VISION
21ST CENTURY UCONN
An Unprecedented Beginning
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during ceremonies at Homer Babbidge Library, the site that symbolized the disrepair and dysfunction of the University's outdated facilities.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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