2013 -- S 0512

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LC01644

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013

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S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE RHODE ISLAND OFFICE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

TO ASSIST IN THE COORDINATION AND EXPANSION OF PROGRAMS WITHIN

RHODE ISLAND'S PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

     Introduced By: Senators Gallo, Pichardo, Satchell, DiPalma, and Lombardi

     Date Introduced: February 28, 2013

     Referred To: Senate Education

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     WHEREAS, the January 2013 "Moving the Needle" report released by the Senate Policy

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Office and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, found that the educational attainment of

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Rhode Island’s workforce was a critical strength to the state’s economic competitiveness and that

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the potential for even further growth remained; and

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     WHEREAS, Median lifetime earnings increase significantly with increased educational

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attainment;

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     WHEREAS, According to census data, by 2020 over 50 percent of Rhode Island jobs will

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require some form of postsecondary training; and

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     WHEREAS Census data, as recently as 2011, indicated that 42.7 percent of the Rhode

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Island’s working-age adults held at least a two-year degree; and

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     WHEREAS, Among those Rhode Islanders without a postsecondary degree, 19.7 percent

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had at least some college but did not receive a degree; and

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     WHEREAS, Many students do not finish college due to financial or time constraints or

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new family or professional commitments, despite being a year or less away from completing their

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degree; and

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     WHEREAS, Helping these former students return to school and finish their remaining

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classes is a low-risk, high-reward opportunity in increasing the overall educational attainment of

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Rhode Island’s workforce; and

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     WHEREAS, Several other states and nonprofit organizations have focused on getting so-

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called ‘ready adults’ – former students with most of their college credit requirements completed –

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back on track for some form of postsecondary degree; and

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     WHEREAS, In one instance, the state of South Dakota identified over 2,000 adults with

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90 or more completed credits, many within disciplines that were critical to the state’s workforce

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needs; and

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     WHEREAS, In recent years, Rhode Island’s public institutions of higher education have

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developed outreach and recruitment programs directed at former students who were unable to

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finish school and get their degree; and

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     WHEREAS, These programs review the institutions’ records of former students and

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target those who were near completion at the time they left school by contacting them through

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mail, phone call, and electronically, and providing information on the schools’ websites; and

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     WHEREAS, In some instances, the outreach programs provide these students with a

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direct academic plan to finish school, and assist students with enrollment, financial aid, and

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support services; and

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     WHEREAS, Expanding and fully-resourcing these programs across all three Rhode

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Island public institutions of higher education represents an opportunity to leverage a successful

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program that is already in place, which can potentially help hundreds of former students in

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obtaining a post-secondary degree at little cost to the state; now, therefore be it;

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     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

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respectfully requests the Office of Higher Education, in cooperation with the University of Rhode

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Island, Rhode Island College, and the Community College of Rhode Island, to assist in the

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coordination and expansion of programs within Rhode Island’s public institutions of higher

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education to proactively identify and reach out to all former students that were near completion at

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the time they left school; to connect these students with the academic, financial, and support

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services they may need; and to aid these students in the process of completing a postsecondary

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degree; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Senate hereby requests that the Office of Higher Education report

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back to the General Assembly by January 1, 2014, on the progress of these coordinated programs,

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including the number of former students identified, the number of students re-enrolled, the

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number of students who successfully completed their degree, and any other information the

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Office may deem relevant including recommendations for further expansion; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Rhode Island Office of Higher Education,

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and the Presidents of the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and the Community

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College of Rhode Island.

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LC01644

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