| R 190 |
| 2024 -- S 2948 Enacted 04/04/2024 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| PROCLAIMING APRIL 4TH OF 2024, TO BE "COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF RHODE ISLAND DAY" |
Introduced By: Senators Burke, DeLuca, Gallo, Raptakis, Sosnowski, Tikoian, F. Lombardi, Felag, Zurier, and LaMountain |
| Date Introduced: April 04, 2024 |
| WHEREAS The United States' Community Colleges, often called Junior Colleges, are |
| usually two-year programs that prepare students to either enter the workforce or continue their |
| education at a four-year college or university; and |
| WHEREAS, The Community College Of Rhode Island (CCRI) was founded in 1964 as |
| the Rhode Island Junior College. Its first class consisted of 325 students who attended the Henry |
| Barnard School in Providence. In 1965, a section of the old Brown & Sharpe building was used |
| for classroom space and as the primary facility until 1972; and |
| WHEREAS, In 1972, the Knight Campus in Warwick, donated by the Knight Estate, |
| became CCRI's flagship campus and first permanent building. In the ensuing years, new |
| campuses were opened in Lincoln, Providence and Newport; and |
| WHEREAS, CCRI is the largest public institution of higher education in Rhode Island, |
| serving more than 40,000 Rhode Islanders each year and having more than 80,000 alumni; and |
| WHEREAS, Thanks to the outstanding leadership provided by Interim President, Dr. |
| Rosemary Costigan, the first alumna to lead the college, CCRI continues to provide Rhode |
| Islanders with a high-quality college education that leads to strong learning outcomes, successful |
| degree attainment and robust labor market outcomes; and |
| WHEREAS, With a passionate commitment to student success and closing equity gaps, |
| CCRI was named two-year college of the year by Education Dive magazine in 2019 and earned a |
| designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution in 2022; and |
| WHEREAS, CCRI has become the leading provider of skilled trades training in the State; |
| including as the primary training partner of General Dynamics Electric Boat and the home to the |
| only Global Wind Organization Basic Safety Training Center in Rhode Island, training workers to |
| build the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind farm; and |
| WHEREAS, Due to the College’s close partnership with Electric Boat, CCRI has been |
| designated as the only U.S. Department of Transportation Center of Excellence for Domestic |
| Maritime Workforce Training and Education in New England; and |
| WHEREAS, CCRI is one of only 17 community colleges nationwide to be designated an |
| Industrial Assessment Center by the U.S. Department of Energy and is a National Security |
| Agency-designed National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense; and |
| WHEREAS, CCRI is the leading provider of full- and part-time dual enrollment |
| programs. Enrollment in High School Enrichment, Running Start and Accelerate has increased |
| 100% since 2016 and PTECH, has produced more than 30 students who graduated from the |
| college before their high school graduation; and |
| WHEREAS, Dr. Rosemary Costigan came to the role of Interim President after serving in |
| multiple capacities throughout a distinguished career at CCRI, including faculty chair, dean and |
| Vice President for Academic Affairs; and |
| WHEREAS, Dr. Costigan, being the first in her family to attend college, serves as a |
| mentor and an example of what is possible with a CCRI education for all students, especially |
| first-generation college students; and |
| WHEREAS, In her duties as Interim President, Dr. Costigan is advancing CCRI’s key |
| initiatives and goals on behalf of students, faculty and staff and has forged close relationships |
| with all CCRI stakeholders to ensure that the college offers the best possible education and |
| community support to all of its students; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby proclaims April 4th of |
| 2024, to be “Community College of Rhode Island Day” in the State of Rhode Island; and be it |
| further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Dr. Rosemary Costigan, Interim President, |
| Community College of Rhode Island. |
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| LC005879 |
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