$95M approved for state university upgrades

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy approved $95 million in state bonding April 2 to continue fundingÂ infrastructureÂ improvements within the Connecticut State University System in 2014.

“Connecticut businesses must have the talent to compete globally, and our state university system is critical for training our future workforce,” Malloy said in a press release. “Over the past two years we”™ve made unprecedented investments to improve education ”“ ensuring that Connecticut”™s state universities have the resources to modernize and grow is an important part of strengthening Connecticut”™s economy.”

The projects, coined CSUS 2020, began in 2009 and includeÂ mechanical and electrical upgrades, new construction forÂ inadequate facilities and otherÂ infrastructure improvements.

The 2014 round of funding includes nearly $13 million in upgrades for Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. The university is scheduled toÂ receiveÂ new equipment at its Fine Arts Instructional Center, design funding for renovating Higgins Hall and funds for University Police Department construction.

“Thirty-five percent of Connecticut high school graduates attend one of our 17 colleges and universities, and the majority of those students stay in our state upon finishing their program of study,” said Philip E. Austin, interim president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, in a statement. “An investment in our institutions is an investment in our state”™s future workforce.”