Colleen Brochu

Passionate about BGS

When Colleen Brochu became a Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) adviser and Assistant Director of the BGS and Non-Degree Programs at the Greater Hartford Campus in 2001, she had an innate understanding of working adult students. She had earned her BGS degree and Master’s degree while working full-time, and knew what it was like not to finish your education because you enrolled in the wrong program and didn’t have anyone to help you find your way.

“When I went into the nursing program at Fairfield University, I really had the wrong fit and didn’t have the kind of advisement that would get me into the right program,” Brochu said. “Now I can help other people so they won’t end up in a bad situation like that. I get so many positive responses from people who are grateful to have somebody that they know they can turn to, who is designated as their adviser.”

Before Brochu began her affiliation with the Bachelor of General Studies program, she had worked nearly eight years in the University of Connecticut system. When she began working as an assistant at the BGS office in 1990, she knew she had found her niche and a career path.

“I was trying to find my way at that time because I still hadn’t attained my bachelor’s degree,” she said. “When a position opened up at the Hartford branch, the main incentive was working for (BGS Assistant Director) Gretchen Craffey. That was one of those ‘meant to be’ type of things, the perfect working relationship. Once I discovered BGS, it was a perfect fit. I could continue to work and still get the degree that I always imagined I would earn.”

UConn’s BGS program accepted Brochu’s credits from Fairfield University and from Central Connecticut State University, where she studied advertising and design. She earned her BGS degree in 1992. By then, Brochu knew she wanted to help other working adults earn their bachelor’s degrees, so she enrolled in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program at the Neag School of Education on the Storrs campus. Working days and taking classes at night, she earned her Master’s degree in 1998.

“It was a balancing act,” she said with a laugh. “But without the BGS degree, I would not have been able to go for the Master’s, which was necessary to get into this line of work. It put me on my way, step-by-step. I don’t think I knew at the onset where I would end up, but I just kept moving.”

Brochu enjoys working with non-degree and BGS students because it allows her to use her background, experience, and skills in a meaningful way. She is typically responsible for 100 enrolled students a semester, from their first inquiry about the program, admissions, putting together a plan of study, meeting for advisement during registration, developing their final plan, and watching them graduate.

“I always try to present the program to people in ways they can make sense of it,” she said. “Trying to sit down at that first meeting and lay it out so they really understand what’s coming and what they have to do. General Studies is often a fitting solution for the person who liked a variety of subject areas but couldn’t find one major to suit them.”

In response to the question, ‘What am I going to do with a BGS degree?” Brochu has a ready answer. “My thought is, ‘What are you going to do without it?’’ she said. “The reality is, if you’re going to remain employed, and you don’t do a program like this, it’s likely that you won’t earn your undergraduate degree. Not many other majors or programs can work around the fact that you are going to remain committed to a daytime work schedule. So many jobs require a bachelor’s degree; you’re not even in the running if you don’t have one.”

Brochu is passionate about her work, as well as the students she has helped along the way. “It’s really meaningful work that has become my life,” she said. “I help students to navigate their schooling and to know that they can do it. The best part is seeing them reach that finish line; seeing the excitement they share with their families on graduation day. Some didn’t even think it was possible, and there they are with their college degree.

“The success stories have been endless: people who have either gotten promoted within the setting they were in because they finished the degree; or that were able to move on, try new things, or go to grad school. It opened doors that would not have opened had they not finished their degree. It makes you feel good to assist people to get to that level where they feel like, ‘Wow! I actually did this,’ and to see them do better because of it. You can’t ask for better job satisfaction than that! It’s awesome.”