CENTRAL FALLS – Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Thursday met with current and former college students along with state education and employment officials at the Rhode Island College Workforce Development Hub to discuss ways to improve higher education in the state, and outlined supports that would be part of the governor’s proposed creation of a new “higher ed academy” in Rhode Island.
The proposed $22.5 million academy, which was first introduced in January as part of McKee’s 2023 fiscal budget proposal, would be administered by the R.I. Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner and be a statewide effort to support Rhode Islanders who either haven’t entered college or unable to finish their postsecondary education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The academy would be funded over four fiscal years through 2027 via funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
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During Thursday’s hour-long discussion, the group – which also included R.I. Postsecondary Commissioner Shannon Gilkey, R.I. Department of Labor and Training Director Matthew Weldon and Fidelity Investments Inc. Vice President of Rhode Island Regional Public Affairs and Governmental Relations Rick Metters – discussed the nine supports slated to be part of the higher ed academy, if OK’d by the General Assembly this summer. The supports were derived from the recommendations that were outlined in the 12-page report that RIPOC made public back in December to eliminate equity gaps and provide more direct support to college students.
The students, who were on the committee that created the report, also shared Thursday their personal stories and struggles navigating higher education within the Ocean State.
“These students really told state leadership how higher ed works for them and how it does not,” Gilkey told PBN following the discussion.
One proposed support, called “prior learning assessment,” would help education officials review a students’ past learning or work experience to determine if they can receive college credit for that, as well as make the process easier to transfer credits from one institution to another. During Thursday’s discussion, McKee mentioned that he received college credits for Harvard University for his experience serving as mayor of Cumberland.
Gilkey said state education officials want to determine how to translate credits to help individuals accelerate through various college programs.
“We want to give them credit for what they’ve done before because we can accelerate people,” Gilkey said.
Another proposed support, called “foreign credential evaluation,” would evaluate foreign students’ college degrees and achievements so that they can get a U.S. credential easier, a system that currently does not exist. Funke Dina, a native of Nigeria and current RIC student, told the group she earned a master’s degree from an institution outside of the U.S. but was told none of the credentials could be transferred and, essentially, had to start from the beginning.
The “wraparound” support would be helping students eliminate any barriers that are in their way toward getting an education, whether it’s language barriers or possibly health. Stephanie Leigh Nelson, a 2021 University of Rhode Island graduate who initially dropped out of East Greenwich High School due to mental health issues related to bullying she endured at the school, asked if the academy could offer students mental health support.
Angie Escalante, a Johnson & Wales University student who graduated from the Community College of Rhode Island through the Rhode Island Promise program, said language barriers cause issues for foreign students in filling out financial aid forms.
“I speak English fluently, so it worked for me. But, what about someone else who only speaks Spanish? It’s hard for them,” Escalante said.
The “corequisite remediation” support, Gilkey said, would give credit supports for students who may have entered the college level but are not prepared to take college-level algebra or English-language arts.
Other proposed supports for the academy include creating peer networks, tutoring opportunities, boot camps and English as a second language coaching.
Gilkey said he will testify Thursday at the Statehouse before the Senate Committee on Education and again on April 5 before the House Committee on Finance to advocate for the new academy to be approved in McKee’s budget.
“Until the General Assembly approves the governor’s budget, we cannot advance any of this work,” Gilkey said.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
