Thomas Breen File Photo
SCSU Prez Joe Bertolino (at right).
Southern Connecticut State University Joe Bertolino is back making rounds of New Haven neighborhoods, looking to link his campus to the community.
That marked a return to the CMT hustings. After taking the helm at SCSU six years ago, Bertolino — affectionately known as “President Joe” long before a certain former POTUS took office — visit each and every one of the city’s management teams.
“I visited with all the CMTs a couple of years back and then Covid hit, and now this is an opportunity to re-engage. We are here, your public university, to partner and to be a resource,” Bertolino told the 25 Dixwell CMT gathered via Zoom Thursday evening.
Bertolino first gave an update on SCSU’s activities during the pandemic.
“Many of our graduates are nurses and teachers, so many are on the front line,” he said. “We’ve been working closely with the city, particularly in trying to provide testing and vaccination resource information, especially among hesitant populations.”
Many of the attendees did not know that Southern has also been offerings testing and vaccination to the general public in the basement of Schwartz Hall. Bertolino’s assistant, Gregg Crerar, who was also in attendance, pledged to give the hours of operation and pertinent info to CMT Chair Crystal Gooding to distribute to the several neighbors who expressed interest.
Bertolino said 75 percent of students have returned in person to campus as of Wednesday. Of 1,300 students tested for Covid-19, he reported, “and all but 18 tested negative.”
Other news included that the university has broken ground on a new business school building, with a beam-signing ceremony Wednesday; a new college focusing on health and human services is being born; and the Barack H. Obama Magnet University School, a kindergarten-through fourth grade “lab” school on campus, is thriving, with 300 kids.
Lt. Dana Smith, Dixwell’s district manager, thanked President Joe and praised the help and partnership that Southern’s police force provides to the NHPD, including patrolling in the Dixwell area when called upon by NHPD. Bertolino said many of the officers on Southern’s security advisory task force are retired New Haven officers.
“They’re good guys,” said Smith.
Neighbor Lindsey Ruminiski asked what Southern has been doing recently with the Board of Ed. The answer: “Our college of education has been highly engaged with the school district,” with several hundred students providing support, working closely with district personnel on the technical side of learning through Covid, and as interns.
Dixwell/Newhallville Alder Steve Winter asked Bertolino if he has heard of the interest expressed by The Friends of Beaver Pond and other community groups on establishing a walking tour around the body of water bordering the campus. Bertolino said he didn’t have specifics, but he is aware of the initiative and is intrigued; he said he’d get back.
Click here for a story about Southern’s commitment to a range of educational initiatives in the city, including New Haven Promise, and Southern’s College Beyond College program. Initiated in 2019, the latter allows New Haven high schoolers to take tuition-free courses at SCSU. The courses have subsequently then been offered, without the kids’ requirement to travel, right on a high school campus.
As the meeting concluded, several attendees, including CMT Assistant Secretary Roxanne Condon, a special advocate of Scantlebury Park, and Marita Spell, a community engagement staffer for the Clifford Beers Clinic, asked how they might contact Southern to sign up students to volunteer for area activities like clean-ups. Crerar again said he was taking notes and would provide Gooding with the specific Southern staff to contact.
“Don’t hesitate to call,” said President Joe.
