Honoring the Past, Building the Future of the Hillyer College of Arts and Sciences

Brown says the merger underscores the academic power of the new school's liberal arts and interdisciplinary nature, and that it is expected to provide what she calls a formidable "foundation of knowledge."

"While we highlight our revitalized strengths, we will not lose the academic support and scaffolding that Hillyer traditionally offered to all students," Brown continues. "With that in mind, we will aggressively promote the school's Hawk Advantage program, which will support more students across the University."

The school's roots extend back to 1877, when one of the three founding schools of the University, the Hartford Art School, first opened (then called the Hartford School for Decorative Arts). It was founded by Olivia Clemens, Elizabeth Colt, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mary Bushnell Cheney, and Susan Warner, all residents of the city of Hartford.

Around the same era, a Civil War general named Charles Tudor Hillyer began teaching technical and trade classes at the Hartford YMCA in what would become the original Hillyer College. It later expanded into a junior college and then a four-year college after World War II, joining the Hartford Art School and Hartt School of Music (today known as The Hartt School) in 1957 to form the University of Hartford.

From the original Hillyer College came the forerunners of today's College of Arts and Sciences; the Barney School of Business; the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions; and the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture. The Hillyer College name itself was too historically significant to remain retired; the College of Basic Studies, founded in 1966 with the goal of providing students with enhanced support leading to an associate degree, was renamed Hillyer College in 1994 in honor of UHart's rich heritage.

Thousands of students have passed through Hillyer College with an impressive level of academic success, followed by an equally impressive level of professional achievement. "[Hillyer is] where I met who I call my 'forever people,'" raves Ebony Wright-Campbell A'02, '04, DSW, a UHart sociology graduate who is currently a licensed school social worker in Brooklyn, New York.

"Now that the merger has come into effect, I'm sure there will be some new challenges to face as we move forward, as is the case with any major endeavor like this," Wright-Campbell says. "But it is my hope and belief that everyone will see Hillyer College of Arts and Sciences and its Hawk Advantage program as an opportunity to help all students move through college successfully."

David Goldenberg, who served as Hillyer dean from 2001 to 2022, says while the merger is a challenging undertaking, he has no doubt the new college will be even greater than the sum of its parts. Goldenberg earned three degrees from UHart more than 40 years ago and remembers that time with great fondness. "I had amazing professors and academic advisors," Goldenberg says. "They all made me love learning." With its rich legacy and shared strengths, HCA&S has a bright future and the potential to make an even greater impact on students, alumni, and the broader community.