Purcell calls leaders to round table of higher education

By Kelcy Dolan
Posted 4/21/16

Like King Arthur, Jim Purcell, Commissioner of Post Secondary Education, is gathering people to the “round table as equals,” to ensure the best educational outcomes for Rhode Island’s …

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Purcell calls leaders to round table of higher education

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Like King Arthur, Jim Purcell, Commissioner of Post Secondary Education, is gathering people to the “round table as equals,” to ensure the best educational outcomes for Rhode Island’s students.

Purcell’s office is adorned with not only a round table but also a gifted sword.

Purcell, who was named to the post in 2014, came to Rhode Island from Oklahoma, where he was the chief planning and research officer for higher education. Previous to Oklahoma Purcell held similar positions in Louisiana and Arkansas.

Following his Camelot metaphor, Purcell said the different higher education institutions are not unlike different “kingdoms” and if we are to build up our kingdoms for the better they need to come together at the round table.

Purcell says there is “major” opportunity throughout New England. Just after the recession hit, while he was still working in the South, Purcell was telling his students that New England would undergo major changes.

“Traumatic events change the world drastically,” he said in a recent interview. “It becomes a question of how do we adapt. We can become a relic of ourselves or we can reinvest in ourselves and be better suited for the current world.”

During the recession, higher education was one of the most affected sectors losing federal and state funding when other concerns took precedent.

Now that Rhode Island’s economy is beginning to improve, Purcell is calling on state leaders to improve funding to the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island.

Purcell estimated that even at the peak of state spending on higher education, in the early 1980s, the sector was still underfunded by 20 percent, a gap that has only increased over time.

“Rhode Island is at the bottom when it comes to funding for education. We are in the bottom five states for higher education funding,” Purcell said. “We aren’t asking for much, just a little commitment to the future.”

When the education level of any community increases there are various other benefits. When the education and training after high school increases even just one year within a community the entire area will see improvements in the average family income, Purcell said.

Similarly, areas with higher education levels see more volunteerism, blood donations, homeownership, greater family income and less incarceration and need for government assistance.

Purcell believes communities and the private sector should also work to increase the education of their populace whether that is by providing scholarships, funding and graduation incentives, or increasing the number of college courses available in high school. He notes that 3,086 students have taken advantage of Prepare RI, which increased college courses in high schools this year.

Purcell said it’s necessary for local leadership to innovate and find the solution that works best for them. When communities “have skin in the game” their average education or training level will increase and the municipality as a whole will benefit.

He used the example of an entrepreneur in Oklahoma who had made it big in the oil industry. He decided to give back to his high school alma mater by providing scholarships to every graduating senior who had attended the school for all four years to go to college for free. The students received scholarships representative of their time at the high school. Students who only went to the school two or three years received 50 and 75 percent of the scholarship, respectively. Families began moving into the area, which led more businesses to move into the city, and quickly this small town began to boom.

“We need to build on our human capital. When we do, we see entire communities change for the better because there is incentive to live there.”

When students know that higher education is an option for them “their relationship to education changes,” they are more likely to not only attend but also to graduate. He said initiatives concerning higher education shouldn’t necessarily focus on just the “wonder kids and rock stars.”

“We can’t just be thinking of our valedictorian and salutatorian. The wonder kids are going to do well on their own. We need to invest and support the masses, our human capital, and our low-income students,” Purcell said.

He said these are the students who are going to stay in the area, the students that will fill job openings and directly impact the economy, and it’s essential to cultivate them into leaders.

Purcell would like to see higher education institutions build models on how to best support low-income students to help change their future and that of the state.

“It really takes three generations to reach the ‘American Dream,’” Purcell said. “We want to expedite the process and help individuals where they need it the most.”

He believes the state should focus on the future, where we see certain industries growing and others failing, adapting the curriculums to changing industries and economies.

With the new Westerly CCRI satellite campus, planned to focus on trade skills specific to Rhode Island’s economy, more students will be able to benefit from training, allowing not only higher education institutions but also different industries to hold courses by renting out space for classes.

Purcell said, “Progress happens when people know where they are going. Vision is the hardest part, but I think we have that and it’s going to make the state pop.”

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