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When President Toro became the 13th president of Central, she had a clear vision for the university.
Soon after her arrival in late 2016, Toro identified three priorities: to increase enrollment; to develop new sources of revenue; and to deepen Central’s engagement with the surrounding community.
All three of those boxes are hereby checked and then some after eight years of Toro’s leadership. Fast forward to 2024, and you’ll find an entire web page loaded with Toro’s additional accomplishments.
Among the most recent and dynamic projects Toro guided is the launch of the College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the hiring of its resident dean, who joined the Central team in July. Beyond the academic innovation of the new college, its flagship Community Health Education Clinic, which opened in late 2023, will enable students in health-related programs to gain hands-on experience with patients from the university and New Britain community.
Toro is proud of how far she and Central have come, but she cites one important factor as the secret to Central’s success.
“Everything that has been accomplished is due to teamwork,” Toro explains. “I may have ideas, but unless people embrace those ideas — unless people are committed and dedicated to seeing those ideas become reality — nothing happens.”
Toro made sure to develop her team within weeks of her arrival at Central. She set off on a listening tour to meet with every office and department on campus and took notes.
Her investment has paid off year after year, and Toro cites a distinct change in culture throughout her tenure.
“What has taken the longest and maybe the thing I am the most proud of is the culture. I feel we have been able to change that,” Toro says. “We have now an institution in which people feel that they are contributing to the success of all students and that they are part of something good and great.”
Even better, according to Toro, is that the students have also noticed that shift in culture.
“I am happy to see that our students are having a high-quality educational experience, and I think for the most part our students feel like they are being supported and that faculty members and staff care about their well-being and success,” she says.
Recent enrollment and housing numbers underscore an improved sense of belonging among Central students.
The census numbers for Fall 2024 enrollment reflect an increase of more than 3 percent over last year, with 9,997 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. The university also surpassed its goal of 2,200 resident students for Fall 2024 by nearly 200 students.
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President Toro greets first-year students at the university’s convocation ceremony on Aug. 26. Toro instituted the formal ceremony in 2019. (Photo by Stan Godlewski)
Making history
Toro added two more distinctions to Central’s history when she took the helm: She is the first female and first Hispanic president of the 175-year-old institution.
That her tenure is coinciding with a milestone anniversary this year is nothing short of an honor, Toro says.
“I have been blessed in my life,” she explains. “I have had the opportunity to transform lives in a number of institutions, but mainly at Central Connecticut State University. Can you believe I have the honor of leading the first publicly funded institution of higher education in this state?”
Toro notes that Central’s original mission to educate the working class has an enduring appeal and return on investment.
“This institution has contributed to the economic, cultural, and intellectual development of this state, the region, and beyond because we have graduates in almost every state of the Union; we have graduates in the Caribbean; and we have graduates in other places around the world.”
But there is another unique component to a Central education, in Toro’s view.
“What we do is about people and how we guide individuals to be able to accomplish their goals in life. We want them to be happy and healthy and feel useful — that they make an impact. That’s what we’re trying to do every day,” she says.
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Students talk with President Toro during a tour of the campus Community Health Education Clinic. (Photo by FJ Gaylor Photography)
Looking forward and back
Toro’s three initial priorities still inform her future goals. Plans to launch more healthcare-related academic programs will surely boost enrollment and expand the free screening services available to communities. Students have requested — and will receive — more interdisciplinary program options. Her call for a new science building has drawn great community and state support. The upcoming Year of Artificial Intelligence will highlight how the university is responding to emerging technologies and the Connecticut workforce.
It’s a never-ending list, but it is one that Toro will continue to update with successes fueled by her love of the job and her firm belief in the transformative nature of higher education.
“I have enjoyed every minute of my tenure at Central,” she says. “And when I leave, I will take with me the satisfaction that I may have impacted a number of lives — not only students’ lives, but staff, faculty, and administrators. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to be in higher education.”
As for her own educational experience at Central, Toro has enjoyed mentoring her team and the reciprocal lessons she’s taken away from those interactions. She also drew very important perspective from that initial whirlwind tour of the campus community.
“Rome was not built overnight. So, I think that in higher education — despite the typical pace of change in higher education — you have to be patient. You have to trust the processes, and you have to believe that if you have the right people in place and you have ambition, things will happen.”