Can UConn absorb 40,000 more students?

[Palatine]

Didn't want to bury this in the "alumni" thread as it affects everything about the university including sports especially fooball.

Is it a good idea? The state government thinks so. It would help fill the stadium.

UConn can accommodate 40,000 students, Senate leaders say. They want a plan to increase the school’s capacity

Democratic Senate leaders are calling on the University of Connecticut to expand both enrollment and housing capacity to avoid losing high-performing students to other states.

www.courant.com

 

[husky429]

Not 40,000 MORE. 40,000 total. They already have 32,000 spread out between the campuses.

IMO the way to get this done is to 1) expand housing options and courses at the Stamford campus; 2) Build dorms on the old training center property.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Didn't want to bury this in the "alumni" thread as it affects everything about the university including sports especially fooball.

Is it a good idea? The state government thinks so. It would help fill the stadium.

UConn can accommodate 40,000 students, Senate leaders say. They want a plan to increase the school’s capacity

Democratic Senate leaders are calling on the University of Connecticut to expand both enrollment and housing capacity to avoid losing high-performing students to other states.

www.courant.com

I am on the side of democrats.

So many alumni I know their kids are B+ to A- students and they get “branched”.

Now, I am a proud branchfer who went to West Hartford UConn back in the day, I think Hartford is a wonderful site and for many students that is the way to go.

But if student doesn’t want to be a commuter what are their options?

My daughter is a perfect example. B+ student, wants to be a teacher.

She loved Colorado-Boulder and strongly considered going there. Luckily for her parents wallet, and state of CT education system, she is at Southern CT and loves it.

Luckily the southern, central, western and eastern teaching programs are incredibly strong.

But, if a student is an engineering student, I fear they will go to an out of state school and never return.

Its hard. We want to the best students at state flagship, but there are a lot of students who don’t get into UConn, but get into flagships of other states and never return.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

UConn BOT was at Avery Point this June with building dorms on its campus discussed.

 

[huskymedic]

Not 40,000 MORE. 40,000 total. They already have 32,000 spread out between the campuses.

Yup…

“Editor’s note: Due to incorrect information, the headline on this story was initially incorrect. The lawmakers believe UConn could accommodate a total of 40,000 students.“

 

[freescooter]

I would do 2 things.

1. Develop a plan to make Storrs a 30,000 student campus. Add dorms and infrastructure to make that feasible.

2. Create a “new” UConn- Stamford (or maybe one of the other branches which is effectively its own entity as part of the UConn system. Similar to UMass-Lowell, UNC Charlotte and other such entities. Then you can get a 4-year degree from Stamford ( I don’t think you can do that at branches now) or any advanced degree they offer, not just an MBA.

 

[husky429]

I would do 2 things.

1. Develop a plan to make Storrs a 30,000 student campus. Add dorms and infrastructure to make that feasible.

2. Create a “new” UConn- Stamford (or maybe one of the other branches which is effectively its own entity as part of the UConn system. Similar to UMass-Lowell, UNC Charlotte and other such entities. Then you can get a 4-year degree from Stamford ( I don’t think you can do that at branches now) or any advanced degree they offer, not just an MBA.

Re: #2: You can get 4-year degrees at the branch campuses. There are 17 different degrees you can get at Stamford, 14 in Hartford, 4 at Avery Point, and 9 in Waterbury.

Expanding Hartford and Stamford and becoming a separate school in the same system a la UMass-Lowell would be a great start. Gotta create housing and expand course offerings first, though.

 

[How Sway?!]

Iirc Hartford campus is only 1500-1700 students. Should get that to 3k, and make it mostly upper classmen who can better take advantage of living in a city

 

[Chin Diesel]

Online classes, branches and main campus. 40k is doable.

 

[Palatine]

Iirc Hartford campus is only 1500-1700 students. Should get that to 3k, and make it mostly upper classmen who can better take advantage of living in a city

That would also give upper class students who looking for internships more options.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

IMO the way to get this done is to 1) expand housing options and courses at the Stamford campus; 2) Build dorms on the old training center property.

3) Widen Rt 195 because it’s not &@£#¥%# 1950 anymore, to reasonably accommodate increased traffic from increasing #s of apartments and businesses out to and past 4 Corners and to/from I-84, and expand Rt 44 minimally to what should be expanded use of un(der)utilized training center land (dorms, apartments, ideally football stadium).

Understand some youts still go to branches for cost savings, inability to be admitted to Storrs, or for specific programs, internship convenience, etc. Balanced against demographic cliff risks, potentially add more dorms or apartments. A non-traditional university/ campus experience would not be my choice, but worth consideration for the state if the demand exists and can truly be expected to reasonably exist in a decade and longer …

 

[huskymedic]

Iirc Hartford campus is only 1500-1700 students. Should get that to 3k, and make it mostly upper classmen who can better take advantage of living in a city

UConn to expand regional campus in Hartford with major downtown lease.

Assisted access

the-boneyard.com

 

[husky429]

Understand some youts still go to branches for cost savings, inability to be admitted to Storrs, or for specific programs, internship convenience, etc.

Branch campuses cost the same. It's all the same university.

Part of making Stamford/Hartford separate campuses in the same system (like UMass or UNC) could be lowering tuition costs a bit.

 

[BigTenFan]

If enrollment increases to 40000-the in state tuition/room and board should drop. Uconn is not the value to in state students it once was. Lots of out of state public Universities offer a lot of resources for the same price or less.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

Easy solution....just build a bunch of dorms on the old runways at The Rent and then we solve the lingering "no on-campus stadium for Football" perception issue.

Heck, maybe even build and underground high-speed train from The Rent to under the Student Union in Storrs.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Branch campuses cost the same. It's all the same university.

Part of making Stamford/Hartford separate campuses in the same system (like UMass or UNC) could be lowering tuition costs a bit.

Yes, for branch students in a dorm. Obviously, not for current live-at-home branch students (a la historical branch students).

Highly doubt UConn’s branches ever become big enough to operate as separate entities a la umess or unc systems with massively longer term other schools in the Bay State, e.g., Lowell Tech and SMU (Dartmouth) under the shared umess moniker.

 

[dvegas]

2. Create a “new” UConn- Stamford (or maybe one of the other branches which is effectively its own entity as part of the UConn system. Similar to UMass-Lowell, UNC Charlotte and other such entities. Then you can get a 4-year degree from Stamford ( I don’t think you can do that at branches now) or any advanced degree they offer, not just an MBA.

They are adding dorms (actually renting blocks of apartments from local developers) at Stamford. Next step is to build some, tough with land costs, but they have the parcel across the street that had been Bloomingdales parking garage, and add back sports teams. They had a few D3 teams through the early 1980's when the campus was in North Stamford. It's my understanding that an MBA from Stamford is considered superior to one from Storrs, primarily because of the access to corporations in lower Fairfield County and NYC

 

[uconnfan68]

Just on the news the other day about a big lack of housing for current students at UConn. Maybe start fixing that first.

 

[Patman]

Yes, for branch students in a dorm. Obviously, not for current live-at-home branch students (a la historical branch students).

Highly doubt UConn’s branches ever become big enough to operate as separate entities a la umess or unc systems with massively longer term other schools in the Bay State, e.g., Lowell Tech and SMU (Dartmouth) under the shared umess moniker.

Down the line the people at Stamford will agitate for separation of some kind or special treatment. The main campus has to think long and hard about this one.

(Amhersto Delenda Est)

 

[CL82]

UConn BOT was at Avery Point this June with building dorms on its campus discussed.

I remember the Avery Point campus as being tired, but the site is absolutely beautiful and could become a gem in state system with a little investment.

(I have many fond memories of "project oceanology" at Avery Point)

 

[CL82]

Easy solution....just build a bunch of dorms on the old runways at The Rent and then we solve the lingering "no on-campus stadium for Football" perception issue.

Heck, maybe even build and underground high-speed train from The Rent to under the Student Union in Storrs.

Or just build some dorms into the new on-campus football stadium?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I remember the Avery Point campus as being tired, but the site is absolutely beautiful and could become a gem in state system with a little investment.

(I have many fond memories of "project oceanology" at Avery Point)

Last time you visited was?

 

[CL82]

Last time you visited was?

Probably 20 years ago, give or take.

 

[CCSUblue]

I remember the Avery Point campus as being tired, but the site is absolutely beautiful and could become a gem in state system with a little investment.

(I have many fond memories of "project oceanology" at Avery Point)

I remember doing project O in 5th or 6th grade.

I've had 2 cousins and a few acquaintances play ball down there. All likened it to community college.

 

[History Geek]

I am on the side of democrats.

So many alumni I know their kids are B+ to A- students and they get “branched”.

Now, I am a proud branchfer who went to West Hartford UConn back in the day, I think Hartford is a wonderful site and for many students that is the way to go.

But if student doesn’t want to be a commuter what are their options?

My daughter is a perfect example. B+ student, wants to be a teacher.

She loved Colorado-Boulder and strongly considered going there. Luckily for her parents wallet, and state of CT education system, she is at Southern CT and loves it.

Luckily the southern, central, western and eastern teaching programs are incredibly strong.

But, if a student is an engineering student, I fear they will go to an out of state school and never return.

Its hard. We want to the best students at state flagship, but there are a lot of students who don’t get into UConn, but get into flagships of other states and never return.

I teach high school seniors and we are seeing this phenomenon as well.