and the professionals you prepare. I recognize that the path has not been without challenges, especially through the complexities of the merger. Yet, the data clearly affirms the progress you are making as a singly accredited institution. As part of a mission-driven college committed to building a more vibrant future, I’m excited to partner with CT State’s talented and experienced faculty and staff who make that vision possible, well aware that there is much more for us to do and accomplish.

In the months ahead, I will be working closely with Dr. Maduko to ensure continuity and stability as we move forward. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve and lead with you, and I look forward to listening, learning, and collaborating in the year ahead.

For now, whether you’re teaching, preparing for the year that’s in front of us, enjoying some well-deserved time off, or engaging in research, I hope you enjoy the remaining weeks of summer. We will be hitting the ground running together very soon. 

With appreciation and enthusiasm,  

Christina Royal, Ph.D.
Interim President