CSCU Interim Chancellor John Maduko has resigned, will not return to community college system.

John Maduko, Interim Chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU), has resigned as head of the 85,000 student system amid rumors of complaints about his conduct, Daily Ructions can report.

Maduko was appointed to lead CSCU last spring while the Board of Regents (BOR) searched for a permanent replacement for Terrence Cheng, whose contract as chancellor was terminated a year early. Maduko was leading the consolidated 12-campus CSCU community college when he was chosen to replace Cheng. Maduko, a favorite of BOR Chair Marty Guay, was thought to have the pole position to win the chancellor position at the conclusion of the much-delayed national search.

Maduko, according to his CSCU biography, is “a first-generation Nigerian American, [who] approaches his leadership vocation through a mission-driven, student and community-centered, and equity-minded lens.”

The Maduko resignation comes at a difficult time for CSCU. Media reports about Cheng’s spending prompted two state audits that revealed violations of state expense policies. The Regents’ decision to give Cheng a contract to advise them for a year at his $400,000-plus annual salary has caused considerable comment on the prudent use of student tuition and public funds. Cheng is due to deliver a report on best practices at public universities before his contract ends on June 30th. He is then entitled to take a teaching job at a CSCU university.

Published April 25, 2026.