Start spreading the news. No more chauffeured SUV. Chancellor Cheng drives himself to community college legislative breakfast in vehicle with New York license plates.

What a difference audits and reviews of CSCU Chancellor Terrence Cheng’s promiscuous use of his student and public financed expense account make. A day after the CT State College Senate adopted a motion of “no confidence” in Cheng, the head of the 85,000 student higher education system drove himself to a legislative breakfast at Northwestern, formerly known as Northwestern Connecticut Community College, in Winsted.

In October, Hearst investigative reporter Jacqueline Rabe Thomas found Cheng “had expensed chauffeured despite being provided a state car, charged for pricey meals with other state employees, and collected a $2,100 monthly housing allowance while living in a New York town just across Connecticut’s border.” A review of spending by State Comptroller Sean Scanlon’s office found “troubling” expenses charged to Cheng’s expense account. State auditors found that while Cheng received a generous housing allowance to live in Connecticut he continued to live in New York. Cheng also receives a car allowance, though he also spent system funds on a chauffeur.

Cheng, whose contract ends next year, will find it difficult to make the case to legislators that they should once again contest Governor Ned Lamont’s allocation to CSCU in his budget proposal. Lamont rebuked Cheng in his Wednesday budget address, noting, higher education “should not be immune to reform and CT State in particular must reimagine how we tain our workforce for 21st century jobs.” Lamont added “student population is down 30% is down 30%, most students don’t graduate, and costs keep escalating.”

On Friday, Sen. Minority Leader Stephen Harding and House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora praised the CT State College Senate for its call to change the CSCU leadership. The two Republicans had to tread carefully on their criticism of Lamont and CSCU Regents for allowing Cheng to continue leading the system. They criticized Lamont and “most Regents” for standing by Cheng. The “most” is meant to suggest that Regent Erin Stewart, a Republican exploring a 2026 bid for governor, has called for Cheng’s resignation, which Stewart says she has. Stewart was critical of Cheng’s penchant for secrecy and successfully argued for changes when Lamont appointed a new chairman of the Regents.

Published February 7, 2025.