WARWICK – The Community College of Rhode Island was named the 2-Year College of the Year by the digital education news outlet Education Dive: Higher Ed, the college announced Monday.
CCRI received the honor as part of Education Dive’s 2019 Dive Awards, which recognizes the country’s top four-year college, university president, best partnerships and best innovators. Winners, according to a media release, were selected by Education Dive’s editors through independent research, reporting and analysis.
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Education Dive cites CCRI’s efforts as being part of the state’s Rhode Island Promise free-tuition program for Rhode Island residents, which was launched in 2017. In May, approximately 285 students in the program graduated from CCRI. Education Dive also reported that the college hopes to raise $25 million to add to its endowment – which currently stands at $4.4 million – by 2025.
In a statement, CCRI President Megan Hughes calls the award “a tremendous honor” and recognizes the “transformative work” the college has undertaken to catalyze student achievement and success.
“While it is still early days in this work, we are seeing real progress with meaningful impact on the overall success of our students and college,” Hughes said, “most visible through our improvements in our two and three-year graduation rates and our increased enrollment. The improvements we have seen in just a few short years – especially in our two-year graduation rate – are rarely achieved in the community college space.
“We are challenging what many think is possible of community colleges and community college students, and our students are transforming what people think about CCRI.”
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor who covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You my reach him at Bessette@PBN.com.
