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UCONN 2000, the 10-year state infrastructure renewal
program at the University of Connecticut, has initiated a
renaissance at
Connecticut's premier public university that must be sustained.
Undergraduate enrollment is surging at the same time that the
qualifications and diversity of incoming classes are increasing
dramatically. Endowment funding is growing substantially as donor
participation is beginning to soar. To date, nearly 100 capital
projects have been completed on time and within budget, with more
underway. UCONN 2000 and other affiliated capital projects have
created the opportunity to recruit a faculty second to none,
attract major research grants, and offer academic programs of the
highest caliber. In the comprehensive effort to realize the
University's vision to take its place among the nation's
top public research universities, UCONN 2000 has been the catalyst
for an institution-wide transformation. As the program nears the
close of its term, it is also a testament to the importance of
stable and ongoing investment.
In June 1995, the General Assembly adopted Public Act
95-230, also known as UCONN 2000, thereby launching the University's
resurgence. The overwhelming support for the innovative UCONN 2000
legislation reflected the depth of consensus underpinning this
visionary act in support of public higher education. Governor John
G. Rowland signed the bipartisan-backed, $1 billion program into
law during ceremonies at Homer Babbidge Library, the site that
symbolized the disrepair and dysfunction of the University's
outdated facilities. A lack of investment in UConn had resulted in
stagnant enrollment. At the same time, Connecticut was sending to
other states for higher education the second highest percentage of
college-bound students in the nation. UCONN 2000 was to be
the driving force in retaining the brainpower Connecticut had been
exporting and to serve as the stimulus for attracting private
investment in support of the University's goals.
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