5Q: Jim Purcell

 / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
/ PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

1 Next to affordability, what is the most pressing need for today’s public college and university students?

The biggest challenge, especially for first-generation students, is navigating the system – deciding among the myriad program choices, taking advantage of support, managing work and family, and stepping into a fulfilling career. It’s our responsibility to make the system less opaque, laying out clear pathways for students from the moment they step on campus.

2 Is the state making any headway in adult degree completion?

Some estimates suggest that there are as many as 110,000 working-age Rhode Islanders who haven’t finished their degrees. There’s amazing potential among this population, and maximizing this is crucial for our state’s workforce. The University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island are making significant efforts to re-engage adult learners. … College Unbound [is] a new degree-granting institution serving adult learners. And a new initiative, Graduate! RI, will leverage the resources of a national community to increase the number of adults returning to their studies.

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3 What is your office doing to stem the “brain drain” of college students leaving for jobs in other states?

Rhode Island has the makings of a thriving knowledge economy with graduates from our three public institutions and eight private institutions. Keeping these graduates here is essential, and the way to do it is through strong relationships, like the CCRI/ [General Dynamics] Electric Boat partnership in Westerly.

4 How will Rhode Island’s Promise scholarship make college more affordable?

Like other “last-dollar” scholarship programs, this one fills the gap between students’ financial aid packages and the actual costs of college. Many low-income students reduce course loads to work or take out loans, and the “last-dollar” scholarship will help students dedicate more time to their studies and reduce their dependency on loans.

5 How far along is the online data portal for the state’s three higher education institutions?

We expect the public portal to be ready this spring. We are working with the R.I. departments of education and labor and training to map student progress all the way from pre-K to grade 12 [and] into postsecondary and career. •

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