CSCU leaders defend new p‑card controls and warn against mandating CoreCT as sole finance system

Cameron Liston, introduced as the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities system’s chief compliance officer, told the legislature’s Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee that the system has moved to tighten financial controls after public scrutiny and recent findings.

Liston said the system formed a policy committee to standardize and clarify systemwide policies, introduced a centralized purchasing‑card policy expected to take effect April 1, and plans to transition to a digitized record‑keeping vendor for real‑time oversight in February 2025. He said the policy standardizes spending limits, prohibits alcohol, firearms and discretionary entertainment charges except when mission‑related, requires continuing education for cardholders, and has already eliminated roughly 18% of issued p‑cards. He added that audit inquiries will be centralized through his office to ensure findings are tracked and remediated.

Karen Buffkin, identified as CSCU general counsel, told the committee that the bill’s current language could be read to require CoreCT as CSCU’s finance system of record. She said migrating Banner legacy data to CoreCT would be “an enormous cost” and a lengthy process that could duplicate systems and add expense. Buffkin also urged lawmakers to reconsider a proposed residency requirement for system leaders and expressed concern that mandated standardization of classifications and compensation for non‑represented employees could encroach on the Board of Regents’ statutory authority.

Committee members pressed Chancellor Chang about an overpayment discussed earlier in the forum. The chancellor confirmed an overpayment initially estimated at about $25,000 and said payroll deductions (roughly $300 per pay period) are being applied; he said about $11,000 remains outstanding and that staff would provide exact figures. Lawmakers asked whether travel or lodging costs tied to a second residence were charged to CSCU; the chancellor said he splits time between a primary residence outside Connecticut and a second residence in Hartford, and that he has disclosed this arrangement to the board and staff.

Several representatives cited a faculty vote of no confidence at the community college system and described a loss of public trust. The chancellor acknowledged the seriousness of those criticisms, described enrollment increases and $100 million in system spending reductions since FY19, and said he would accept responsibility for mistakes while continuing efforts to improve oversight and restore trust.

The committee asked CSCU for written, specific suggested statutory language to preserve transparency requirements while avoiding unintended fiscal or technical consequences if CoreCT were mandated as the exclusive finance system. Lawmakers also sought details on the p‑card vendor transition, the criteria used to revoke p‑cards, and the planned audit procedures that will support system‑level oversight.

The hearing did not produce a committee vote on the bill during the session covered by the transcript; members asked for follow‑up documentation and clarification on technical language.