UConn-Stamford Expansion Project | The Boneyard

UConn-Stamford Expansion Project

storrsroars

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I'm glad my time at the Stamford Branch was when it was still off Scofieldtown Rd in the boonies of North Stamford. We had space. It was a campus of only two buildings, but we had grass. We could play football, throw frisbees, eat outside, catch some rays. The current building downtown is great for professionals to attend MBA programs, but it's got to suck for undergrad students. No place to decompress and relax. And student housing in Stamford? Please. That would be one of the more wasteful uses of state/school funds I could think of given the cost of Stamford real estate. Why not put more resources into Groton, an area that could really use a boost?
 
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Why not put more resources into Groton, an area that could really use a boost?
If Groton was located in lower Fairfield County, close to related corporations, and with < 1 hour trains to Manhattan, then some UCONN administrators and apparently more undergraduate and graduate students might agree. That's the reasoning I've heard for growing the Stamford branch and its' program offerings.
 
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If Groton was located in lower Fairfield County, close to related corporations, and with < 1 hour trains to Manhattan, then some UCONN administrators and apparently more undergraduate and graduate students might agree. That's the reasoning I've heard for growing the Stamford branch and its' program offerings.
Would have loved to see Avery Point expand/and or create a nautical engineering program. They have EB right down the street, and on the other side of Groton, you have one of the few places in the country that still builds and maintains tall ships.
 

Drew

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http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/new...la-UConn-class-struggle-more-than-6543979.php

"The University of Connecticut’s main campus is in Storrs, part of the town of Mansfield, population 25,000, in the rural northeastern quarter of the state. UConn’s Stamford campus is in the heart of a city of 126,000, a New York suburb in the urban southwestern quarter of Connecticut. In Storrs, nearly three-quarters of undergraduates live on campus, and many of the remaining students live in apartments just off campus.
In Stamford, no one lives on campus, and few live close to campus. Nearly all commute, many for hours each class day. So UConn-Stamford students are understandably worried about a plan to synchronize class schedules for Storrs and the five satellite campuses. Starting in January, university administrators want to increase the number of 50-minute classes that meet three times a week at satellite campuses. The UConn-Stamford schedule now is geared toward longer classes that meet once or twice a week. Shorter, more-frequent classes are a commuter’s nightmare, students said."



Interesting debate here regarding class timing and the synchronization of schedules between all UConn campuses. I actually think this is a great idea. I know a few people who had to leave Storrs to make classes at different campuses like Avery-Point and Hartford. Would make it much easier to schedule if these classes were all aligned.
 

Drew

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http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/bus...mford-looks-to-spur-entrepreneurs-6244645.php


"On May 21, the University of Connecticut Stamford will unveil the new Accelerate UConn program, intended to spur faculty, researchers and students to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. Earlier this year, the National Science Foundation announced $300,000 in funding to support the UConn program, which would disburse up to $3,000 as seed money to individual entrepreneurs or startup teams under NSF's Innovations Corps program. UConn was the lone school in Connecticut to receive funding under the program, with others in the Northeast including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stony Brook University, a state university campus on Long Island, N.Y. UConn Stamford has had multiple programs over the years that touch on entrepreneurship, including the onetime GE Edgelab backed by Fairfield-based General Electric; a learning accelerator in partnership with IBM, Pitney Bowes and other local companies; and a digital media and design program that has hosted speakers this semester from Priceline, NBC Sports and Microsoft."


The more growth the better. Still think growing UConn-Stamford to a 10,000 person campus over a period of 20-25 years should be the end goal. They could do much better than the ~2000 that are there now.
 

pepband99

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Stamford is trying to get dorms built, though - problem somewhat solved, though commuting will still suck.
 

Drew

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New Possibility for UConn Stamford Housing:

"Another proposed development has been identified as one of the possible choices for student housing at the UConn Stamford regional campus.

Developer Anthony Kolich said he and his business partner James Heffernan are in the running to develop housing for between 350 and 400 university students in a building they are planning to build at 43 West Main St., the current Auto Tech site.


“Here’s what’s really unique about our property — it’s facing the Mill River,” said Kolich, principal of Empire Residential.

To get from the development to UConn’s regional campus, at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Broad Street, students would have to walk through Mill River Park to the downtown.

That fact is the reason city officials support Kolich’s vision."


http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/pri...bility-for-UConn-Stamford-housing-6825115.php
 
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Before GE gradually moves headquarters' employees and businesses away from Stamford and Fairfield county and current GE Capital businesses potentially move to lower cost or consolidate locations elsewhere, it will be interesting to learn what actions UConn and the Foundation take to replace historical funding and donations supporting the local Stamford branch and university in general. No doubt, Boston-area universities and colleges are working or will aggressively work to build stronger relationships with GE.
 
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stamford real estate trying to charge manhattan prices.. gonna be expensive dorms
Or, pricey apartment-style residences. Perhaps, some cash rich, full-tuition, R&B, plus extra fee paying students, particularly family cash-rich international students, may not flinch or may even prefer extra bells & whistles plus NY-access to our increasingly incredible yet still rural, Storrs college town. Information previously shared by fairly high level UConn officials referenced related interest by some current students from east Asia.
 
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Before GE gradually moves headquarters' employees and businesses away from Stamford and Fairfield county and current GE Capital businesses potentially move to lower cost or consolidate locations elsewhere, it will be interesting to learn what actions UConn and the Foundation take to replace historical funding and donations supporting the local Stamford branch and university in general. No doubt, Boston-area universities and colleges are working or will aggressively work to build stronger relationships with GE.

UConn should not stop working with GE just because of this move. Afterall, Storrs is closer to the Seaport District in Boston (85 miles than it is to GE's old HQ in Fairfield (90 miles). Storrs is also closer to GE's new HQ than UMass (90 miles). I think the bigger challenge is more political in terms of sour feelings in Hartford and that UConn and UTC have always been close.
 
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UConn should not stop working with GE just because of this move.
Who suggested UConn should stop working with GE? Certainly not stated nor implied by me, but likely an apparent misinterpretation.

To emphasize, the point remains GE will be heavily targeted by Boston, Cambridge, and other area universities, e.g. UMass Lowell, potentially may look to further ingratiate itself with local schools, recent and historical political influences within CT may gradually fade away and shift to the Bay State and Beacon Hill, etc.

Consequently, GE's strong historic funding in Storrs and Stamford could potentially decline. Immediately? Unlikely, but UConn cannot count on receiving equivalent GE corporate funding, GE foundation , and potentially even employee donations over time. To maintain existing support or minimize possible run off, aggressive actions are appropriate.

Separately, GE's sale of GE Capital's Vendor Finance platforms, Commercial Distribution Finance, some of its Corporate Finance business to Wells Fargo may similarly impact GE Capital/Wells Fargocorporate, foundation, and other donations and support of UConn. Immediately, unlikely. Potentially, Wells Fargo may keep these units in CT, possibly create opportunities for UConn, or potentially integrate operational, back-office parts of these functions with existing business units in lower cost locations, e.g., Charlotte.

Bottom line: All bets are off on the last couple decades solid GE and GE Capital support for UCONN - Storrs and Stamford. Hoping, praying, or dreaming no impact is possible is naive at best. Ongoing, and enhanced, relationship building with GE and especially with Wells as its' leadership increasingly runs GE Capital is appropriate to minimally limit potential funding and donation run off. Again, never was there a suggestion UConn should stop working with GE nor with GE Capital/Wells. Quite the contrary!
 

Drew

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Two awesome points from the above article linked by @huskymedic

1. “The location is halfway between the campus and the train station and we recognized that that would be really convenient for students,“ UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said Tuesday.

2. "The target occupancy for the building is 290 students, with a maximum capacity of 350. About a quarter of the bedrooms would be single occupancy, while the rest would house two students."

Love the dorms being within walking distance to the train. Think it is a great idea and should provide lots of opportunities for students living on campus/eliminate need for a vehicle.

350 capacity students is a good starting point. See how the demand increases/decreses over time and if there is the need for more student housing then obviously UConn can figure that out when the time comes
 

pepband99

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That's a fantastic location. Proximity to train / school / bars. Everything an undergrad needs. :)
 
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Would have loved to see Avery Point expand/and or create a nautical engineering program. They have EB right down the street, and on the other side of Groton, you have one of the few places in the country that still builds and maintains tall ships.
Local and state reps were trying to get Pfizer to lease unused labs/buildings for Avery Point use to no avail. There was also talk of UConn AP leasing dorm(s) at Mitchell College in New London in'13 not sure if it happened. AP was also considered for a state Marine Magnet School but it ended getting built down the road at the old Eastern Point Elementary School site. They finished demolishing the old Coast Guard research building in the middle of campus, landscaping is starting, its going to look good. New student center and 300 seat auditorium/lecture hall was rehabbed recently. Nice place to go to school.
 

Drew

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Great stuff here:

UConn called key to Stamford’s business future

UConn is moving ahead with some of its most ambitious projects to date in the city.

The Stamford campus’ first residential hall, which would house about 300 students, is scheduled to open in time for the start of the 2017-18 academic year.

University administrators and professors are also aiming to expand the reach of their local programming. The Xcite conference is set to return next year, said Noble, the event’s director. He wants to grow the attendance to more than 250 in 2017.

“We proved that the concept will work,” Noble said. “And now we have a year to see if we can really grow it here in Stamford.”

Tony Peters, a business adviser with the Connecticut Small Business Development Center based on the Stamford campus, also sees more opportunities to forge closer relations between the university and local business community. Among them, he is exploring how a program that gives local companies access to consulting services from graduate business students could serve as a model for a similar program involving undergraduate students.

“There are number of small business clients that want and need help with marketing efforts,” Peters said. “We can increase the UConn resources available to small business people. I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the students. They have a great deal to offer.”

Given the campus’ importance to southwestern Connecticut, the university should consider further expanding its Stamford enrollment, McGee said.
 

Drew

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Continuing on the "key to Stamford's business future" article above..

 

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