President Ismaili Says Yes To A New Sports Center; Says No To A New Chancellor

Mathew Biadun | Staff Writer

Day-by-day, the amount of worries for Connecticut’s public universities seem to grow. On the state level, Gov. Lamont and his legislature seem unwilling to increase funding for the CSCU System - a system which has been embroiled by controversy surrounding its leader, Chancellor Terence Cheng. The federal level appears no better. President Trump and his Education Secretary Linda McMahon, a Connecticut Native, have been dismantling the Education Department at rapid speeds, leaving many to worry about the future of colleges and universities.

To see how Eastern leadership is addressing the challenges of today, Mathew Biadun sat down with Eastern’s President, Karim Ismaili. The interview was conducted on March the twenty-fourth. 

State Spending: In adhering to the fiscal guardrails and a balanced budget, the legislature has been unwilling to give more money to higher education, even as costs rise and Covid-era ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds run out. When asked about this, President Ismaili admitted that Eastern was projecting a deficit for a ‘few years’ while emphasizing that state support was ‘super important’. He called for higher state spending on the basis of it being an investment. Quote; “Investment in Eastern is an investment in the future. 86% of alumni stay in Connecticut, and 97% of alumni are from Connecticut.”

University Plans: Eastern has two major plans it uses as guides for the future. The first is the ‘Master Plan’, a massive 150-page document last updated in 2016 that includes things like new buildings and campus expansions. The second is the ‘Strategic Plan’, a comparatively shorter document at 28 pages, which outlines concepts like Eastern’s curriculum focuses and academic missions. That document was published in 2020 and outlined a five-year plan expiring at the end of this year, 2025.

President Ismaili noted that the Master Plan was part of a wider CSCU Plan, but that it would adapt to student needs. He specifically called out the need for a new athletic center, citing not only the age of the current Sports Center, but also the fact that having an inferior sports center likely limited enrollment (Further details can be found in a prior interview with Eastern’s VP of Finance). He also pointed out a desire for a new residence hall with modern energy uses, ‘up-to-date dining options’, as well as the goal of a ‘business incubator program’ which would involve not just the university but the local community as well. All of these however, he noted, would require state investment, such as funds that had been set aside for a new Sports Center but not yet appropriated.

As for the Strategic Plan, a new one is already in the works. President Ismaili described the desire for a ‘vision the campus creates together, including students’. He acknowledges already meeting with students and faculty, and that starting in the fall, this would increase.

The Department of Education: As the Trump administration seeks to downsize the size and scope of the ED to the bare essentials, many worry about what will be left behind. President Ismaili said that their current focus was ‘understanding the implications’, which as of now, was ‘unclear’. He stated, however, that Eastern would ‘stay true to its values’ and ‘stay the course’.

Chancellor Cheng: Numerous reports have come out alleging misspending and charges of corruption against the head of Connecticut’s public university system, Chancellor Terence Cheng. These reports include allegations of fancy dinners and chauffeurs. President Ismaili addressed these, saying that Chancellor Cheng had already made ‘public pronouncements for his regret’.

“I believe in him, and believe he showed regret. I don’t believe there is corruption or scandal,” Ismaili said. When pressed on if the Chancellor should step down, as the University Senate called for in a Vote of No Confidence last year, he said Cheng shouldn’t. “I don’t think he should step down,” Ismaili replied. “There isn’t any cause.”

Speaking personally of the man, Ismaili further described Cheng as someone who ‘believes in students’, and that he is a ‘real supporter of Eastern’, mentioning that Cheng was always available on the phone.

Liberal Arts: When asked what the biggest difference between Eastern and his past university, Bridgewater University in Massachusetts, was, President Ismaili cited Eastern’s focus on the liberal arts. He described the school’s liberal arts program as ‘thoughtfully conceived’, and that the liberal arts core was a ‘plus’. One of his goals for the Strategic Plan is to help students describe how the liberal arts core has helped them, and why it makes them better candidates for future jobs.

President Ismaili took office at the start of the school year. His official inauguration will be on April 11th, here on campus.