Board of Regents Elects President Kennedy

By: Tyler Magnano

On Friday, March 2, the Connecticut State Senate confirmed that Dr. Robert A. Kennedy would become President of the Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR), which is in charge of the 17 Connecticut State Colleges and Universities.

The Board of Regents voted to recommend Kennedy to Governor Dannel P. Malloy for a full appointment to President on January 19.

“Dr. Kennedy – with his years of classroom and college administrative experience – is the right person to lead the Board of Regents in a new direction to make this consolidation successful,” said the Board of Regents Chairman Lewis Robinson. “The Board of Regents welcomes the opportunity to work with Dr. Kennedy on behalf of our students to prepare our future workforce for a global economy.”

Kennedy has served as Board of Regents Interim President since he was appointed by Gov. Malloy in September, and was President of the University of Maine at Orono before his time in Connecticut.

Robert A. Kennedy originally took office at University of Maine at Orono on September 23, 2005.

“I appreciate the trust Governor Malloy and the Board of Regents have placed in me, and thank the legislature for considering my appointment,” remarked Kennedy. “I’m honored to help lead this consolidation effort to ensure that our seventeen community colleges and universities will continue to offer an affordable and accessible education to Connecticut’s students, the state’s workforce of tomorrow.”

Since arriving in Connecticut, Kennedy has met with the leadership, faculty, staff, and students on all 17 Conn. State College and University campuses.

Dr. Robert A. Kennedy plans on focusing on several key issues while at the Board of Regents, including working to ensure that students enter college prepared.

He also promised that students would benefit from a transfer process between a public community college to a state university that is seamless and easier.