It has been a tumultuous couple of weeks for the Community College of Rhode Island, starting with the announced departure of its president, Thomas D. Sepe.
Despite all the progress Mr. Sepe has made recently, or maybe because of it, he has alienated many people and undercut support for his continued leadership. But with or without Mr. Sepe at the helm, it is imperative that CCRI continue the forward momentum that he generated.
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Mr. Sepe’s announcement that he would not seek an extension of his contract was a bit surprising, especially since he said as recently as Dec. 5 in PBN that he wanted to stay on until 2009 because CCRI was at a “tipping point.”
He characterized his withdrawal, effective Dec. 31, as a way to keep alive many of the initiatives he put in place at the institution – a somewhat convoluted explanation, since it usually helps to hold the reins in order to direct the course of the journey.
But whatever road map CCRI follows, Mr. Sepe certainly has set the course – from mandating skills testing for new students to creating specialized education/training programs with local businesses to completing the Newport campus of CCRI, his accomplishments have been real and institution altering. That he was twice handed a no-confidence vote by the school’s faculty is likely, at least in part, a testament to the profound nature of the change he wrought in his five-and-a-half years.
But whatever the reason – institutional inertia or legitimate questions about some aspects of the functioning of the school – what amounts to the ouster of Mr. Sepe must not be used as an excuse to wind back the clock.
To its credit, CCRI’s board of governors, along with the state’s Higher Education Commissioner Jack R. Warner, say they hope to maintain, if not accelerate, the pace of change.
And the choice of Ray Di Pasquale as interim president, may in fact help them do that. Mr. Di Pasquale has 33 years of experience as an administrator, and he has been a key player at Springfield (Mass.) Technical Community College, considered by some to be the best community college in the region.
It is curious, however, that Mr. Di Pasquale is available for the one-year appointment on such short notice. Which begs the question, why dump the innovator and change agent – especially if you want the change to proceed?
Mr. Warner may have given away the answer to that question by his emphasis on Mr. Di Pasquale’s “human relations skills” in a release accompanying the announcement of his appointment.
Ultimately, Mr. Di Pasquale will be judged on his own terms. He will be expected to challenge, engage and ultimately lead the faculty, student body and administrators in a direction that Sepe and the board of governors had the vision to advance.
We just want to make sure that the change at the top doesn’t take CCRI on a detour that wastes precious time.
