CHARTER OAK STATE COLLEGE NEWSLET TER

WINTER/SPRING 2014

VOL. XXXIX NO. 1

Charter Oak State College Foundation Hosts Shea Lecture

The Charter Oak State College Foundation attracted a large turnout for its biennial Shea Lecture on November 14th at The Mark Twain House in Hartford. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, was titled Health Care: The Next 40 Years, and generated lively discussion with thoughtful questions and answers throughout the evening.

Doris Cassiday delivers remarks.

President Klonoski speaks to guests and staff.

Charter Oak State College Celebrates 40 Years!

Forty years after Charter Oak State College was first formed, the energy and dedication of staff members, students, and alumni is alive and well today, moving the college forward toward new goals and ideas. This excitement could be felt during the evenings celebration on November 14th at the Mark Twain House in Hartford as part of the colleges 40th anniversary celebration. In his opening remarks, President Ed Klonoski thanked all who have played a role in the unique state college from a brand new entity in 1973 called the Board for State Academic Awards to where it is today an accredited public online college serving thousands of students with over 12,000 graduates. His remarks noted the history of the college and future of the college, I really consider myself to be the temporary caretaker of one of Connecticuts great institutions, he said while thanking those who had the vision to launch the college 40 years ago, and those who will lead it into the next 40 years. In 1973, Charter Oak was created by the Connecticut State Legislature with the encouragement of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to provide educational opportunities for adults to complete their college education. When initially founded Charter Oak was called the
continued on pg. 6

Ed Klonoski, Charter Oak State College President, gathers with lecture panelists Mickey Herbert, Dr. Joseph Klimek, Moderator Rebecca Stewart and Kimberly Beauregard.

The lecture offered healthy discussion about the changing nature of health care delivery and the doctorpatient relationship. It was agreed that the growth of large practices formed to delegate the business side of doctoring will continue and that a single payer system of health care was not likely in the future. It was also noted that mental health care
continued on pg. 5

40th Anniversary Reception and Shea Lecture

The Presidents Take Higher Ed Initiatives

Citation Award Exceptional Dedication

New Major Launched Health Care Administration

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On-air & Online Marketing the College

THE PR ESIDENTS TA K E
learning to create An Experiment in Hybrid, or MixedWith the beginning of another Modality, Programs Using Competency-Based Education. new year there are a variety of This work seems to be moving to the next level and we items I want to share with you. are excited about submitting an application to be an The most important item has to experimental site. If we are selected, our students would do with the challenges facing the be able to use their financial aid for portfolios and tests entire higher education landscape. as well as online courses. As I have said before, things are getting harder for all of us. There And finally, there is a movement right here in Connecticut is increasing pressure on Colleges around our Go Back to Get Ahead initiative. Board of to improve our outcomes (both Regents President Gray is committed to moving this graduation rates and graduate project forward. In early Spring we employment), reduce our prices, So you can see that there is a hope to release letters to 100,000 and increase our enrollments. The Connecticut residents with credits world wants us to be faster, cheaper, great deal of work ahead of us. from ConnSCU institutions but and better. If we perform as I know we can, no credential. Charter Oak will you should see us in the news, be responsible for moving these As you read this, there are four students forward toward successful national conversations that I will our student enrollments should be participating in that bear on increase, and our approach to adult degree completion. these demands. In early December, education should gain ground in You might ask, what does all this I joined the Council for Higher Connecticut and across the nation. activity have to do with me? Well, Education Accreditations new its all designed to keep Charter Commission On Quality Assurance This is the work we were invented Oak at the leading edge of higher and Alternative Higher Education. to do 40 years ago, and we are education, and in the minds of those My role is to talk about nonwho award grants for new initiatives thrilled to be asked to do it. collegiate assessments (badges and funding. These efforts are part and CCAP). In January I delivered of our commitment to making a plenary session at CHEAs annual conference called college available and affordable to as many adults as Innovation, Disruption and the Status Quo: What Do We possible. Want for Accreditation? My talk was about Education Without College: What Is It? Is It Desirable? Can It Last? I So you can see that there is a great deal of work ahead of have also been asked to participate in a conversation us. If we perform as I know we can, you should see us in about the link between college and employers by the the news, our student enrollments should increase, and Aspen Institute. In early February I will serve on a panel our approach to adult education should gain ground in at the EDUCAUSE conference in New Orleans to discuss Connecticut and across the nation. This is the work we Strategic Innovation and Institutional Collaboration. were invented to do 40 years ago, and we are thrilled to All of these engagements reflect two important themes: Higher Education is undergoing remarkable changes and Charter Oak has experience in those elements that are changing. I have told you that we are working to help the U.S Department of Education re-think its Title IV financial aid regulations, and we have just heard that the department is going to request ideas for experimental sites that can explore those new ideas. Charter Oak has been collaborating with Lumina Foundation and a set of institutions that are interested in competency-based be asked to do it. I will keep you posted. Please drop me an email anytime, I enjoy hearing from you and sharing your progress with the rest of the staff.

Ed Klonoski, President

Greetings From Your Alumni Association!

Happy New Year! We hope this finds you well and we wish you a happy and successful 2014. In 2014 we are looking to prove even more that Charter Oak is truly degrees without boundaries, and travel around the country to spread the word about the college. We just returned from our second trip in the past 4 months to Jacksonville, FL. While in Jacksonville, we met with Aetna employees, police chiefs, military members, and Charter Oak Alumni. Going forward, we will be traveling to other states around the country and hope to meet with more alumni. We hope to expand our events around the country and will be looking for alumni who will serve as coordinators on the ground and to potentially start small groups in their area. We are always looking for more Alumni Association Board members from around the country. If you have an interest in serving on the Board, please contact Alumni Association Board president, Lisa Wildman at lisawildman@ sbcglobal.net. Please send us your ideas and your updates we always like hearing about the accomplishments of our impressive alumni! And dont forget YOU are our best ambassadors for the College! Please contact Nancy Taylor at [email protected] if you would like more information on how you can get involved in your local community. We would like to welcome two new members of the Alumni Association board, both of whom, coincidentally, are from Florida. Mike Hassell graduated from Charter Oak State College in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science, with concentrations in Organizational Management and Health Care. He currently works for a mid-size community hospital in Central Florida where he serves as the Disaster and Emergency Management Coordinator. Mike expects to graduate with his MBA from Western Governors University in February 2014. Tonya Mallard completed her Bachelor of Science degree, with honors, from Charter Oak State College in May 2010 with a concentration in Health Care Administration. Tonya is the Revenue Cycle Educator for Baptist Health, the largest hospital in Jacksonville, FL. She manages and conducts training for leadership and employees. She is also the project manager and administrator for several essential software programs utilized by the hospital. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Health Education at the University of Alabama. Her ultimate goal is teaching health education within her community. Tonya lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Randall and their dog BJ. She enjoys going to the beach, working out at the gym and reading in her spare time.

CALLING ALL CHARTER OAK ALUMNI!

Please take a moment to join our growing email list. We promise not to bombard you just relevant alumni stuff. And join our Social Networking Groups on Facebook and LinkedIn! Join the conversation today, touch base with your fellow alum, and let us know what youre up to. We love sharing success stories!
WINTER/SPRING 2014 VOLUME XXXIX, NUMBER 1

Go to CharterOak.edu/alumni/update.cfm

Issued semi-annually for alumni and friends of Charter Oak State College.

Alumni Association Membership is open to all individuals who have received a degree from the College. The Associations mission is to: Provide professional and social opportunities for members Support graduates in their further education and in their careers Advance the reputation of the College and Support Charter Oaks educational services and goals Suggestions/Questions? Contact Nancy Taylor, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and Corporate Recruitment at [email protected] or 860-515-3863.

Helen Diecidue, Editor State of Connecticut Dannel P. Malloy, Governor Board of Regents Dr. Gregory W. Gray, President Charter Oak State College Ed Klonoski, President
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alumni profile Meet Gunilla Hartgers, 13

to while taking her Charter Oak courses, tasks her to drive traffic to the air carriers 14 websites in 5 different languages. She says my degree has made me so much more knowledgeable about marketing and made me better at my job. Her degree has also afforded her more responsibility and respect from her colleagues. For Gunilla it wasnt just about the degree, but also her love of learning anything new. Much like her work that has offered variety and change through the years, she took a variety of courses outside of her concentrations just for the love of learning. She completed courses in biology, anthropology, sociology, psychology, statistics, and childrens literature, thoroughly enjoying the a-ha moments of learning new things. She says, its been a wonderful experience, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I miss all the learning because it was quite fun. One of the most positive experiences from my association with Charter Oak has been how its inspired my friends, colleagues and family also. Many of them followed me on my journey toward my bachelors degree, asking me questions about online learning and participating in many discussions with me along the way. I have also inspired several people to take classes in things that interest them, and that has given me a good feeling. Outside of work, Gunilla enjoys traveling, the outdoors, photography and spending time with her husband and three grown sons. Shes currently busy trying to find more hobbies now that graduating and accomplishing her goals at Charter Oak has freed up some time! (NOTE: If you are interested in sharing your success story with your fellow alumni, please contact Nancy Taylor Charter Oaks Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and let her know. She can be reached via email: [email protected], or by telephone: 860-515-3863).

2013 Community College Transfer Scholarship Awarded

Charter Oak State College announced Charlene Hill, of Meriden, CT, as the recipient of the Colleges annual Community College Transfer Scholarship. Hill recently graduated from Middlesex Community College with a GPA of 3.4 and an associate degree in Business Administration. She is an accepted applicant of the Colleges new health information management bachelors degree program and began classes in the summer. Applicants for the scholarship must demonstrate interest and success in online learning, have an overall GPA of at least 2.7, be nominated by an instructor, counselor, or administrator at the community college they attend, and provide a short essay on the benefits of online learning. I want to complete my bachelors degree at Charter Oak because of the convenience of online learning, as I am a mother and work full time, said Hill, who currently works for the State of Connecticuts Teachers Retirement Board. I have also heard wonderful things about online learning at Charter Oak from past and present students. The members of the scholarship review committee were excited about this years amazing pool of scholarship applicants, said Orchid Deer Dalomba, Admissions Counselor at Charter Oak. Charlenes application stood out from the rest as she had one of the top GPA scores and her letter of recommendation was exemplary. What the committee felt separated her from the pack is that she really represented the ideal Charter Oak State College student. Congratulations to Charlene!

Gunilla Hartgers

Each year at commencement a shoutout goes to the attending graduate who has traveled the farthest to receive their diploma hailing from Stockholm, Sweden easily earned Gunilla Hartgers the honor this year. Having always wanted to earn a bachelors degree from an American university, Gunilla wasnt going to miss the chance to come to Connecticut to pick up her diploma. She even brought her family and made a complete visit out of it. With a busy career in the airline industry, attending an online college was the perfect fit for Gunilla who already had her associates degree. Exploring her options online led her to Charter Oak where she was impressed with the Colleges affordability, student satisfaction rate, and the fact that it had already been in the business of online learning for 40 years. That experience and friendly reply from Academic Advisor, Karen Shultz, helped solidify the college as her first choice. Gunilla says her work at a European air carrier the past 15 years has always been interesting and fun and has led her to various positions within the company from sales to marketing, city offices to airport offices, but she still wanted to get that American degree . Her current e-business position, which she switched
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2013 Alumni Citation Award presented to Carlo Esidore

accomplishment in a field of endeavor and loyalty to the college. Nancy Taylor, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and Corporate Recruitment, presented the award and said I always consider it a privilege to present this award, but tonight Im especially honored to present this to Carlo Esidore. In her remarks, Nancy noted that Carlo had been an especially dedicated friend of Charter Oak. Like many other Charter Oak students, Carlo earned his Associates degree in Business Administration from Middlesex Community College. Twenty-five years later he decided to complete his Bachelors degree online in Health Care Administration in June 2005. He went on to earn an MBA online at Plymouth State University in May 2009, then a Graduate Studies Certificate in Teaching and Learning from Norwich University, also an online program. Carlo served 5 years as the Alumni Association President, stepping down last year. He has served on the Foundation Board, has been involved with the Student Association and currently serves on the Distance Learning Faculty Committee. Carlos experience as a working adult student and familiarity with the online course format allows him to have a great appreciation for the time commitment, dedication and discipline necessary to succeed, said Nancy. In fact, hes currently teaching two courses for Charter Oak and will begin teaching a course this Spring at New York University. All of this while working a full-time IT position at The Hartford Life Insurance Company. That extraordinary dedication makes him a special recipient of this years award our congratulations to Carlo.

Carlo Esidore accepts 2013 Alumni Citation Award from Nancy Taylor, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and Corporate Recruitment.

Carlo Esidore proudly accepted the 2013 Alumni Citation Award during the Colleges 40th Anniversary Celebration November 14th at the Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT. The Alumni Citation Award, the Alumni Associations highest award, is awarded annually to a Charter Oak graduate on the basis of

Shea Lecture and Fundraising Reception continued from pg. 1

will continue to make huge strides in acceptance along with physical health care. The panelists see a possible far-off future of self-service health care based on the growth of more informed patients and advancing medical devices. Panelists included Mickey Herbert, Health Care consultant and former president & CEO of ConnectiCare; Kimberly Beauregard, President & CEO, InterCommunity, Inc., and Joseph J. Klimek, MD, Vice President, Physician Relations for Hartford Hospital Administration. Rebecca Stewart, Director of Media Relations, Hartford HealthCare & Hartford Hospital served as moderator. Ed Klonoski, President, Charter Oak State College said, Its our honor to recognize the impact that the College and individuals associated with it have had on countless adults who have received degrees from

Charter Oak State College over the past 40 years. The Fundraiser Reception, hosted by The Charter Oak State College Foundation, was held after the lecture and this year celebrated the Colleges 40th anniversary. Proceeds will be used to support the mission and vision of the College and fund various scholarships. This years recipients, Michael Davis and Anthony Mecca were each awarded the Health Care Scholarship during the reception. The Shea Lecture is supported by an endowment established in 1987 upon the retirement of Bernard D. Shea, Charter Oaks first President. The endowment enables the College to sponsor programs which further the Colleges mission to engage students and the community in lifelong learning.
Guests listen to evenings speakers.
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Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman reads proclamation from Governors office declaring November 14th, 2013 Charter Oak State College Day.

COSC Celebrates 40 Years! continued from pg. 1

Board for State Academic Awards (BSAA) which meant it awarded a degree for the equivalent of a college education. At that time Charter Oak, the BSAA, did not offer any courses. Students met with academic counselors to determine what they needed to do to finish their degree. They then took courses at other colleges, completed standardized examinations, or wrote portfolios that were assessed for academic credit. When they met all of the requirements, the BSAA would award the degree. Over time, the BSAA became Charter Oak College, then Charter Oak State College now in its 40th year.

Charter Oak was designed to serve the higher educational needs of such large groups previously excluded from college.
In her remarks during the evening, Doris Cassiday, Academic Advisor and founding member of the college spoke of the desire especially of women to finish their degrees. The Vietnam War was winding down and veterans were returning to start life over, women were eager to finish degrees they had left midway to marry and raise a family she said. It wasnt easy to reenter college and take up where you left off. At that time learning acquired outside the classroom was ignored. This was painful for those veterans who had taken exams and training courses, painful for nurses who had gone through years of training, or private/professional pilots who had trained and tested, Cassiday noted. Charter Oak was designed to serve the higher educational needs of such large groups previously excluded from college. I think we are doing it! said Cassiday.
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a Merle Charter Oak State College President Ed Klonoski and President Emerit enjoy the celebration

Harris

Board of Regents President Gregory Gray addresses the crowd

Charter Oak staff members enj oy the

Lecture Guests mingle after Shea

evenings festivities

Hartfords Mark Twain House provided a perfect venue for the evening

Staffers George Claffey and Doris Cassiday reflect on 40 years

Foundation Awards Two Health Care Scholarships During 40th Anniversary Reception
Congratulations to Michael Davis and Anthony Mecca, each recipients of Charter Oak State College Foundation 2013 Health Care Scholarships. Rebeka Scalia, Foundation President, recognized both men during the November 14th 40th Anniversary reception event. The Health Care Scholarship was established by the Foundation to financially assist a student currently pursuing a health care degree at Charter Oak State College. Michael Davis began his career in health care 18 years ago and is currently pursuing his bachelors degree in Health Care Administration. His goal is to become a mentor to help develop less experienced fellow colleagues in the health care administration field. He hopes to eventually lead an innovative and effective world-class health care organization while enhancing patient care excellence. Anthony Mecca is new to the Health Care field and is currently pursuing his bachelors degree in Health Care Administration with the College. After more than 20 years in the IT field, Mecca found his position shipped overseas and quickly decided to retool his career to the rapidly growing field of health care. He recently started a part-time job in the health care field and is thrilled that Charter Oaks HCA program will help fulfill his aspiration to join a field that offers rewards on both the professional and human care levels. We wish both gentlemen the best of luck in pursuit of their future endeavors!

President Ed Klonoski congratulates scholarship recipient Michael Davis.

Foundation President Rebeka Scalia presents scholarship award to Anthony Mecca.

New Major in Health Care Administration Launched

Charter Oak State College continues to expand its degree offerings in the health care arena, recently converting its Health Care Administration concentration to a Health Care Administration major. The major can be fully completed utilizing the Colleges online courses. The new major is designed to provide professionals working in the health care industry, or a health care related industry such as insurance, with the knowledge required to create, implement and efficiently administer programs and services delivered by health care and health care related organizations. The major requires a minimum of 42 credits. We are continuing to strategically expand our degree programs in fields that offer adults the best opportunity to enter or advance in the workforce both here in Connecticut and nationally, said Ed Klonoski. This new major follows on the heels of the recently launched bachelor of science degree in Health Information Management, a field the Bureau of Labor has targeted as one of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the U.S. Both new bachelors degree programs demonstrate Charter Oaks commitment to offering majors in highly-relevant occupation fields.

Charter Oak Adds Cybersecurity Courses for IT Professionals

Charter Oak State College recently added a Cybersecurity workforce education program to our expanding offering of programs for the workforce. These non-credit courses are designed for working IT professionals needing to add or polish skills required for advancement in this rapidly growing area of Information Technology. Ten self-taught modules are currently offered, focusing on specific cybersecurity skill sets with courses such as Network Security Essentials, Securing Web Applications, Protecting Networks with Firewalls & VPNs, and Managing Information Security Risks, Threats & Vulnerabilities. Each course offers state-of-the-art labs tied to workplace readiness, teaches handson skills in a virtual lab environment where students practice and learn on live applications and software, and demonstrate how to use software currently available to perform critical IT functions. Cybersecurity involves protecting the information and systems we rely on every day at work, schools, and in our homes. Cybersecurity jobs are currently ranked 17 th of 100 Top Jobs in the U.S. and jobs in the field are expected to grow 20% year after year. The College will be marketing these 15-week courses to area insurance, finance, and healthcare businesses with large IT groups who may need to add to or brush up on their IT security skills. For more information, visit www.CharterOak.edu/cybersecurity

New CT Education Academy to Provide Training for State Workforce

Theres more good news to announce in the growth department here at the College. President Ed Klonoski reports that the State of Connecticuts Bond Commission has approved the funding for the CT Education Academy, a joint project between Charter Oak State College, the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (CTDLC) and the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). This project will create a state-wide vehicle for online training efforts for state agencies, says Kevin Corcoran, Executive Director, CTDLC. By leveraging our existing IT technology and academic content, we will be able to provide significant savings to the state while providing a 21st century delivery vehicle for future training opportunities. The CT Education Academy will begin work to offer online training in Diversity, Workplace Violence, and Sexual Harassment which are required for all State employees and currently offered on ground through the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). Other courses and programs will be developed over the five year initiative. In addition to offering a more flexible approach to state workforce training through online courses, the CT Education Academy will provide cost savings to on-ground instruction through increased employee efficiency, productivity, and measurability. President Klonoski says Charter Oak currently provides online incumbent worker training to a number of businesses nationally. Educating adults is our specialty and we are excited to be leveraging that experience for our own state workforce. Work on the CT Education Academy project will begin immediately with the launch planned for Fall 2014.

STAY CONNECTED THROUGH

Wed like to hear from you about promotions, graduate degrees, awards, marriages, births, and other significant successes in your life. Well publish your news in the next edition of Connections. Please use the form below, or drop us a note. Send to: Alumni News, Charter Oak State College, 55 Paul J. Manafort Drive, New Britain, CT 06053-2150 or email [email protected]. Your name and address ___________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Email address_____________________________________ Class of_______________________________________________ My news______________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Charter Oak State College Foundation

Dear Friend of Charter Oak State College, Over the past 40 years, Charter Oak State College has changed almost 13,000 lives by providing the foundation for a successful and fullling life through postsecondary education. Charter Oak was established to help adult learners achieve their educational and career goals through time-exible and affordable degree completion programs. Charter Oak is the only online public college in the State of Connecticut and one of Americas leading and most affordable public online colleges, recently recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best online bachelors degree programs in the nation. The Charter Oak State College Foundation provides nancial support for Charter Oak students, promotes program innovation, supports underemployed and underserved students, helps to fund new technological advances for the College, and helps to support the development of new online courses, certicate programs and credentials that target workforce needs. All of these initiatives break down barriers to postsecondary education for adults. With your help, Charter Oak State College gives many of its adult students a second chance at life. I was devastated at the loss of my only computer and was unable to replace it without creating a great nancial burden. I feel a great deal of relief and appreciation for having this burden lifted and once again being allowed to continue my studies each night after I tuck my children into bed. This grant has made a signicant impact on my life and the life of my family. Nadia Doe, Technology Grant recipient In todays challenging economic times, our students are more reliant than ever on the generous support of our alumni and friends. Every single gift, regardless of size, will have a signicant impact on our students. Please donate to the Charter Oak State College Foundation Annual Appeal today. Your generosity has made a life changing difference in Nadias life and you can change the lives of many more students and their families. If this is your rst donation to the Charter Oak Foundation, please remember that a gift of just $50 from 14 alumni can offset the cost of a course for a student. If you give annually, please consider increasing your donation by 10 percent. We need your help and cannot do it without you. Please take a moment to go online at www.charteroak.edu/foundation/give.cfm to make your charitable tax-deductible gift. Thank you for supporting the Charter Oak State College Foundation. With graditude,

Rebeka Scalia, President

Ed Klonoski, Executive Director

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Charter Oak Takes Message to Jacksonville

During the month of November, Charter Oak State College launched a paid media campaign in Jacksonville, Florida, to support the new enrollment initiative in that market. Two new television spots aired on local affiliates WJXT-TV4, WTLV-NBC12 and the Comcast cable network, along with online ads on News4Jax.com, Jacksonville.com, Google, Yahoo, and Facebook. The two new television ads titled Life and Time were taped at the Connecticut State Capitol and feature our very own staff members Lori Gagne Pendleton, Dan Russell, and Paula Silva! Both ads underscore themes important to working, busy adult students. The new Time ad speaks to the theme of using online time wisely to advance your education toward a better future; the new Life ad reinforces how Charter Oaks online studies make fitting in an education around a busy life possible. Both ads can be viewed at our Facebook site at www.Facebook.com/CharterOak. You may also see our ads in the Hartford, CT market both on local TV and online. Were promoting the college on affiliates WFSB-TV3, FOXCT, Comcast, and Uverse as well as online at Courant.com, NewHavenRegister.com, Facebook, Google, and Yahoo!. Of course, were always most grateful when our alums pass along the good work here at the college with wordof-mouth advertising!
Screen shots of the new television ads titled Life and Time.

SAVE THE DATE!

Schuessler, Founder & CEO, Affordable Colleges Online, Charter Oak State College offers an exceptional collection of distance learning options at a very affordable price. This combination of quality, affordability, and flexibility earned Charter Oak State College a place on our list of the Online Colleges in Connecticut That Win on Affordability. Charter Oak President, Ed Klonoski said, We believe learning is about the activity, not the location. As Connecticuts only public online college we feel that access, affordability, individual support, and value are the hallmarks of what make Charter Oak a premier institution of higher learning. For us, online delivery is the core around which we serve our students. Our students success is what drives us to provide the very best possible accredited programs for working adults who are seeking a way to complete their degrees quickly and efficiently. The Charter Oak State College Foundation will host a Spring Fundraising Dinner The Power of Women Believing is Achieving to support the Charter Oak State College Women in Transition (WIT) Program on Tuesday, May 20th from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Central Connecticut State Universitys Constitution Hall. This event will feature dynamic keynote speaker, Teresa Younger, Executive Director of Connecticuts Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, a leading force for womens equality. For more information, please contact Angela Chapman at [email protected] or 860-515-3889.

Charter Oak State College was recently ranked number one in affordability among online degree programs in-state by AffordableCollegesOnline.org. The top three include second place Southern Connecticut State University and third place University of Connecticut. The complete list of Online colleges in Connecticut that win on affordability can be seen at www.affordableonlinecolleges.org/ online-colleges/connecticut. AffordableCollegesOnline.org (AC Online) analyzed online degree programs from more than 2,000 accredited colleges and universities across the nation. According to Dan

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Non Profit Org US Postage PAID Hartford, CT Permit No. 1413

55 Paul J. Manafort Drive New Britain, CT 06053-2150

Alumni Spring Social Set for Friday April 25, 2014

Calling all Charter Oak Alumni! We are planning another fun evening of dinner and theatre at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT. For those of you who have been to this event in the past three years, you know the quality of the shows and the fun that is had by all at the dinner. For those who have never experienced this event, now is the year to join your fellow alumni and make new friends. The show we will be seeing is Damn Yankees, the Red Sox version. The show originally opened in 1955 and was a huge hit. The Goodspeed has updated the show to replace the Washington Senators with the Boston Red Sox. Guaranteed to be a fun time for all! We expect tickets to go quickly for this special event so please contact Nancy Taylor at [email protected] to reserve your seats now. Tickets are being subsidized by the Alumni Association to keep them at last years price of $70/pp which includes both the dinner and show. Heres a little blurb about the show: Batter up! Just in time for baseball season comes the muscular musical comedy about a Red Sox super-fan who is transformed into a star slugger after he makes a deal with the devil and his sexy associate, Lola. Goodspeed re-imagines a Broadway classic that swings for the fences, no matter which team you root for. In the game of love and baseball, you gotta have Heart but watch out for Whatever Lola Wants.