Regents warned of a $150 million projected deficit even as enrollments tick up; volunteer policy approved

Regent Belduchi, speaking for the Finance and Infrastructure Committee, told the board that draft spending plans for fiscal year 2027 show revenues of roughly $1.15 billion and expenditures of roughly $1.3 billion, creating a projected $150 million deficit across the CSCU system.

"That means we're projecting $150 million deficit across the system for fiscal year 2027," the committee report said, and regents were told this will require immediate review and likely board action at the June meeting. The finance committee emphasized four guiding principles for improved reporting: clarity, conciseness, accuracy and timeliness; it asked for separation of operations from one-time reserve activity and stronger links between campus strategy and financial results.

At the same time, committee and ASA reports presented encouraging enrollment metrics: system headcount rose by more than 2,000 to over 66,000 (spring 2026 v. spring 2025), Connecticut State and the state universities reported enrollment gains across several campuses, and credit-bearing certificate enrollment increased by 6.5%.

On human-resources business, the board approved a new CSCU volunteer policy after committee review. The policy sets definitions and background-check requirements, outlines supervision expectations, and requires volunteers to comply with CSCU policies; it was moved and approved by voice vote during the meeting.

Next steps: the board will review the institutions' spending plans and consider recommended actions at the June meeting; the finance committee indicated it will continue to work on revised reporting formats and transparency measures to support board oversight.