Editorial

CCRI leader arrives with great promise

Posted 12/8/15

The Community College of Rhode Island will soon welcome its new president.

Dr. Meghan Hughes, a former Tufts University faculty member and executive director of Year Up Providence, had been chosen …

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Editorial

CCRI leader arrives with great promise

Posted

The Community College of Rhode Island will soon welcome its new president.

Dr. Meghan Hughes, a former Tufts University faculty member and executive director of Year Up Providence, had been chosen from a field of three finalists for the post being vacated by Ray Di Pasquale. The search began six months ago with 41 applicants, and concluded last week with a vote of the Council of Postsecondary Education.

Hughes brings intriguing experience and skills to CCRI, and her background differs from what many may think typical of a college president. Her doctorate is in art history, which she taught for more than a decade at several institutions.

Hughes’ time at Year Up provides insight into how she will approach her new role. The non-profit offers an intensive, one-year training program for young adults ages 18 to 24, which provides participants with a combination of hands-on skill development, corporate internships, and college credits.

In her role as executive director, Hughes led the organization’s staff, built relationships with community and corporate partners, oversaw budgeting and fundraising, and served on national committees. According to her resume, Year Up Providence grew by double in terms of participants, revenue, and other aspects under her tenure. She also this year received the Rhode Island Foundation’s 2015 Community Leader Award.

Hughes, in a profile, describes herself as a “dynamic leader committed to social change through advocacy and education,” and a “versatile non-profit executive with superb leadership skills and a track record of successfully stewarding diverse interests to the achievement of a common goal.”

Those who were charged with selecting CCRI’s next president clearly have high hopes for Hughes. Bill Foulkes, the chair of the Council on Postsecondary Education who also served as chair of the CCRI Presidential Search Committee, spoke of her “transformational leadership and student-centered approach.”

Barbara Cottam, chair of the Board of Education, said Hughes’ “strategic and creative initiatives, both locally and nationally, combined with her powerful local network, will bring development of innovative programs at CCRI that serve the students and Rhode Island well.”

CCRI serves a vital role in the Ocean State, providing an avenue through which young people may begin or further their education – and prepare for careers – affordably and accessibly. Its presence provides an invaluable resource to thousands of local individuals and families, as its 66,000-plus roster of alumni demonstrates.

Hughes appears well prepared, and perhaps uniquely positioned, to bring an innovative, outside-the-box approach to the college and its mission. Her familiarity with, and connections in, Rhode Island will serve her well in forging new partnerships and most effectively leveraging the college’s resources. Her background in, and commitment to, the liberal arts will help ensure students have access to a broad range of programs, including vocational offerings. Her focus on removing obstacles to achievement, and her history of advocacy, also bode well.

We congratulate Hughes on her selection, and look forward to hearing more about her plans for CCRI. We also thank Di Pasquale for his years of service, and wish him the best.

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