CT colleges paid ousted chancellor $442,000 for a report AI checkers say was mostly AI
Terrence Cheng was removed as chancellor of Connecticut State Colleges and Universities in April 2025 after admitting he misused a state credit card. Instead of ending his contract, the CSCU Board of Regents kept him as a special advisor at his full $442,000 annual salary through June 2026. WFSB's I-Team reported he attended no board meetings in the role and sent fewer than two dozen work-related emails in December. On June 25, 2026 he submitted a 2,000-page report on improving the system. NBC Connecticut ran it through two AI-detection tools, which estimated 80% to 95% was AI-written. A regents spokesperson said Cheng was transparent about using AI and responsible for validating the content, and that the board will consider his recommendations. House Republican leader Vincent Candelora said the work product was not worth much. Cheng did not respond to NBC.
I don't think that work product is probably worth much for the university to even engage in,
Previous reporting showed Cheng had not attended any board meetings since beginning the position.
Spokesperson said Cheng was transparent about using AI and the board will consider his recommendations in a broader review.
Contacted — no response by publication. This space stays open; any statement is added here in full.
Not yet contacted for this story.
No outcome recorded yet.