City and state officials including Governor Ned Lamont will announce today a repurposed University of Bridgeport backed by a confluence of higher education institutions Goodwin University, Paier College of Art and Sacred Heart University within a single learning environment on the UB campus.
Under the plan some UB programs will absorbed by Sacred Heart University. UB is facing financial challenges that have been exacerbated by the health pandemic.
Laura Trombley recently announced her resignation as UB president, after serving less than two years, to become president of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.
According to a media alert “This new model for higher education will capitalize on the programmatic strengths of each school. Students will be able to take advantage of the strengths of each institution and, in some cases, may navigate from one school to another to continue their educations at progressively higher levels.”
UB will continue to operate as an independent institution under a Board of Trustees.
The following government and education officials will participate in the announcement: Mayor Joe Ganim, Tim Larson, Director of the Connecticut Office of Higher Education, Mark Scheinberg, President of Goodwin University, Dr. John J. Petillo, President of Sacred Heart University, Dr. Stephen Healey, President of the University of Bridgeport and Joseph M. Bierbaum, President of Paier College of Art.
The news conference will take place 12:30 on the UB campus and livestreamed at http://facebook.com/joeganim/
This makes sense and makes cents. UB will probably cut out sports programs, bringing about further consolidation with SHU and UB facilities. If the SHU fits wear it!
Fond memories of the Kingsmen Pub and their tag line: ” Once a Knight Is Not Enough!”
Do you remember the name of the restaurant/hot dog stand that was on that property before Kingsmen Pub?
The Seawall!
Thanks.
So, UB is basically being sold for parts — or “repurposed” as it were… Thanks to the destructive presidency of DJT and the lackluster, unfocused, wasteful, stupid G2 Administration, the latter of which failed to fully and support the vital role of UB in the stability and potential soci0economic revitalization of Bridgeport.
This, were it not for the distraction of the VIRUS and associated civil upheaval and societal reconfiguration occurring as we speak, would be heart breaking (for this alumnus) just in itself….
Bridgeport is dying and will take its last breath, along with its university, if a major intervention by the state and federal governments doesn’t occur in the near future.
Perhaps the Unification Church will want to rescue its investment and give this bizarre city and its university another shot — despite the slings and arrows of religious and racial prejudice and hatred hurled at the church and its leadership as they saved UB, and played no small role in stabilizing Bridgeport in the process, as they ministered to the former in the 90’s and 2000’s… (And as long as Bridgeport is going to be run by out-of-towners, why not invite the Unification Church to come to Bridgeport and show City Hall how to run healthy, prosperous, large-scale institutions — which the former have done very well for over 50 years).
RIP, UB?!
This could be a real plus for the city of Bridgeport. It was a great Press Conference today. For those that took the time to listen first hand. We are living in very uncertain times. The optimism expressed to today by the 4 Universities gives Bridgeporter’s hope that what should have always been the economic driver of the South end will continue and again become strong. It was sad that a previous administration did not even acknowledge the University for 8 years. I thought Ganim gave a brilliant speech today and I am hopeful that the City will reap many benefits. I know Councilmen Cruz was there as well as Denese Taylor -Moye. I am certain they are also positive. I will await their comments in the press. The press Conference is available on Facebook fr those interested in hearing from the Presidents of the 4 institutions. This is a whole new ball game and it will take time and many entities to see it successfully into fruition. We are fortunate that the Mayor has a strong connection to U.B. It seems that Lamont will lend his full support. This could be only the begining of many proposals that Lamont will support fr the city. I am hopeful. If the University were selling piece parts I will say that U>B is located on very hot real estate. South End housing – upscale and market rate on the waterfront could have been a real plus for a developer while Steelepointe is asleep in building housing. But, I think this collaborative effort is an excellent plan and today was a great day for the City of Bridgeport.
Come-on , Steve! It’s a fire-sale to a third-rate (albeit , brand-new, shiny, and flush with the cash of hedge-fund-players and Donald-Trump-Republican aspirants to higher office) “academic” institution that serves as a front of political-academic corruption hiding behind the auspices of being a “Catholic” University. This is a major loss for Bridgeport — a sad ending to one of the very last vestiges of institutional pride that Bridgeport could claim.
UB will be “sold for parts” — gobbled up, it’s academics/academic heritage largely flushed down the intellectual toilet of SHU — and, as you astutely observed, its beautiful, waterfront assets sold-off to SHU BOD affiliate-speculators (as well as Bridgeport City Hall-connected speculators).
Steve. Really. This is a tragic situation, during a tragic time, for the City of Bridgeport and all UB alumni. You can’t take this latest of Bridgeport’s failures and make it smell or look nice in any way… Only a truly dying city run by a morally-bankrupt, incompetent administration would allow this situation to play out…
Hopefully, there will be some source of oversight that will kill this deal and find a way to save the university from a horrible death by blood-letting and dismemberment…
(If Lamont is smart, he’ll kill this deal and find a way to put UB together with some high-powered academics and industrialists (tech+traditional) and find a way to make a redeemed UB work for Bridgeport and the state… If Lamont goes with the current “plan,” he’ll never be able to wash off the smell — from himself or his governorship…)
A Royal Flush Beats A Full House! It’s a creative, collaborative, solution to an institution that is need of some transplants.
This whole situation is rotten and must fail… Rebuilding Bridgeport must start with saving/resurrecting UB as our independent, bastion-of-higher-education/technology, resource/source of municipal pride…