Brenda Dann-Messier | Commissioner of postsecondary education, Rhode Island
1. What are the most serious challenges, or weaknesses, in the Rhode Island higher education system? Gov. Gina M. Raimondo has set a very ambitious goal to prepare for the workforce demands Rhode Island will face five to 10 years from now: that 70 percent of Rhode Islanders will have a postsecondary degree or certificate by 2025. To reach our goal, we need close to 150,000 more degree and certificate holders over the next eight years. … Working adults need more support to re-engage in education.
2. What issues can be addressed quickly, without much cost? First, … helping more youth and adults to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid opens doors to a host of financial benefits. FAFSA completion rates are lowest among populations with the lowest incomes who stand to benefit the most. Second, broadening credit for prior learning. Veterans, working adults and immigrant professionals come to our system with significant skill sets, and giving them credit for that base of knowledge means they can finish sooner and at a lower cost.
3. What are the strengths of our system? The leadership of our three institutions. President [Meghan] Hughes at the [Community College of Rhode Island], President [Frank] Sánchez at [Rhode Island College], and President [David] Dooley at the [University of Rhode Island] have each undertaken a number of initiatives to support student success and spur innovation and economic development.
4. How does Rhode Island’s system compare to other states? Serving adult students is a challenge across the country, but I believe Rhode Island’s size offers some exciting opportunities. We have a vibrant network of community-based organizations that understands the educational needs of adults, and we have many civically minded employers that see their success as entwined with the state’s.
5. Should the state contribute more to support the educational missions of its public institutions? Across the country, public higher education institutions have endured deep cuts. … Rhode Island has begun to reinvest. Our institutions are key to our collective prosperity, and we need to help them grow. Rhode Island graduates also face high student debt relative to other states, and greater state investment in student financial aid helps institutions to serve all Rhode Islanders.
