2023 -- H 6364
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LC002918
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
PROCLAIMING MAY 4TH OF 2023, TO BE "COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF RHODE
ISLAND DAY"
Introduced By: Representatives Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Noret, Chippendale, Rea,
Shallcross Smith, Cortvriend, Voas, Potter, and Cruz
Date Introduced: May 04, 2023
Referred To: House read and passed
WHEREAS The United States' Community Colleges, often called Junior Colleges, are 1
usually two-year programs that prepare students to either enter the workforce or continue their 2
education at a four-year college or university; and 3
WHEREAS, The Community College Of Rhode Island (CCRI) was founded in 1964 as 4
the Rhode Island Junior College. Its first class consisted of 325 students who attended the Henry 5
Barnard School in Providence. In 1965, a section of the old Brown & Sharpe building was used 6
for classroom space and as the primary facility until 1972; and 7
WHEREAS, In 1972, the Knight Campus in Warwick, donated by the Knight Estate, 8
became CCRI's flagship campus and first permanent building. In the ensuing years, new 9
campuses were opened in Lincoln, Providence, Newport, and Westerly; and 10
WHEREAS, CCRI is the largest Community College in New England, serving more than 11
40,000 Rhode Islanders each year and has more than 80,000 alumni. Thanks to the outstanding 12
leadership provided by President, Dr. Meghan Hughes, and Dr. Rosemary Costigan, Vice 13
President of Academic Affairs, CCRI had its highest graduation rates in more than twenty years, 14
outpacing national junior college two- and three-year graduation rates. CCRI is also working 15
fervently and tirelessly to close the equity performance gap. In recognition of this success, in 16
2019, CCRI was named the two-year college of the year by Education Dive magazine; and 17
WHEREAS, President Hughes advocated tirelessly in support of a free tuition program at 18
CCRI, and this program has become a model for other initiatives across the nation. In merely 19
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three years, the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship program has resulted in a 15 percent increase 1
in the college student rate in Rhode Island with an attendant 146 percent increase in students of 2
color and a 71 percent increase in the enrollment of low-income students; and 3
WHEREAS, Thanks to President Hughes's leadership, CCRI recently attained its first-4
ever million-dollar donation to create Program Plus and CCRI also attained a 1.7 million-dollar 5
federal Title III grant to support its "Promoting Pathways to Progress" program to improve degree 6
completion; and 7
WHEREAS, In her duties as the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Rosemary 8
Costigan is the Chief Academic Officer of CCRI and is responsible for advancing the institution's 9
educational initiatives and goals, and for providing leadership, support and vision regarding 10
faculty development, educational policy, program review and institutional planning. To further 11
CCRI's mission, Dr. Costigan works closely with and has forged close relationships with 12
administrators, academic deans, members of the faculty and all CCRI stakeholders to ensure that 13
it offers the best possible education and community support to all of its students; now, therefore 14
be it 15
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 16
proclaims May 4th of 2023, to be "Community College of Rhode Island Day" in the State of 17
Rhode Island; and be it further 18
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 19
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Dr. Meghan Hughes, President, Community 20
College of Rhode Island and Dr. Rosemary Costigan. 21
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LC002918
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