Home Nonprofit & Education Education R.I. postsecondary council approves Warner as RIC’s full-time president

R.I. postsecondary council approves Warner as RIC’s full-time president

By

James Bessette

-

02/14/2024

JACK R. WARNER has been named Rhode Island College's full-time president after serving as its interim president since April 2022. /PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

PROVIDENCE – Jack R. Warner will stay on as Rhode Island College’s president. In a meeting Wednesday morning, the R.I. Council on Postsecondary Education unanimously approved Warner as the state-run college’s full-time president after he was interim president for close to two years. Warner was among three candidates the council vetted for RIC’s top job.

Already a Subscriber? Log in

To Continue Reading This Article

Become a Providence Business News subscriber and get immediate access to all of our premier content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Critical RI business news and analysis updated daily.
1 year of print (26 issues).
Unlimited access to all subscriber only content on our website, on any device.
Free email alerts.
Annual Book of Lists Print Edition.
All special issues produced during subscription term.

Click Here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article

PBN Branded Content

Prostate Health: Why Screenings are Key to Men’s Overall Wellness

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among…

Learn More

No posts to display

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

PROVIDENCE – Jack R. Warner will stay on as Rhode Island College’s president. In a meeting Wednesday morning, the R.I. Council on Postsecondary Education unanimously approved Warner as the state-run college’s full-time president after he was interim president for close to two years. Warner was among three candidates the council vetted for RIC’s top job. Dean Libutti, the University of Rhode Island’s associate vice president for enrollment management and student services, and Jeffrey M. Osborn, provost and vice president for academic affairs at The College of New Jersey, were the other two candidates seeking the RIC’s presidency position, the R.I. Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner confirmed to Providence Business News. Warner a former commissioner of the R.I. Board of Governors for Higher Education during Donald L. Carcieri’s tenure as governor, was appointed RIC’s interim president in April 2022. He at the time temporarily replaced Frank D. Sánchez, who left the college in June 2022 after serving six years as president. In that time as interim president, Warner has helped RIC begin recovering after years of significant enrollment declines and financial struggles, which have led to layoffs at the state-run college and cutting of major programs. RIC has launched this past fall the Hope Scholarship program, which makes the final two years for eligible students earning a bachelor’s degree at the college tuition-free, similar to what the Community College of Rhode Island’s Rhode Island Promise program offers. Additionally, RIC with Warner at the helm launched its new Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies. The institute, headed by former U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin, offers the state’s first business-oriented undergraduate cybersecurity degree. RIC students via the institute will have the chance to gain real-world knowledge and experience by interning with leading companies across the state and government agencies. Also, RIC’s undergraduate enrollment increased from 3,701 in the fall of 2023 to 4,011 this past fall, according to PBN research data. Warner told the council Wednesday that he was grateful for the council’s confidence in both him and Warner’s senior team at RIC to help the college move forward. He said the perception of RIC “has changed immensely” over the last year and are pleased with the progress there. [caption id="attachment_459741" align="alignleft" width="290"]

R.I. POSTSECONDARY COMMISSIONER Shannon Gilkey received a contract extension to remain as the state's postsecondary commissioner on Wednesday. / COURTESY R.I. OFFICE OF THE POSTSECONDARY COMMISSIONER

R.I. POSTSECONDARY COMMISSIONER Shannon Gilkey received a contract extension to remain as the state's postsecondary commissioner on Wednesday. / COURTESY R.I. OFFICE OF THE POSTSECONDARY COMMISSIONER[/caption] Council chairperson David Caprio said approximately 70 candidates applied for the RIC presidency position and acknowledged that the vote on RIC’s new president was “a very difficult decision” given the strength of the candidate pool. Terms of Warner’s employment contract will be negotiated with Caprio as part of the council’s vote Wednesday. Also, the council on Wednesday approved a new contract extension for R.I. Postsecondary Commissioner Shannon Gilkey. Gilkey first arrived in Rhode Island in February 2021 after serving as vice chancellor of academics and workforce development at the 16-school Kentucky Community and Technical College System. Gilkey’s annual salary before the contract extension was $189,999. The length of Gilkey’s contract was not noted during the council’s vote. 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.