PBN Diversity Equity & Inclusion 2023 Awards
Education – Postsecondary: Community College of Rhode Island
BRINGING DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION into the classroom and beyond it is a core mission for the Community College of Rhode Island.
The state-run college, which has four campuses and two satellite locations across the Ocean State, regularly works toward welcoming first-generation students from all backgrounds into its classrooms, as well as offering opportunities for students to pursue their desired career choices.
The college has more first-generation students who identify as people of color than any other institution of higher education in the state. CCRI also was named a Hispanic-serving institution in 2023 and the 2019 Two-Year College of the Year by Education Dive Magazine.
CCRI Interim President Rosemary A. Costigan says the college’s student affairs department recently created support programs, such as One-stop Student Services – a primary point of contact for enrollment-related services – to offer students a more convenient, modern and inclusive experience. The college’s benefits hub is another resource, Costigan says, that offers students basic needs assistance to help with their livelihood, navigating the institution, and maintaining their focus and commitment to completing their programs.
“We also have a very engaged disability services team that [works] to ensure students have the ability to navigate campuses and attend classes safely, and leveraging resources to help get adjusted,” Costigan said.
The Rhode Island Promise free-tuition program has also proven beneficial, both for CCRI and its students. Along with the program being a driving force for the college’s high graduation rates over the last five years, Rhode Island Promise increased CCRI’s enrollment rates of people of color by more than double. With the program, enrollment by first-time, full-time students straight from high school is 92% higher than before Rhode Island Promise was implemented. Additionally, the students’ two-year graduation rates were more than double the fall 2016 comparison cohort and three-year graduation rates are 1.3 times higher.
CCRI is also committed to building a more diverse and inclusive workforce. The college’s two main arms of governance each have a diversity and inclusion committee to help develop strategies and policies to advance the school’s DEI imperative. Last year, 34% of graduates hired by companies identified as people of color.
Plus, CCRI has allied with historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions to develop a more diverse faculty hiring pipeline. The initiative allows for doctorate candidates from those institutions to serve as visiting lecturers at CCRI.
CCRI’s Office of Organizational Development and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion also provides trainings that focus on building cultural competence and enhancing inclusive practices throughout the college “to create safe spaces where people feel valued and can be their full self,” Costigan said.
CCRI’s Community First Initiative is also a main DEI effort at the college. Maddie Burke, the college’s executive director of strategic initiatives, says this marketing program is to ensure that no Rhode Islander is out of CCRI’s reach through proactive, targeted outreach and expanding CCRI programs in prioritized communities that have high unemployment rates.
To address this, CCRI via Community First will work with municipal and community service organizations to meet people where they live and work and discuss what the college can offer. CCRI will also provide those in need career pathways with multiple on- and off-ramps for individuals to obtain the short-term credentials needed to secure a well-paying job while continuing to earn a degree or transfer to continue their education after graduating.
“Our mission is to create equitable pathways to credential attainment and employment for underserved Rhode Islanders, empowering their degree completion and economic stability,” Burke said. “Overall, Community First focuses on strengthening community engagement, providing holistic support to students, and in-demand programming that will lead to employment opportunities.”
Moving forward, CCRI will continue to evolve and advance its DEI initiatives. Costigan says the evolution of DEI has expanded to now include priorities that focus on ensuring equitable outcomes for all, advocating for social justice and creating environments where people feel like they belong regardless of their background.
“It requires us to deepen our cultural awareness to build inclusive environments, and proactively learn about how everyone can make an impact in driving successful outcomes,” Costigan said.
