NCCC begins fall semester

WINSTED — Northwestern Connecticut Community College’s (NCCC) fall semester began on Monday, Aug. 31.

While she started the new semester as president of the college, Barbara Douglass will retire on Oct. 1.

Douglass originally announced in 2014 that she would be retiring on June 1 after serving as college president for 11 years.

However, the state’s Board of Regents, which is responsible for searching and choosing a new college president, is still looking for Douglass’ successor.

When The Winsted Journal visited Douglass for an interview, she had packed boxes throughout her office.

Douglass said that, while she is not certain that the Board of Regents would find a replacement by the time she retires, the college will be in good hands with Dean of Administration Steven Frazier and Dean of Academic and Student Affairs Patricia Bouffard.

“I have two excellent deans that have been here for some time,” Douglass said. “Once we get the semester underway we will be fine. I think the board will find someone soon, but there is an issue of the new president giving notice at their previous job and moving here if they are out of state. I have not been involved with the search for a new president, which is fine with me. Personally, I don’t think you should get to pick your successor.”

Douglass said enrollment for this year is the same as last year, 1,600 students.

“We are not anticipating any enrollment decline and increase,” Douglass said. “You don’t have as many young people coming through the pipeline due to lower school enrollment, but I do think it’s good that we have been staying the course.”

Douglass said there are no new programs to be introduced this year at NCCC.

“In order to start a new program you have to hire new faculty and program coordinators, like we did with our nursing program five years ago,” she said. “There are no new funds in our budget for new programs. Our budget continues to be cut by a cutback in fund appropriations from the state, so this year we are building on our existing strengths. We always have a full enrollment in our nursing program and our other programs have been doing well.”

Douglass said cutbacks in funding from the state to universities and colleges has always been a sore point.

“Over the years we’ve made up budget deficits by not hiring people or eliminating positions,” she said. “When I came here 11 years ago the college had 105 full-time employees, including faculty and staff. Now we have 91 employees, so that gives you some idea of what we can and cannot afford.”

Douglass said the issue of college affordability for students has been on her mind for several years.

“When the state appropriations to colleges go down, tuition goes up,” she said. “I know that state appropriations impacts taxpayers, but when I started in Connecticut higher education back in 1992, state appropriations made up 64 percent of a college’s budget. Now we’re under 50 percent. You have to make that up somehow if you are going to be able to offer a number and variety of classes. So what happens is that student tuition keeps going up and that’s detrimental to our students, many of whom already struggle economically. The student loan debt in America has exceeded credit card debt in this country, which is frightening.”

Despite this, Douglass said over the past decade there have been plenty of positive changes at the college.

“We opened a new Arts and Sciences building and we started the college’s nursing program, which a lot of people said we would not be able to do,” she said. “We continue to strengthen our transfer program and our liberal arts programs. Our Veterinary Technology program has grown quite substantially.”

Douglass said she is proud that the state’s Bond Commission authorized $24.7 million in July to construct a new building for its Allied Health and Veterinary Technology programs.

The current building to hold both programs is located on 100 South Main St. and was originally built in 1955 as a supermarket.

In an interview in February, Dean Frazier said in 2008 the college hired consultants to see what could be done with the building and they said the college should tear the building down.

Douglass said plans for the building have been on the table for quite some time.

“[Frazier] is working with the state’s Department of Administrative Services which is in charge of selecting a contractor for the project,” she said. “The bids for the project have come in and there are four contractors under consideration. Once the department determines the contractor we will be able to break ground, but there is no set date yet.”

Douglass said she does not know the person who will succeed her, but she has high hopes for the college’s future.

“In the future, I would like to see the nursing program still strong, maybe have some more students in it,” she said. “I would also like to see more faculty employed and that is very needed. That’s why students come here, to learn in classroom instruction. I am hoping my successor will continue to work with legislators to hopefully get back state appropriations. I would also like to see more growth.”

As for Douglass, she said she is more than ready for retirement.

“I am moving to St. Augustine and from there I’ll decide whether or not to go into consulting work,” she said. “I cannot imagine never doing any community college work again. However, I have worked since I was 13 years old. Since I was a freshman in high school I worked summers and after school. I am going to take six months to do nothing.”