Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll and State University System presidents gathered at Worcester State Sept. 25 for a roundtable to promote Gov. Maura Healey’s proposed higher education bond bill, which would invest $2.5 billion into campus modernization projects.
Known as the BRIGHT Act [1], or an Act to Build Resilient Infrastructure to Generate Higher Education Transformation, the bill would create nearly 20,000 construction related jobs across the Commonwealth.
“No state turns education into economic growth like Massachusetts does, and the BRIGHT Act is our historic opportunity to modernize higher education, create tens of thousands of jobs, and strengthen our state’s economy for decades to come,” said Driscoll. “As a Massachusetts public higher ed graduate myself, I know how impactful this investment is toward the infrastructure of our institutions. The BRIGHT Act provides a brighter future for our students and our economy.”
The roundtable included:
- Assistant Secretary for Career Education Bob LePage,
- Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance Deputy Commissioner of Planning Peter Brigham,
- Administration and Finance Undersecretary Jen Sullivan,
- Worcester State University President Barry Maloney,
- UMass Chan Medical School Chancellor Dr. Michael Collins,
- Westfield State University President Dr. Linda Thompson,
- Bridgewater State University President Fred Clark,
- Fitchburg State University President Donna Hodge,
- Framingham State University President Nancy Niemi,
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design President Mary Grant,
- Massachusetts Maritime Academy President Admiral Francis McDonald,
- Mount Wachusett Community College President James Vander Hooven,
- President of the Worcester-Fitchburg Building Trades Council Jorge Rivera,
- and Worcester State University Student Trustee Brandol Ogando Saladin.
Lt. Gov Kim Driscoll and President Barry Maloney hosted a roundtable of state leaders to discuss Gov. Maura Healey’s BRIGHT Act Sept. 25
Using funding from the Fair Share surtax, the BRIGHT Act would unlock $2.5 billion in new capital funding to improve UMass, state university, and community college campuses across the state. These investments would be geared toward modernizing facilities, including new labs, classrooms, and mental health spaces, and for addressing deferred maintenance and enabling major capital projects.
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll stopped in to Professor Carol Lambert’s College Writing I class meeting in the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery during her visit to Worcester State Sept. 25.
At Worcester State, the capital investment would be targeted to a comprehensive modernization of the Student Center. Student Trustee Ogando Saladin shared how the Student Center is the place on campus where student involvement happens. “We want to give the students the best place to learn to get those skills and just invest in them,” he said.
President Maloney said the capital investment at Worcester State “will be a game changer. Modern, thoughtfully designed facilities like the new Student Center we are seeking are transformational for the student experience, enabling greater learning and collaboration, mental health support, leadership development, and career readiness.”
Beyond the campus benefits, the BRIGHT Act will bring significant benefits to local communities, Maloney said. “Each of these institutions are anchors in their communities and … this is economic development for these communities as much as it is for the campuses.”
Rivera, president of the Worcester Building Trades, emphasized how the investment will put people to work. “The BRIGHT Act is about more than renovating buildings—it’s about giving local residents pathways to good jobs and strengthening our communities,” he said. “On projects like Worcester’s Curtis Apartments, apprentices are gaining hands-on experience, earning a living, and helping build housing for families in the city. Thanks to Governor Healey’s leadership, we can replicate that model in higher education construction, developing modern campuses, more housing, and a skilled local workforce across the Commonwealth.”
Driscoll and others emphasized urgency around the passage of the bill.
“The faster we can get this legislation approved, frankly the faster we can get folks working on the job site,” she said. “We could be in the ground next spring if we can get something approved sooner rather than later. And I think that’s the message for us that we’re really trying to convey. This is facilities, jobs, students, economic growth within our economy, all with a hub and spoke model tied to getting these dollars available and out in the street.”
Maloney and fellow university presidents echoed their support for the bill. “As one of the most significant investments in public higher education in decades, the BRIGHT Act will benefit generations of students in the Commonwealth,” Maloney said. “The entire Worcester State community was pleased to host Lt. Governor Driscoll and the state university presidents on campus today to bring attention to this critically important bill.”
Top Photo: Worcester State University Student Trustee Brandol Ogando Saladin, Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll and President Barry Maloney. Photos by Nancy Sheehan.