Cardona, Harp, Tracey nominated for honorary degrees

NEW HAVEN — The U.S. secretary of education, a former city mayor and the city’s superintendent of schools are among nominees for an honorary degree from the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system this year.

Locally, Southern Connecticut State University is nominating Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and former NewHaven Mayor Toni Harp for a doctorate. Gateway Community College is nominating New Haven Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey for an associate degree.

The nominations are pending approval from the Board of RegentsAcademic and Student Affairs Committee on Friday.

In a letter to the system, SCSU President Joe Bertolino said Cardona, a Meriden native who’s being nominated for a doctorate of humane letters, has been at the forefront when traditional learning models were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He led the state’s safe school reopening efforts,” Bertolino said. “To do so, he and his department provided school districts with the balance of guidance, local autonomy and oversight needed to ensure equitable and meaningful educational opportunities for students while also prioritizing public health.”

The nation’s education chief has also made an impact on SCSU students and alumni, Bertolino said, highlighting Cardona’s advocacy for student loan forgiveness.

Bertolino said Cardona’s openness with his journey as a child of Puerto Rican parents entering the Connecticut public schools system resonates with the students.

“It also mirrors our social justice-driven mission to provide access to members of underrepresented and underserved communities in Connecticut,” he said.

For Harp, also nominated for a humane letters doctorate, Bertolino said the university saw a new business school, a science building and a major renovation of Buley Library during Harp’s tenure as a state senator between 1993-2013.

“She led the legislature’s budget-writing Appropriations Committee for six terms and was at the forefront of efforts to improve early literacy, bridge Connecticut’s achievement gap and provide access to affordable health care,” Bertolino said.

The three-term mayor was a key player in establishing a program that provides science students opportunities within the biotechnology industry, BioPath, according to the university’s president.

Tracey is nominated for an associate degree in science at Gateway. William Brown, the college’s CEO, listed the partnership that the superintendent has created or fostered, the Health Careers Advancement program, which allows dual enrollment; the Middle College program; and an automotive pathways program, which provides college credits.

The most notable partnership, Brown said, is the Gateway to College initiative. As the program is jointly staffed, it required significant investment and a commitment between the two, he said.

“As a result of our joint efforts, students who have been on the verge of dropping out of high school become college graduates,” Brown said. “And the Gateway/NHPS Gateway to College program has been nationally recognized by Achieving the Dream as one of the most successful and effective programs of its kind in the nation.”

The school district also provided the college a space for basketball games, which helped keep costs down, according to Brown.

“Dr. Tracey has announced her retirement after the school year, but she has been instrumental in laying the foundation for numerous partnerships to come, including dual enrollment collaborations through the 101College Street development project in New Haven,” Brown said.

If the Board of Regents were to approve the nominations, Cardona, Harp and Tracey will be awarded their honorary degrees May 18, 19 and 25, respectively.