Central Connecticut State University (Central Connecticut, CCSU, Central Connecticut State, or informally Central) is a

public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in state ownership, owned by the state or receives significant government spending, public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private unive ...

in New Britain, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1849 as the State Normal School, CCSU is Connecticut's oldest publicly funded university. It is made up of four schools: the Ammon College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; the School of Business; the School of Education and Professional Studies; and the School of Engineering, Science, and Technology. As of Spring 2022, the university is attended by 8,898 students: 7,054 of whom are undergraduates, and 1,844 of whom are graduate students. More than half of students live off campus and 96 percent are Connecticut residents. The school is part of the

Connecticut State Colleges & Universities The Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) is a government body in the U.S. state of Connecticut that oversees the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU). CSCU and the BOR were created on July 1, 2011, consolidating the governance of ...

system (CSCU), which also oversees

Eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

, and Southern Connecticut State Universities. Together they have a student body of 25,774 as of Spring 2022.

History

Central Connecticut State University Student Center, 2009-09-15

Central Connecticut State University was founded in 1849 as the State Normal School to train teachers. It was the sixth

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

in the United States and is the oldest public university in Connecticut. It ran until 1867 when the school was temporarily closed due to opposition in the

Connecticut General Assembly The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. Th ...

. Two years later, the Normal School resumed its services and continued to do so until the 1930s. In 1933, the Connecticut General Assembly created the Teachers College of Connecticut and the first bachelor's degrees were granted. In 1922, the campus moved to its current location on Stanley Street. The school was again renamed in 1959, becoming the Central Connecticut State College. In 1983, the school transitioned from a college to a regional university and thus became Central Connecticut State University. Organizational governance changed in 2011 when the Connecticut Department of Higher Education was dissolved and replaced by the Office of Higher Education and the

Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education The Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) is a government body in the U.S. state of Connecticut that oversees the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU). CSCU and the BOR were created on July 1, 2011, consolidating the governance of ...

Academics

The most popular Bachelor's programs by student enrollment are Business and Marketing, Social Sciences and Psychology, Education, Engineering, Communications, English, and Biology. Bachelor's programs are also offered in a variety of other fields such as computer information systems, literature, and the visual and performing arts. The school has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1, with 43 percent of its classes enrolling fewer than 20 students. In 2012, the 6-year graduation rate for first-time students increased to 52%. '' U.S. News & World Report'' for 2022 ranked the university tied #105 in Regional Universities North. There are over 400 full-time faculty, 83% of whom possess the terminal degree in their field. Another 501 part-time instructors also teach at the university. Graduate programs are in all of the academic schools. These include programs in accountancy, education, literature, international studies, engineering technology, and information technology. A number of doctoral degrees are also offered.

Academic and office halls

* Copernicus Hall (nursing, biology, engineering) * Vance Academic Center (business, communications, criminology, social work, and graphic design) * Bassett Hall (anthropology, geography, history, political science, sociology) * Sanford Hall (computer science, economics) * Barnard Hall (education, graduate studies) * Welte Hall (music) * Maloney Hall (theatre, art) * Kaiser Hall (fitness science, gym & pool) * Marcus White Hall (mathematics, philosophy, psychology) * Willard-DiLoreto Hall (English, journalism, philosophy, world languages) * Catherine J. Fellows Dance Education Center (Dance, Dance Education)

Facilities

Facilities include 10 academic halls, the Student Center, the Burritt Library, and numerous laboratories. Computer labs are available throughout campus, the largest of which is located in Marcus White Hall. Dining facilities are located in Memorial Hall Hilltop Dining Center and the Student Center. Additional computers and laboratories are spread across all of the academic halls. Welte Hall, Maloney Hall, and the Student Center function as large gathering areas for events, music performances, and theater productions. Welte contains the main auditorium and Kaiser Hall houses the main gymnasium, and houses an Olympic-size pool. Fitness classes are freely available to students in Memorial Hall and fitness equipment is provided in four locations across campus through RECentral. Administrative offices, including Admissions, the Registrar, and Financial Aid are located in Davidson Hall. New building projects have expanded liberal arts classroom space and made significant upgrades to all sports facilities.

Residence halls and commuters

Residence halls can accommodate up to 2,500 students in nine residence halls in two quads, which are split between the north and south ends of campus.

Recent projects

A new eight-story residence hall (Mid Campus Residence Hall) opened for occupancy in the Fall of 2015. The $82 million dorm features "suite" style rooms, in addition to a 2,000 square foot fitness facility, a kitchen on each floor, and a server kitchen and main lounge with a fireplace on the main floor. The Office of Residence Life is located on the first floor of the new facility. During the past several years, the new $37-million Social Sciences Hall, 4,300-square-foot Bichum Engineering Laboratory, and 12,500-square-foot Campus Police Station opened. In 2011, the first floor of the Elihu Burritt Library was renovated to create a new common area with seating, couches, computers, and food vendors.

Arute Field Arute Field is a 5,500-seat multi-purpose stadium in New Britain, Connecticut, United States. It is home to the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils Football and Men's and Women's Lacrosse teams. The first incarnation of Arute Field ...

and its adjacent practice and baseball fields also underwent extensive construction and renovation from 2010 through the present, including new football, soccer, track, and practice field turf. New football, track, and soccer stadium seating were added, as well as construction on the Balf–Savin baseball field.

Clubs and activities

American Society of Civil Engineers American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, Student Chapter *

Alpha Upsilon Alpha Alpha Upsilon Alpha (or ) is an academic honor society recognizing excellence in reading and language arts at the undergraduate and graduate level. Founded in 1985, it is governed by the International Literacy Association (ILA) Mission The miss ...

, Beta Kappa chapter * Car Club * Central A Capella Society * Central Activities Network * CCSU Club Directory - 160 total * CCSU E-sports * CCSU Accounting Society * Computer Club * Dance Team * Education Club * Football Club *

Formula SAE Formula SAE is a student design competition organized by SAE International (previously known as the Society of Automotive Engineers, SAE). The competition was started in 1980 by the SAE student branch at the University of Texas at Austin after ...

* ''Helix Magazine'' * Hillel Foundation * Iota Phi Theta, CCSU chapter * Intramural & Club Sports (through RECentral) * Japanese Culture Club *

Lambda Theta Phi Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. () is a Latino non-profit social fraternity in the United States. It was founded on December 1, 1975, at Kean College in Union, New Jersey. It emphasizes Latin unity and the celebration of the Latin cultu ...

, Tau chapter * Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Center * LGBT Center * Marketing Club * Multi-Powered Vehicle (SAE SuperMileage) * Mural Program * Off-Center Magazine * Outing Club (hiking) * Phi Delta Theta, Connecticut Alpha chapter *

Phi Sigma Sigma Phi Sigma Sigma (), colloquially known as Phi Sig, was the first collegiate nonsectarian sorority to allow membership of women of all faiths and backgrounds. The sorority was founded on November 26, 1913, and lists 60,000 initiated members, 115 ...

, Iota Delta Chapter * Physics & Earth Science * Polish Club * PRIDE * RECcentral Intramurals & Fitness Classes * The Recorder * Rugby Club * Schlock Improv Comedy Club * Society of Mathematics * Student Government Association * Tea Club * WFCS 107.7

Athletics

The university's athletic teams are known as the Blue Devils. Their mascot was originally named Victor E, but was changed to Kizer in 2011 after unveiling a new logo. Central Connecticut State participates in

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

at the Division I ( Football Championship Subdivision football) level as a member of the

Northeast Conference The Northeast Conference (NEC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Teams in the NEC compete in Division I for all sports; football competes in the Division I Foo ...

. The university fields 18 varsity sports, eight men's sports:

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

, cross country, football,

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...

, soccer, as well as indoor and outdoor

track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

; and ten women's sports:

, cross country, golf,

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

, soccer,

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

, indoor and outdoor track & field, and

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

Notable alumni

Athletes and coaches

* Steve Addazio – college football coach *

Al Bagnoli Eldo P. "Al" Bagnoli (born January 20, 1953) is an American football coach and former player. He was recently the head football coach at Columbia University, a position he assumed from 2015 until 2022. Bagnoli served as a head football coach at ...

– college football coach *

Ricky Bottalico Ricky Paul Bottalico (; born August 26, 1969) is an American former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Dia ...

– professional baseball player and sports journalist *

Dave Campo David Cross Campo (born July 18, 1947) is an American football coach and former player. Campo served as the head coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) from 2000 to 2002, compiling a record of 15 wins and 33 losses. He ...

– professional football coach * Joe Costello – professional football player *

Ryan Costello Ryan Anthony Costello (born September 7, 1976) is an American politician, lobbyist and attorney who served as the U.S. representative for from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected to the U.S. House of Representa ...

– professional baseball player * Jake Dolegala – professional football player * Justise Hairston – professional football player *

John Hirschbeck John Francis Hirschbeck (born September 7, 1954) is a former umpire for Major League Baseball. He worked in the American League from 1984 to 1999 and worked in both leagues from 2000 to 2016. He was a crew chief at the time of his retirement, and ...

– Major League Baseball umpire *

Skip Jutze Alfred Henry "Skip" Jutze (born May 28, 1946) is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as a catcher. Baseball career Jutze attended W. Tresper Clarke High School in Westb ...

– professional baseball player *

Scott Pioli Scott Pioli (born March 31, 1965) is an American football executive who most recently worked as the Assistant General Manager for the Atlanta Falcons. He was an NFL analyst for NBC Sports' '' Football Night in America'', NBC Sports Network's Pro ...

– NFL Executive; 3× PFWA Executive of the Year (2003, 2007, 2010) *

Rich Ranglin Richard Ranglin (born September 27, 1984) is a former American football offensive lineman. He was signed out of the Arena Football League in May 2012 by the Kansas City Chiefs. College career Ranglin was a four-year letterman at Central Connecti ...

– professional football player * Evan Scribner – professional baseball player *

Mike Sherman Michael Francis Sherman (born December 19, 1954) is an American gridiron football coach and former player who most recently was the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was the head coach of the Green B ...

– college and professional football coach *

John Skladany John Skladany (born September 24, 1948) is a retired American football coach who most recently served as a defensive coordinator for the North Texas Mean Green football team. Skladany previously served as defensive coordinator for the Iowa S ...

– college football coach * Bob Zuffelato – professional basketball coach

Entertainers

* William Berloni – animal behaviorist known for training of animals for stage, film, and television *

Erin Brady Erin Joyce Brady (born November 5, 1987) is an American television host, model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 2013. She then represented the US at Miss Universe 2013 in Moscow, Russia, on November 9, where she placed in the Top 1 ...

– Miss Connecticut USA 2013,

Miss USA Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, ...

2013 *

Richard Grieco Richard John Grieco Jr. (born March 23, 1965) is an American actor and former fashion model. He played Detective Dennis Booker in the popular Fox series ''21 Jump Street'' (1988–89) and its spin-off ''Booker'' (1989–90). He has also starre ...

– actor, ''

21 Jump Street ''21 Jump Street'' is an American police procedural television series that aired on the Fox network and in first run syndication from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focuses on a squad of youthful-loo ...

'', '' Booker'' *

Kenny Johnson Kenneth Allen Johnson (born July 13, 1963) is an American actor, producer, and model. He is known for his roles as Detective Curtis Lemansky in ''The Shield'', Butch "Burner" Barnes in '' Pensacola: Wings of Gold'', Detective Ham Dewey in '' Sa ...

– actor, ''

The Shield ''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12, 2002, on FX in the United States, and concluded on November 25, 2008, after seven seasons. Known for its portrayal of corrupt pol ...

'', '' Sons of Anarchy'' * Jimmy "Jomboy" O'Brien – sports media personality and podcaster * Colleen Ward – Miss Connecticut 2015, contestant in 2015 Miss America pageant

Public servants

* Ebenezer D. Bassett – first U.S. African-American ambassador (to Haiti), appointed by President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

in 1869 *

Miguel Cardona Miguel Angel Cardona (born July 11, 1975) is an American educator and is currently serving as the 12th United States Secretary of Education under President Joe Biden since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was confirmed by the U.S. S ...

– Education Commissioner of Connecticut (2019-2021);

United States Secretary of Education The United States secretary of education is the head of the U.S. Department of Education. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States, and the federal government, on policies, programs, and activities re ...

(2021-present) *

Walter Eli Clark Walter Eli Clark (January 7, 1869 – February 4, 1950) was an American journalist and newspaper publisher. In addition to his journalistic activities, he was the last Governor of the District of Alaska from 1909 to 1912, and the first Govern ...

– last Governor of the

District of Alaska The District of Alaska was the federal government’s designation for Alaska from May 17, 1884 to August 24, 1912, when it became Alaska Territory. Previously (1867–1884) it had been known as the Department of Alaska, a military designation ...

and first Governor of the

Alaska Territory The Territory of Alaska or Alaska Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from August 24, 1912, until Alaska was granted statehood on January 3, 1959. The territory was previously Russian America, 1784–1867; the ...

, appointed by President

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

on May 18, 1909 * Carmen E. Espinosa – Justice of Connecticut Supreme Court, 2013–2021 *

Bruce Hyer Bruce Tolhurst Hyer (born August 6, 1946) is a Canadian politician, businessman, and ecologist. He is the former deputy leader of the Green Party of Canada and the former Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Superior North. Hyer was elected ...

– Member of Canadian Parliament (2008–2015) *

Michael J. Ingelido Michael Joseph Ingelido (November 20, 1916 – April 28, 2015) was an American USAF, Air Force major general who was commander of the Fourteenth Aerospace Force, (Air Defense Command), Ent Air Force Base, Colorado. Early life Ingelido was born ...

– WWII fighter pilot, Distinguished Service Cross recipient, Air Force Major General (1960s) *

John Larson John Barry Larson (born July 22, 1948) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative for since 1999. The district is based in the state capital, Hartford. A member of the Democratic Party, Larson chaired the Hous ...

– Congressman (D-CT) (1999–present); former

Connecticut Senate The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Sen ...

President * Frances P. Mainella – 16th Director (2001–2006) of

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

Francis M. Mullen Francis M. "Bud" Mullen, Jr. (born 14 December 1934 in New London, Connecticut) is a former executive assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and former Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Biograp ...

– head of U.S.

Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic en ...

(1981–1985) * Maria L. Sanford – educator (1870), has statue in Capitol's

National Statuary Hall Collection The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol is composed of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. Limited to two statues per state, the collection was originally set up in the old ...

for the state of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

; namesake of Liberty ship, launched in 1943, SS ''Maria Sanford'' *

Erin Stewart Erin Elizabeth Stewart (born May 4, 1987) is an American politician and the 40th Mayor of New Britain, Connecticut. Stewart is the daughter of former Mayor of New Britain Tim Stewart, who served from 2003 to 2011. She was elected to her first term ...

– Mayor of New Britain (2013–present), youngest-serving female mayor in U.S.

Other

* Justice Ofei Akrofi – Archbishop, Church of the Province of West Africa * Frederic Beecher Perkins – editor, librarian and writer *

Theodore Stowell Theodore Stowell (1847-1916) was an early president of Bryant College (now Bryant University). Biography Theodore Barrows Stowell was born in Mansfield Center, Connecticut in 1847 to an old New England family of farmers and land owners, and he att ...

– president of Bryant University, 1878–1916 * Eliza Talcott – missionary to Japan and founder of Kobe College * Nate Duffy – actor and entertainer

Guest speakers and honorees

Commencement speakers

CCSU's commencement speakers are often successful alumni such as Congressman

John B. Larson John Barry Larson (born July 22, 1948) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative for since 1999. The district is based in the state capital, Hartford. A member of the Democratic Party, Larson chaired the Ho ...

(D-1st), CitiFinancial CEO Michael Knapp, and CCSU professor Kristine Larsen. The most recent four governors of Connecticut have spoken at CCSU commencement exercises.

Robert C. Vance Distinguished Lecture Series

Since 1983, 23 speakers have been featured as part of the Vance Distinguished Lecture Series. These have included well-known journalists such as Anderson Cooper,

Dan Rather Daniel Irvin Rather Jr. (; born October 31, 1931) is an American journalist, commentator, and former national evening news anchor. Rather began his career in Texas, becoming a national name after his reporting saved thousands of lives during Hur ...

, and

Bob Woodward Robert Upshur Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is an American investigative journalist. He started working for '' The Washington Post'' as a reporter in 1971 and now holds the title of associate editor. While a young reporter for ''The Washingt ...

, as well as figures from government such as

Robert Gates Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was originally appointed by president George W. Bush a ...

, Rudolph Giuliani, and Shimon Peres.

Recipients of CCSU honorary degrees

CCSU began awarding honorary doctoral degrees in 1985. Honorees have included the CEOs or Chairmen of six major corporations, four U.S. Presidents, and heads of state of Canada, Germany, Hungary, and Poland.

Footnotes

References

*Herbert E. Fowler, ''A Century of Teacher Education in Connecticut'', New Britain CT: Teachers College of Connecticut, 1949.

External links

*
Blue Devils Athletics
{{authority control Public universities and colleges in Connecticut Educational institutions established in 1849 Buildings and structures in New Britain, Connecticut Copernican Universities and colleges in Hartford County, Connecticut 1849 establishments in Connecticut