UConn Hartford and other colleges and universities in central Connecticut are relaunching the Greater Hartford Consortium for Higher Education, affirming their shared commitment to strengthening and celebrating the city as a vibrant college town.
Member institutions in the Greater Hartford Consortium for Higher Education (GHCHE) this week announced its formal relaunch, renewing a longstanding collaborative partnership among public and private institutions in the area.
Consortium members have been reorganizing the group in the past few years to focus on leveraging the institutions’ locations in and near Hartford to promote new opportunities for students, workers, and current and prospective employers.
In addition to UConn Hartford, the Consortium includes CT State Capital and CT State Manchester (CT State Community College), Goodwin University, Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, Trinity College, University of Hartford, and University of Saint Joseph.
The relaunch will be highlighted during a public carol singing celebration on Dec. 15 at UConn Hartford, bringing together students, faculty, staff, community leaders, partners, and friends of the institutions.
“By renewing this partnership, we look forward to working closely with city leaders and employers, and to embracing Hartford’s identity as a vibrant community whose talented students are ready to become important contributors to the city’s social and economic future as professionals,” says Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, UConn Hartford Dean and Chief Administrative Officer, who also is chair of the GHCHE board of directors.
Established to expand cross-registration, share academic opportunities and strengthen educational access across member institutions, the Consortium’s renewed effort reflects a broadened vision: deeper collaboration, stronger employer partnerships, and an amplified role for higher education in shaping Hartford’s growth.
“The relaunch of the Greater Hartford Consortium for Higher Education is a major win for our city,” says Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam. “This partnership is about more than just academics; it’s about recognizing that our colleges and universities are the engines of our future workforce and economic vitality.
“By connecting these talented students directly to our local employers, the Consortium is ensuring that Hartford’s best and brightest start their careers right here and solidifies Hartford’s identity as a premier college town,” he adds.
Several Consortium institutions recently installed new presidents, and each new leader has expressed a strong commitment to helping Hartford take its next step as a true college town, where students are fully embraced as contributors to the city’s culture, civic life, and economic future.
As part of its relaunch, the Consortium is also emphasizing a shared message where students from consortium institutions represent the workforce that Hartford’s employers need. With thousands of learners preparing for careers across high-demand fields, GHCHE aims to strengthen pathways from education to employment and ensure that Hartford companies are closely connected to the region’s talent pipeline.
“This renewed Consortium reflects Hartford at its best: a collaborative, ambitious college town, growing talent and strengthening the future of our economy,” says David Griggs, President and CEO of Metro Hartford Alliance. “It represents a new chapter of partnership that will accelerate opportunity for students, employers, and our region.”
UConn moved its campus from West Hartford to its current location in 2017 and has worked since then to support Hartford as thriving capital city by bringing people downtown to learn, live, and support the regional economy.
Several programs are planned or in place to strengthen and deepen ties with Hartford, including its “UConn IN Hartford” initiative, the addition of student housing options, the establishment of a Research Innovation Center downtown, opening a café in its main campus building, and other programs.
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The celebratory carol singing event takes place on Monday, Dec. 15, at the UConn Hartford Portico, 10 Prospect St. (the former Hartford Times building), behind City Hall. People will gather starting around 5:15 p.m., with caroling beginning at 5:30 p.m.
