50th Anniversary Celebration

Charter Oak State College 50th anniversary logo

Charter Oak State College is celebrating 50 years in 2023 and we need you to make it complete!

Ed Klonoski President Charter Oak State College

"Charter Oak State College has a long history of serving non-traditional students who need flexible, affordable, and high-quality higher education options," said President Ed Klonoski. "As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, we remain committed to providing a high value, low cost and powerful online education designed to advance our student's careers and help build a better workforce." Read the press announcement.

Anniversary Activities - Calendar of Events

The 50th Year Celebration will honor the past, illuminate our now, and explore our future. However, to make it super special, we need YOU. Stay informed and join the mailing list.

To mark this milestone anniversary, Charter Oak is planning a celebratory year of activities, committee work, and events.

The 50th Anniversary Weekend - June 10 and June 11, 2023

 

50th Gala!  Saturday, June 10, 2023, 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Baseball & Lunch! Sunday, June 11, 2023, 12:00 pm

The Gala - Saturday, June 10th | $150 pp

Hartford Marriott Downtown | 200 Columbus Boulevard, Hartford, Connecticut

A golden celebration not to be missed! We will illuminate the decades of graduates and community members, reminisce, converse with old & new friends, enjoy delicious food, and do some dancing at this semi-formal fundraiser

Dinner Choices: Herb-Grilled Chicken • NY Strip Steak • Vegan Eggplant

Dress: Semi-Formal Attire

Celebration Special - $250 per person includes:
• A ticket to the Gala Celebration Dinner Dance
• And ticket to a Yard Goats baseball game and reception Sunday, June 11 at noon
• A reserved copy of the long-awaited Charter Oak State College History Book
• A donation to the COSC Foundation to assist with student success

Gala Dinner Ticket - $150 per person

RSVP - by emailing foundation@charteroak.edu and send payment
or online Visit the Event Page (for more details and to reserve your tickets!)

 

Baseball & Reception

Sunday, June 11, 2023 | Hartford Yard Goats vs. Somerset Patriots
(Colorado Rockies) (New York Yankees) AA Affiliates

Hartford Yard Goats Dunkin Stadium
Yuengling Party Deck

GAME Time 1:10 PM
Gates open at 11:30 am with Access to the CT Lottery YG Club
Lunch served from 12:00 noon – 2:30 pm

Ticket Price for Charter Oak State College Graduates, Students, Staff, Faculty, and Friends of is only - $20.23 per person and includes access to the Party Deck, Temperature Controlled YG Club, and a 2 hour lunch buffet with soft drinks.

Reserve your Tickets online (today)! Limited Seating Available - https://bit.ly/CharterOak50thBaseball

 

Opportunities to Honor & Support 50 Years of Transformation!

Please celebrate with a sponsorship, program book ad or directory listing, donation, auction item or something completely unique. We are happy to tailor a sponsorship or donation that matches your philanthropic goals.  

A sponsorship or donation will help remove barriers, create equity, and directly (and positively) impact degree completion success. Proceeds will help the Charter Oak State College Foundation (a 501C3) provide [more] students scholarships & grants. As students succeed and advance in their careers, they will then in turn, help our communities and businesses thrive. More reason to celebrate! 

 

 

Honor Our History

Engage with our alumni, staff and faculty to create a meaningful historical compilation. The timeline of Charter Oak's history will come alive with personal insights from the storied past.

Charter Oak alumni share similar stories as most began their college journey only to be interrupted by life, family, job, and personal events. However, the dream of completing their degree remained a burning desire, and that is where their Charter Oak story begins!

History Committee Members include:

  • Dr. Merle Harris
  • Dr. Shirley Adams
  • Albert Schmid '97, History Book Project Leader and Writer

Wanted: Volunteers, Class Representatives, Historians, Storytellers, Writers, Social Media Champions, Community Members. Join Anniversary Volunteers

Charter Oak State College Volunteer Network
Acorns in Action

Illuminate the Now

Help us uncover stories to illuminate and honor our alumni, students, staff, and faculty.

Joyce Petrella Foundation Board President

The Foundation President, Joyce Petrella, shared the Board's aspirational goal is to fund more scholarships, reach more students and reduce the financial barriers to our student's success. Student need is increasing due to a variety of factors, student loan debt is daunting, and employers need workforce ready candidates. In honor of 50 Years of Transforming lives, the Charter Oak State College Foundation has increased its giving in 2023 and is asking for all community members to consider giving back $50 in honor of our 50 years.

Oaklee encourages us to, "Just imagine the impact if all 17,000 alumni, all staff, all faculty, all community members gave a $50 donation to support scholarships, or even if some gave a $50 monthly gift."

Explore the Future

Grow our connections as we grow our programming, improve our engine, and prepare to enhance the future of higher education.

Charter Oak State College Alumni Ambassador Logo and Crest

Become a Charter Oak Ambassador!

Help Develop a higher degree of Awareness of Connecticut's higher education degree completion engine. Work with a team of staff and volunteers as we engage the business and corporate communities.

Plus, help to create a pipeline for our qualified, educated, and hard-working students and graduates - connecting them to competitive job openings and career-enhancing positions.

Have an Idea, Comment, or Story to Share?

Contact the Anniversary Committee Chairs.