Board for State Academic Awards (CGS § 10a-143)

● The board consists of nine members.

● The governor appoints eight members for six-year terms; students elect the ninth member for a two-year term.

● One chamber confirms.

● The board governs Charter Oak College, which offers an alternative, personalized approach to college education for adult learners. The college offers degrees by validating credits based on assessments of student portfolios and through standardized and special examination. The college also operates the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium.

QUESTIONS

1. What is the value of distance learning for higher education in general and Charter Oak's students in particular? Do you see any downside to distance learning?

2. What role, if any, should Charter Oak play in addressing the state's shortage of teachers and nurses?

3. In 2007, the legislature created a Blue Ribbon Commission to develop and implement a strategic master plan for higher education in Connecticut. How should Charter Oak fit into the state's short- and long-term plan for higher education?

4. What experience do you have in the field of education, particularly higher education for adults or educational technology?

5. How do the learning needs of adults differ from traditional college students? How does the board address those differences?

6. What are the greatest challenges facing higher education in Connecticut, generally, and Charter Oak specifically? What can the board do to address them?

7. How might Charter Oak improve its academic programs? What mechanisms does it use to evaluate its programs?

8. How should Charter Oak coordinate its role with the state's traditional two- and four-year colleges? Does Charter Oak have articulation agreements with the state's public colleges? How well are these working?

9. Charter Oak offers certificates in computer security, public safety administration, and project management. Should it expand the number of certificate programs it offers? If so, what areas might you suggest?

10. Should the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium expand its learning opportunities to secondary schools, perhaps as a way to help students in smaller, rural schools access a broader offering of courses?

11. What might be done to increase the number of students who stay in Connecticut after graduating from college here?

RP:ts