A report has been released showing that Western Connecticut State University is worse off financially than the other three schools in the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities system.  The system requested the report from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, which says West Conn operates on a structural deficit as enrollment declines and has dipped into its reserves almost every year for the past decade. 

The Colorado-based nonprofit that works with post-secondary institutions across the globe says West Conn has an expenditure control problem, not a revenue problem.   The report suggest cost cutting in the short term and increasing enrollment in the long term. 

The report also calls for a strategic staffing plan, reorganization of the administrative cabinet, identifying ways to reduce part-time faculty, and reviewing programs and curricula.  A second set of recommendations will be released later this year.  CSCU officials say WestConn has held two open forums since the report's release in January and a retreat for staff is planned after the semester ends with the consultant and Board of Regents. 

A faculty union representative told Hearst Connecticut Media that the report didn’t seem to recognize that the cost of living is higher in Fairfield County than in other parts of the country.