As the rate of high school graduates continues to decline across the United States and the pandemic’s financial impact persists, Connecticut colleges are looking to adapt by changing their leadership and advancing the study of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. 

Leadership Changes Amid Financial and Enrollment Concerns

Connecticut’s colleges are not only major employers in the state, but they drive the development of an effective future workforce through education. Financial and enrollment concerns must be addressed with an array of short and long-term changes, starting with a shift in leadership. Some notable leadership changes in 2025 include the following:

  • Joanne Berger-Sweeny: The current Trinity College president plans to retire at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year after 11 years in her position. The college will replace her with Daniel G. Lugo, currently the president at Queens University of Charlotte, on July 1.
  • John A. Elliot: The former dean of the UConn School of Business recently rejoined the college’s accounting department. Professor Greg Reilley was named as interim dean amid an ongoing search for a permanent dean of the business school.
  • Judy Olian: The currency president of Quinnipiac University will step down in 2025 after seven years in the position. A national search for her replacement is ongoing.

There were several notable leadership shifts in 2024, but the number of changes upcoming in 2025 alone reflects how widespread the issue is.

AI Education and Remote Learning

Unfortunately, Connecticut’s higher education is unlikely to be fixed by leadership alone. The rise of AI and the spread of remote learning with private-sector partnerships is limiting the financial intake of these institutions—concerns that are yet to be addressed. That, and Governor Ned Lamont ordered $8 million in budget cuts from colleges and universities in November despite a projected fiscal surplus. A lack of state funding would certainly exacerbate the problem.

Though AI has several institutional concerns surrounding plagiarism and unoriginality, some colleges aim to take advantage of the new technology. Nancy Savage, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at the University of New Haven, shared that her school was launching a master’s degree in AI while examining how AI impacts and supports the student experience.

“The goal is to give students the skills to pursue careers in AI, machine learning and advanced manufacturing,” Savage said.

Quinnipiac University is similarly exploring where AI education might find a place in engineering, business data analytics, medicine, and even art history. According to the university’s president Judy Olian, Quinnipiac is also using AI to identify which students are at risk of falling behind academically or simply improving university operations.

Two facets of AI that will see increasing focus in 2025,” said Rob Schneiders, Fairfield University’s vice president of strategic initiatives, “will be its use to improve student services and how to ensure students are correctly using the technology within their research, to avoid plagiarism or other information misuse.”

Corporate Partnerships

In addition to the implementation of new technology, several institutions are examining where corporate partnerships might bolster Connecticut’s college industry. For example, University of Hartford president Lawrence P. Ward has expanded into partnerships with Cigna, Pratt & Whitney, Hartford Healthcare, and Stanley Black & Decker. Some will offer scholarships to students and prioritize them for interviews and internships.

Reinforcing the Value of a College Education

All of these technological and fiscal changes come amid a time when the value of college has come into question. Some students aren’t so sure about whether earning a degree will boost their chances of finding a high-paying job, or whether they should start as soon as they get out of high school. New pathways developed by universities during this time could provide the right opportunities to help students feel confident and keep Connecticut’s college industry afloat.