News Releases

July 2001   

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GET COMPUTER ART EXPERIENCE AT CCRI   

The Community College of Rhode Island's Art Department held an intensive art and technology workshop June 25-29 for high school juniors and seniors with an interest in art and limited computer experience. 

Thirty-six students from throughout the state applied for the program, and twelve were selected.    

"The workshop provided an opportunity to work on a sustained level with an imaging program, illustration program, video editing program and an animation program," explained Mary Benton, assistant professor of art, who spearheaded the program. "It was pretty intense."   

Participants were: Kristi Randmetz of Branford, from Westerly High School; Luis Obando of Pawtucket, from Tolman High School; Kyle Poland of North Scituate, from Ponaganset High School; Guillermo Lopez of Providence, from ALP High School; Victor Huriado of Providence, from ALP High School; Jenny Cheu of Cranston, from Cranston West High School; Tim St. Amour of Tiverton, from Tiverton High School; John Mullen of West Warwick, from West Warwick High School; Sarah Louise Johnson of East Providence, from East Providence High School; and Nicole Spaziano of Richmond, from Chariho High School.   

The workshop was funded by a $6,500 grant from the Board of Governors Incentive Fund for Excellence in Technology.   

In addition to the educational benefit to high school students, the workshop allowed art department faculty to evaluate the benefit of teaching this technological material within the structure of a one-week intensive workshop.   
  

CCRI MUSIC STUDENTS RECEIVE AWARDS  

Susan Czyzewicz of North Smithfield received the Arthur Chatfield Music Scholarship, awarded to a continuing student in the Community College of Rhode Island Associate of Fine Arts - Music degree track. Czyzewicz, a student of Susan Rodgers, is a talented vocalist and trumpet player. She aspires to teaching music in the public schools upon completion of her bachelor's degree in music education.   

Kelly Drake of Warren received the Bobby Hackett Jazz Scholarship, awarded to a continuing student in the Community College of Rhode Island Associate of Fine Arts -Jazz Studies degree track. Drake is a percussionist who studies both classical and jazz techniques. She performed on vibraphone at the CCRI Jazz Odyssey concert at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in April. Drake plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in jazz and to become a teacher. 

PET THERAPY CLASSES HELD IN NEWPORT THIS JULY 

The Community College of Rhode Island will offer Pet Assisted Therapy I, part I of a three-part pet therapy certification course, Monday-Friday, July 16-20 from 8:30am-12:30pm at Newport Hospital. Students learn the health benefits of the human and animal-companion bond, and how cats, dogs, rabbits, even horses can be used for therapy. In addition to the legal, safety and ethical considerations, students will learn how PAT skills can be applied in health care, education and social services fields. In Pet Assisted Therapy II, students will learn the fundamentals of pet training, and in part III, they will engage in a field internship. The cost for part I is $125. For more information, call instructor Pearl Salotto at 463-5809.

Alan Shawn Feinstein Foundation Matches CCRI Dollars for Scholars Awards

The Community College of Rhode Island Chapter of Dollars for Scholars has received a scholarship check for $5,000 from the Feinstein Foundation of Cranston to match funds that the chapter raised this past academic year.  

The Foundation has given a total of $36,455 to eight Dollars for Scholars chapters in the state.  Funds will also go to the Upward Bound program at Rhode Island College, a statewide Latino chapter, and local chapters in Scituate, East and North Providence, Barrington and Little Compton. 

“Dollars for Scholars is the premier private sector scholarship organization in the country.  We were delighted to match the funds that these volunteer-run chapters worked so hard to raise this year,” noted Alan Shawn Feinstein.  

“It is wonderful when you can say to a potential donor that their contribution will be doubled because of matching funds,” commented Tracy Karasinski, President of CCRI’s chapter.  “We are very appreciative for this match and for the support from the Feinstein Foundation.  The Feinstein Leadership Awards provide much-needed financial support and encouragement to students who have worked extremely hard to achieve academic success while at CCRI.” Karasinski said.   

The recipients of these awards, designated as “Feinstein Leadership Awards,” were selected by the chapter on the basis of need, merit and a demonstration of the values of the Feinstein Foundation – Compassion, Brotherhood and Community service.  All of the chapter’s recipients are recent CCRI graduates who will be continuing their education at four-year institutions.  The $5,000 per chapter match is the largest matching gift in the 45-year history of the organization, which started in Fall River by Dr. Irving Fradkin.  Currently there are more than 960 chapters across the country. 

The CCRI recipients of the Feinstein Leadership awards and their transfer institution are: Simone Chandler, of Providence, University of Rhode Island; Jennifer Pena, of Providence, Rhode Island College;  Diane Rainone, of Johnston, Rhode Island College;  Sherry Spears, of Providence, Johnson & Wales University;  and Victor Zapata, of Cumberland, Bryant College.

“This scholarship will be extremely helpful with all the added financial burdens of attending a four-year college,” said Diane Rainone, one of CCRI’s five recipients. 

For more information about the Feinstein Foundation or CCRI’s chapter of Dollars for Scholars contact Tracy Karasinski, President, CCRI Dollars for Scholars (401) 825-2305.

June 2001

CCRI RECEIVES ENVIRONMENTAL MERIT AWARD FROM NARRAGANSETT BAY COMMISSION   

The Community College of Rhode Island has received an Environmental Merit Award from the Narragansett Bay Commission to honor the college's pollution prevention efforts at its Providence and Lincoln campuses. CCRI will receive the award on Thursday, June 21 at 8am at the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Meeting at the Providence Marriott.  

Under the leadership of the college's Chemical Safety Coordinator Emanuel G. Terezakis, CCRI has installed pollution prevention equipment at its three campuses and has initiated faculty and paraprofessional training programs for the disposal of hazardous wastes. "CCRI has always taken a proactive approach to preventing the discharge of environmentally harmful materials into the air, into the wastewater and into the solid waste stream," Terezakis says.   

One of the more environmentally damaging pollutants that CCRI manages is silver discharge generated by photographic developing processes in CCRI's art, dental and radiography programs. Silver, when discarded through the sewage system, interferes with the bacteria that normally break down waste products. Therefore, Terezakis has trained faculty and laboratory personnel to collect silver excess from the school's darkrooms and to treat tainted wash water with ion-exchange resin tanks that extract the silver.    

Heavy metal wastes, along with formaldehyde and organic solvents used in CCRI's biology and chemistry labs, are collected in satellite hazardous waste storage areas and periodically hauled out, following EPA regulations. Other materials that are considered a threat to the environment, such as paint, used pigment and glazes, come from the college's art studios. These are also stored and hauled according to regulations. Even grease is considered a hazard to sewage's normal decomposition process, and is collected in CCRI's kitchens with special grease recovery systems.   

"Over the past 10 years, we've brought about seen a tremendous change in the level of environmental awareness among faculty, staff and students," says Terezakis. "We've greatly reduced the use of harmful chemicals at CCRI, and there's virtually no discharge of harmful substances into the environment."   

The Narragansett Bay Commission lists the following criteria for its 7th annual Environmental Merit Award: volume/toxicity reduction of pollutants; demonstrated commitment to sound environmental management practices; employee participation; benefits to workers and the community; applicability of pollution prevention efforts for use by other companies; extraordinary efforts to go beyond compliance and/or demonstrate innovative approaches to waste management.   

NEWPORT HOSPITAL AWARDED CCRI’S EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR 

Newport Hospital will be the first recipient of the CCRI Foundation’s Employer of the Year Award, to be presented at the upcoming Chamber Breakfast, Wednesday, June 6 at 7:30am at the hospital’s community conference room. The breakfast is hosted by the Newport County Chamber of Commerce. 

The newly instituted Employer of the Year Award is bestowed upon an institution that offers financial or in-kind support, internships or employment opportunities, and advisory support to the Community College of Rhode Island. 

The CCRI Foundation, a charitable organization established in 1979 to encourage, seek and provide support for the college, has chosen Newport Hospital as its 2001 Employer of the Year to honor the institution’s long-term commitment to CCRI students. Since 1987, Newport Hospital has hosted courses for CCRI students interested in the health care professions. Today, the hospital serves as a satellite campus for CCRI’s nursing program, as well as its physical therapist assistant program, its occupational therapy assistant program, and the new therapeutic massage program.

CCRI’s Dean of Nursing Maureen McGarry remarks, “CCRI and Newport Hospital have a rewarding partnership benefiting not only hospital employees but also students from the Aquidneck Island and its surrounding areas. Newport Hospital offers a wealth of clinical and human resources, providing an important knowledge base for health care students.” 

As part of the morning’s program, Newport Hospital President and CEO Arthur Sampson will give a presentation entitled, “Health Care: What Small Businesses Need to Know.” The cost of the breakfast is $5 for chamber members and $10 for non-members. To register, contact Gail Wordell at the Chamber at 847-1608.

May 2001

CCRI GRADUATES HELP COUNTERACT NURSING SHORTAGE  

This May, the Community College of Rhode Island helps stem the nursing shortage when 155 new nursing students receive ADN pins at  CCRI’s nursing program ceremonies. Awarding more than 2000 associates’ degrees in nursing over the past 10 years, CCRI is the largest nursing program in New England, holding classes at its Providence, Warwick and Lincoln campuses, as well as the Newport Hospital satellite campus. 

CCRI offers both a one-year practical nursing program and a two-year Associate of Science degree program. While the practical nursing program prepares students to take the LPN licensure exam, the more extensive associate’s degree program prepares students for an RN licensure exam. 

CCRI Dean of Nursing Maureen McGarry admits, “Fewer people are going into health careers,” citing the unique demands placed on nurses and a spate of controversial publicity as factors. McGarry serves on the Health Partnership council of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island on the group Colleagues in Caring-Rhode Island, both of which are searching for solutions to Rhode Island’s nursing shortage. 

Edward Quinlan, President of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, adds, “We’re experiencing in our state a [nursing] vacancy rate of approximately 10 percent,” a figure that translates to more than 400 unfilled nursing jobs in Rhode Island’s hospitals alone. With nearly 50% of the nation’s nurses expected to retire within the next 15 years, the RI Dept. of Labor and Training estimates the need for an additional 10,000 new jobs in health care fields by 2008. 

McGarry and her colleagues are reaching out to teachers, guidance counselors and students in the area’s middle and high schools to spread the word about health care career opportunities. McGarry recently held recruitment meetings with students at Burrillville High School and St. Mary’s Bayview Academy. 

To create incentives for new nursing students,  Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty has proposed a bill to forgive the interest on Stafford Loans for licensed nurses working at least 20 hours per week in RI-licensed health care facilities. Fogarty, who serves as chairman for the Long-Term-Care Coordinating Council, says,  “This program will lower [students’] monthly payments by approximately a third.” Hearings on the bill take place this month.   

RISE IN RHODE ISLAND’S HISPANIC POPULATION MATCHED BY CCRI STUDENT BODY 

Community College of Rhode Island graduating students Elsa Oliveira, Jennifer Pena and Victor Zapata are living proof of Rhode Island’s fast-growing Hispanic population, as demonstrated by recently released census figures.   

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 8.7 % of Rhode Islanders in the year 2000 were of Hispanic or Latino origin, compared with 4.6% in the year 1990. Similarly, in the fall of 2000, 7.04% of CCRI students considered themselves Hispanic, compared with 2.8% in the fall of 1990.   

Oliveira, Pena and Zapata have remarkably similar success stories. All three immigrated to the United States in the mid-1990s: Oliveira from Portugal, Pena from the Dominican Republic, and Zapata from Colombia. None of the three was fluent in English when they arrived in the Ocean State.   

All three overcame barriers of culture and language to succeed at CCRI, where they will join with 1,300 matriculating students at Commencement exercises, Saturday, June 2, at Flanagan Campus in Lincoln. 

Oliveira worked two jobs to put herself through school and now works full-time for her CCRI Work CO-OP placement, Healthcare Automation of Warwick.   

Pena served as president of LASO, CCRI’s Latin American Student Organization, and will receive an Alan Shawn Feinstein Leadership scholarship for her community and academic efforts. She plans to pursue education at RIC in the fall.   

Zapata, a former intern in the office of Congressman Robert Weygand, will use the three merit scholarships he has been awarded to pursue Business Management at Bryant in the fall.   

The Community College of Rhode Island, New England’s largest and most comprehensive community college, with campuses in Warwick, Providence and Lincoln, currently enrolls more than 15,000 students in credit courses and thousands more in non-credit and job training classes. 

KEITH STOKES TO SERVE AS CCRI COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER 

Executive Director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce Keith Stokes will serve as keynote speaker at the 36th Commencement of the Community College of Rhode Island, Saturday, June 2 at 10am at the Flanagan Campus, 1762 Louisquisset Pike, Lincoln.    

Approximately 1,300 students will receive Associate in Arts, Associate in Fine Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Applied Science and Associate in Applied Science in Technical Studies degrees and one-year certificates at the ceremony.   

A native Newporter with an award-winning Web site, www.eyesofglory.com, which chronicles his family’s Jewish and African-American lineage, Stokes plans to speak about the importance of heritage during his commencement address.    

Stokes, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s from the University of Chicago, has been overseeing the development of Newport County’s business community since 1993. Under his leadership, the chamber’s membership has grown nearly 250% to more than 1,000 participating businesses.    

Stokes supports the building of CCRI’s new campus, opening in 2003 and occupying more than six acres of donated Navy land.  Stokes has already met with CCRI President Thomas Sepe and other community leaders to discuss the educational requirements of local businesses. Referencing census figures that point to Newport’s poorer populations, Stokes declares, “CCRI is clearly the access point for advancement of people in the greatest need.”   

President Sepe lauds Stokes as a “knowledgeable leader who is destined to make a significant contribution to this state.”   

CCRI STUDENTS JOIN PSI BETA NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY 

Area residents were recently inducted into the Community College of Rhode Island chapter of Psi Beta, the national honor society for psychology students at community colleges, according to Professor L. William Cheney, faculty advisor to the local chapter. 

Psi Beta chapter members sponsor programs and activities, participate in community service projects, present research papers at regional meetings, attend national meetings and compete for national awards. 

Psi Beta is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and is an affiliate of the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Society.  

The students recognized were: Deborah F. Baker and Andrea Bibeau, both of Warwick; Jody Lee Butts of Jamestown; Michelle D. Carney of Bristol; Elise Coates of Coventry; Jeannine Gauvin of Clayville; Berenice Hallstrom and Cynthia Ivon, both of Pawtucket; Gail Johnson and Theresa Manera, both of Pawtucket; and Linda Tierney of Woonsocket. 

CCRI PROFESSOR RECEIVES HUMAN SERVICES AWARD 

WARWICK – Eunice Stoskopf of Cranston, a professor of Human Services at the Community College of Rhode Island for 23 years, received the Special Friend of Rhode Island’s Children Award from the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children at the association’s annual conference held at the RI Convention Center on May 5.

“Eunice has remained in the forefront of activity in the early childhood community for the last two decades,” said Linda Corrente, chair of the Human Services program at CCRI.  “She is respected and beloved by her students and in the early childhood community for her high professional standards and the way she embraces the challenge of mentoring her students.” 

The award recognizes Rhode Islanders who have made significant contributions to children, their care and education. The award was presented by Helen and Kim Chouinard, former students of Stoskopf and recent graduates of CCRI.

CCRI KIDS’ COLLEGE STILL HAS SOME SPOTS AVAILABLE   

WARWICK – The Community College of Rhode Island Kids’ College helps children discover that learning is fun – so much fun, as a matter of fact, that it’s already filling up. There are some slots still available though if you call soon.

The Kids’ College offers nine different innovative enrichment modules to choose from for the morning sessions. Experienced professionals, many of them school teachers and/or professors on summer break, teach the modules. A new module this summer is Brain S-T-R-E-T-C-H designed to help children stretch their creative muscles. The immensely popular Rocks ‘n’ Roll will be offered again: kids get a chance to explore geology, rocks and minerals and volcanoes, all in a hands-on approach. New this year is the Rockets Away module where the children learn rocket basics and launch their own rocket.

In the afternoon, students participate in organized sports and recreation activities led by physical education teachers.

The Kids’ College, for children eight to 12 is held at the Warwick campus and runs Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until  4 p.m. for two-week sessions. This year’s session run from July 9 to 20 and from July 23 to August 3.

For more registration information or a brochure, call 825-2125 or 825-2127.

April 2001

CCRI PROVIDENCE CAMPUS TO HOLD OPEN HOUSE AND CAMPUS FAIR 

Activities scheduled in celebration of inauguration of new president 

PROVIDENCE – The public is invited to an open house and campus/community fair at the Liston Campus of the Community College of Rhode Island on Tuesday, April 17 in celebration of the inauguration of the college’s new president, Thomas D. Sepe. The campus is located at One Hilton Street.

Prospective students can take a tour of the campus (9-9:30 a.m.), attend an information session conducted in English or Spanish (9:30-10 a.m.) and sit in on classes (10-11 a.m. or 11 a.m. to noon).

The entire community is involved in this campus celebration. A campus/community fair will be underway all morning long with tables set up along the perimeter of the entire second floor of the campus. Represented will be the college’s students clubs, support services such as Advising and Counseling and Enrollment Services, GED and ESL education providers and community agencies such as Dorcas Place and the Urban League. Students’ honors projects will also be on display.

The plans for the expansion of the One Hilton Street campus will also be on display. Two years ago voters approved spending $6.6 million to expand and improve the Providence campus of CCRI, and the project is moving forward.

“There is such a sense of community on this campus,” said Phil Sisson, assistant dean for academic services at the Providence campus. “I hope that people come and spend some time with us and experience that.”

CCRI’s Providence campus is its most diverse campus – and a celebration of that diversity is also planned for the 17th. Three flags representing students’ native countries will be raised in the campus atrium, beginning an annual tradition that will soon fill the atrium with the flags from the dozens of countries represented by the student body. The school’s cafeteria will be featuring a multi-ethnic buffet -- cuisine representing many of the countries the students represent.

From noon to 2 p.m., the campus atrium will be filled with music and dance. The Powerhouse Gospel Choir of the House of Prayer Fellowship, Providence will perform along with popular Spanish singer Marilyn Borges. The campus chapter of the Latin American Student Organization will perform folk dances in traditional costume and the Trinity United Methodist Church Encore Step Troupe will perform.

For more information about the activities at the Liston Campus, call 455-6113.

CCRI TO KICK OFF INAUGURATION CELEBRATION

 The Community College of Rhode Island is celebrating the Inauguration of its third President, Dr. Thomas D. Sepe, with a weeklong schedule of activities beginning Monday, April 16, 2001.

Kicking off the celebration is a Presidential Forum to be held on Monday, April 16 at 2:30 pm in the Knight Campus theatre in Warwick. “Embracing the Future: The Community College of Rhode Island in the 21st Century” will feature a panel discussion among the three presidents of the public institutions of higher education in the state – Dr. Robert Carothers, President of the University of Rhode Island; Dr. John Nazarian, President of Rhode Island College; and Dr. Sepe. Dr. William R. Holland, Commissioner of Higher Education will moderate. Following their remarks, a panel of experts representing key sectors within the state will respond.

The Liston Campus in Providence will host an open house and ethnic celebration on Tuesday, April 17. An evening of jazz featuring leading Rhode Island musicians and CCRI students will be held on Wednesday evening at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet in Cranston. Thursday, April 19 activities include a talk by Supreme court Justice Frank Williams at 2:00 pm in the Flanagan Campus cafeteria in Lincoln and a CCRI Players production, “Little Footsteps” at the Flanagan Campus theatre at 8:00 pm. A three mile Walk-a-Thon to benefit the Dollars for Scholars scholarship fund will step off at noon on Friday, April 20 from the Knight Campus in Warwick. 

The Inaugural Ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 21, at 10:00 am at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln. Delegates from colleges and universities across New England will participate in the ceremony. Dr. Judeth Crowley, CCRI Dean of Arts and Sciences and Inaugural Committee chair will preside over the ceremony. Dr. Beverly Allen Richardson, Provost of the James Kerney Campus of Mercer County Community College in New Jersey where Dr. Sepe was president before coming to Rhode Island, will give the principal address. Chair of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education Sarah T. Dowling, and Commissioner Holland will formally install the new president and present him with the college medallion.

An Inaugural Gala at the Hotel Viking in Newport on Saturday evening will conclude the festivities. 

Dr. Sepe assumed the presidency of the Community College of Rhode Island last August following the retirement of President Edward J. Liston.

PRESIDENTIAL FORUM LOOKS TO CCRI’S FUTURE

WARWICK – Three college presidents and the Rhode Island Commissioner of Higher Education explore the changing role of Rhode Island’s premier community college in “Embracing the Future: The Community College of Rhode Island in the 21st Century,” Monday, April 16 at 2:30pm at the CCRI Knight Campus Theatre, Warwick. The Presidential Forum is part of an event-packed week at CCRI’s Warwick, Lincoln and Providence campuses celebrating the inauguration of Dr. Thomas D. Sepe, the new president of the Community College of Rhode Island.

Rhode Island College President John Nazarian, University of Rhode Island President Robert Carothers and CCRI President Thomas Sepe will discuss the community college’s role in the economic, social and cultural welfare of the Ocean State. Reaction from a panel of community leaders, whose expertise ranges from minority advocacy to economic development, follow the presidents’ remarks. The forum concludes with a half-hour audience Q&A session. Rhode Island Commissioner of Higher Education William Holland serves as moderator.

The impressive list of experts on the reactor panel includes Representative Antonio Pires, Chair of the House Finance Committee; Christopher Bergstrom, Executive Director of the Economic Policy Council; Edward Quinlan, President of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island; Henry Shelton, Coordinator of the George Wiley Center; and Dennis Langley, Executive Director of the Urban League of Rhode Island.       

Forum coordinator and CCRI Social Sciences Chairman Ralph E. Scorpio applauds the collaborative nature of the presidential panel, adding, “It will be interesting to hear how the other college presidents see CCRI’s role as part of the community and as a process of higher education in Rhode Island.... Certainly URI and RIC have direct connections here. We have lots of students that go on for four years of college and get their bachelor’s degree at other institutions.” 

The presidential forum is free and open to the public on a space-available basis. To reserve a seat, call 825-2169. Cox Cable will broadcast the event live and will offer rebroadcasts later in the month.

March 2001 

CCRI CELEBRATES A NEW PRESIDENT…AND ALL THAT JAZZ

WARWICK – Who said that the inauguration of a college president has to be a formal,stuffy affair? Surely not when the biggest names in jazz music in Rhode Island come together on    April 18 at the Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet as part of the weeklong celebration of the inauguration of Community College of Rhode Island President Thomas D. Sepe. 

No wonder Professor Susie Swenson, chair of CCRI’s music department, is excited. Her students are sharing billing with legendary jazz artists Clay Osborne, Greg Abate, Rose Weaver, Andy DiPaola, John Harrison, Tom Pascarelli, Vinny Lato, Jack Menna, John Curzio, Lois Vaughan, Shawn Doolittle, Dennis Pratt and Brian Grondell.

Clay Osborne and his trio – which includes composer/arranger John Harrison and bassist Tom Pascarelli – are perennial Rhode Island favorites as is teacher, composer and internationally famous sax player Greg Abate. Vinny Lato, a local talent who plays sax and flute, will perform. Also featured is the Lois Vaughan Quartet, which includes Grondell, Doolittle and Pratt.

Ron Della Chiesa, WGBH/WPLM radio personality, will serve as master of ceremonies for the night.

The concert, 2001 “A Jazz Odyssey,” is being sponsored by CCRI and MetLife Auto & Home and will also showcase the very talented CCRI Chorus (they played Carnegie Hall this year!) and the Steve Lajoie CCRI Jazz Ensemble. The chorus members, directed by Nancy Carroll, will present their Manhattan Transfer style.

CCRI WANTS LOCAL INPUT ON NEW CAMPUS DESIGN 

NEWPORT -- As officials at the Community College of Rhode Island begin the planning process for the new CCRI campus to be located on former Navy land in the Newport north end, they are seeking local input in an effort to design a campus that truly reflects the needs of the East Bay/Aquidneck Island community. 

Working in cooperation with the Newport County Chamber of Commerce and the East Bay Chamber of Commerce, the college is distributing a survey to all Chamber members seeking information about their training needs. The education/training needs assessment survey asks for information about the kinds of skills required for successful employment and the kinds of programs and services area businesses would like to see offered either on campus or at a convenient off-campus site. 

 “It’s important to us to hear what the community would like the CCRI campus to look like, to hear how we can respond to community needs,” said CCRI President Thomas D. Sepe. “We have a tremendous opportunity to build from scratch a campus that will be designed to serve the unique needs of this community.” 

In addition to seeking input from the business community, CCRI officials plan to meet with representatives from area secondary schools, with government officials and other community groups that may want to provide input. 

The new campus will house the nursing and allied health programs that are already being offered at Newport Hospital as well as the courses that are now offered at Middletown High School and on the Naval Base. In addition, college officials are looking at programs in technology, hospitality and other areas that will support the local economy.

The new CCRI campus will occupy just under half of a 15-acre parcel of land that the Navy donated to the city of Newport last year. Last November voters approved a public higher education bond referendum that included $10.9 million for the construction of a 65,000 square-foot campus. Plans call for a spring semester, 2003 opening, and it is projected that 2,000 students will be enrolled on the new campus within two years of that date.           

CCRI PROVIDENCE CAMPUS TO HOST “ARE YOU READY, MY SISTER?” 

Underground Railway Theater to offer free performance on March 15 at 7 p.m

The Underground Railway Theater will present “Are You Ready, My Sister?” at the Community College of Rhode Island Liston Campus, One Hilton Street, on Thursday, March 15 at 7 p.m. The performance is free and open to the public.

“Are You Ready, My Sister?” tells the story of Harriet Tubman, a “conductor” on the Underground Railway and the Quaker woman who helped her bring 300 slaves to freedom. The play features audience participation and music based on slave-era spirituals. It’s a family show that portrays the themes of courage, cooperation between races and the dangers of stereotyping. 

February 2001

CCRI offering Traveling Kids' College

The Community College of Rhode Island has developed a Traveling Kids' College to provide a fun and educational experience for children ages 8-12. 

The Traveling Kids' College will consist of Saturday trips to the Feinstein IMAX Theater on March 31, the Boston Museum of Science on April 7, the JFK Museum on April 28, and Mystic Seaport and Aquarium on May 12. Each trip is offered as a separate event, so children are not required to attend all events. A discount is offered for children who sign up for all four trips. 

Traveling Kids' College students will be supervised by at least two fully accredited teachers and one or more counselors. These trips are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information or to register, call Deb Reddy, at (401) 762-6051. 

CCRI TO HOST WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY EXPO    

There are many women who are working hard and barely making ends meet. The shame of it is that there are so many well-paying jobs in the science, math, engineering and technology fields that are going begging for a lack of applicants.              

The Community College of Rhode Island wants more women to have a chance to learn the skills needed to begin a career in high-wage tech jobs. If you’re a woman and curious about what it takes to graduate from a program where there’s a 95 percent placement rate and the average starting salary is $35,000, then visit the Women In Technology Expo at CCRI’s Warwick campus on Friday, February 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.            

CCRI is in its second year of a three-year grant to increase the number of women in science, math, engineering and technology fields and to increase the number of women who stay in these programs. And they’ve been successful: there has been a 30 percent increase from last spring to this fall in the number women who have enrolled in these programs.    

“Math and science scares women but it shouldn’t,” said Kerrie Medeiros who graduated in December from CCRI’s Chemical Technology program. “There were always teachers willing to help us – who took the time to help us.”              

Medeiros, a Pawtucket resident, knows well the success that these programs can bring women. She left high school before earning her diploma, got married, had four children and earned a GED. And last April, eight months before even graduating with her Associate in Applied Science degree, Medeiros was recruited by Brown University to go work at the Ivy League school as a Hazardous Waste Technician.          

“The companies come calling at CCRI because they know we get hands-on experience and are well-prepared for the jobs,” said Medeiros who hopes to begin studying for her bachelor’s degree at Brown in September. “This job has opened up so many opportunities for me. There are so many opportunities for women out there.”              

Medeiros will be one of the members of a presentation panel that will meet from 10 to 11 a.m. on Friday in the Theatre/Room 2510. Women active in high tech fields will speak about their careers and will conduct a question-and-answer period following their talks.    

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CCRI technology program faculty and staff will be available and hands-on demonstrations will run in labs. Expo attendees will have the chance to work in a chemical technology lab, a computer repair lab, a robotics lab, a Cisco computer networking lab and a process control lab, too.           

In addition, employers will be on site for attendees to visit and chat with about jobs in the high tech fields and more women role models from the businesses will answer questions. CCRI programs, including Cooperative Education, Enrollment Services, Career Services, the RI Center for Women and Enterprise and the Women in Technology Club members will also be on hand to chat.              

The Women in Technology Club is another example of the support that is offered to women in the science, math, engineering and technology programs at CCRI, said Jocelyn Bluto, a member of the CCRI Women Tech grant leadership team. The college is also launching academic pre-programs that are designed specifically to prepare students to take the classes needed for these fields.              

“If you can do the basics you can do everything that follows,” said Medeiros. “Trust me, if I can do it, other women can, too.”      

THE LIAISON COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

The Liaison Committee of the Board of Governors for Higher Education is interested in talking to students regarding any issues that they may have regarding their education. Students are invited to talk to the members of the committee on Monday, February 19 at the Flanagan Campus President's Office; Tuesday, February 20 at the Knight Campus in the Vice President's Conference Room (3rd floor); or Monday, March 5, Liston Campus, 2nd floor Conference Room. All meetings are from noon - 1:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

CCRI WEEKEND COLLEGE INFO SESSIONS PLANNED

PROVIDENCE –  It’s not too soon to begin thinking about attending college next fall – and the Community College of Rhode Island’s Weekend College staff wants to help with information sessions scheduled every month through May.  

On February 17 from 11 a.m. to noon, students can bring their 2000 tax information to the Hilton Street campus and financial aid counselors will file their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online for them. This is a free service. 

Weekend College information sessions will be held on Saturdays March 10, April 7 and May 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hilton Street campus. Learn more about the Weekend College format and meet the staff, tour the campus or attend a “Where do I begin” session, an introduction to returning to college. Advisors will be on hand at each of these Saturday sessions to answer questions and help students register for classes for the fall. 

Weekend College classes are held Friday afternoons and evenings and Saturdays and Sundays. Students can take just one class or attend full-time in this flexible format. Enrollment has doubled to nearly 1,000 students since last fall when Weekend College was introduced. Students enjoy the full array of services that are offered on the weekends including counseling and advising services, financial aid services and weekend hours for the library, computer labs and bookstore. 

January 2001

PLASTICS PROCESS PROGRAM NOW OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS 

For years, CCRI has worked in cooperation with the Rhode Island Plastics Partnership Council Inc. to offer educational opportunities to people working in the plastics field, helping them to upgrade their skills. 

Now, the same program — Plastics Process Technology — is being offered to the general public. 

Because there is such a high demand for skilled plastics technicians, most students into their second or third semester of the program would be snatched up by a plastics company, according to Norm James, Executive Director of the RIPPC. And, chances are, the company would pick up the tab for their employee to complete the degree. 

“ We need people who are able to reason and understand. The industry is no longer a hands-on thing. We want heads, no longer hands,” James said. 

The Plastics Process Technology Program, designed to prepare students for employment in the plastics industry, requires 64 credits, 15 of which previously could only be met by completing an apprenticeship program. Now, those 15 credits can be met by taking courses, so any student can receive an associate degree in plastics. 

Kevin J. Fielding, senior plastics engineer at A.T. Cross and coordinator of the plastics program at CCRI explained that the program is designed to cover all areas of plastics processing. 

“The program is geared toward the process technician — a person who is responsible for setting molds, getting the machine up and running and troubleshooting machine and molding problems,” Fielding said. 

“There is still a lot of growth in plastics, and as time goes on there is going to be a need for more and more people to work in this industry,” Fielding said. 

And there is room for advancement in the industry. 

“From a process technician position, a person can work up to an engineering position,” Fielding said. 

The Plastics Process Technology program is outlined on page 105 of the CCRI catalog. For more information on the program contact Professor Richard J. Cardin, chairperson of Engineering and Technology, at 825-2156.

INAUGURATION FOR PRESIDENT SEPE TO BE HELD APRIL 21

The Inauguration of Dr. Thomas D. Sepe as the third president of the Community College of Rhode Island will take place on Saturday, April 21, 2001 at the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln. The 10:00 a.m. ceremony will be followed by a reception in the campus cafeteria.  

A host of activities for the entire college community will be held during the week preceding the event. An Inaugural Planning Committee, chaired by Dr. Judeth Crowley, Dean of Arts and Sciences, has been meeting since last fall to plan a college-wide celebration that  will have something for everyone on all three campuses. 

The celebration will kick off on Monday, April 16 with an Academic Showcase on the Knight Campus in Warwick featuring performances, lectures and demonstrations by the Chem Tech, Biology, Music and Psychology Departments between 10 am and 2 pm.  

“Embracing the future: The Community College of Rhode Island in the 21st century,” a forum featuring a panel of educators discussing the future of CCRI with responses from the business, governmental and health care communities, will be held from 2:30-4:30 pm in the Knight Campus Theatre, followed by “A Chance to Dance,” an evening of fun, food and entertainment sponsored by student clubs and organizations. 

Tuesday, April 17 is Liston Campus Day in Providence with open classrooms, an alumni luncheon, a campus fair and an ethnic celebration. 

“2001–A Jazz Odyssey,” an evening of entertainment featuring well-known jazz artists from around the state and CCRI music students, will be held on Wednesday, April 18, from 6:30-10 p.m.  at Rhodes On the Pawtuxet. For ticket information, call the Music Department at 825-2168. 

Thursday, April 19, Flanagan Campus Day in Lincoln, will feature Academic Showcase activities during the day and a CCRI Players performance of “Little Footsteps” in the evening. A photo exhibit and musical performance will round out the evening. 

Friday, April 20, a 3-mile Walk-A-Thon to benefit Dollars for Scholars will kick off from the Knight Campus in Warwick at 12 noon. 

CCRI to hold information session on careers in plastics industry

If you're interested in learning more about job opportunities in the plastics industry, the Community College of Rhode Island can help. 

Come to the Plastics Orientation at the CCRI Warwick Campus, Feb. 8 in Theatre Room 2510 at 9 a.m.

Participants will have the opportunity to talk with plastics industry representatives and employers, learn about the Plastics Process Technology Program at CCRI and get some information about career opportunities. 

CCRI OFFERS FREE TAX HELP 

Free tax help will be available at the Community College of Rhode Island Lincoln campus during the spring semester.  

The Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) is being run by the Business Administration Department. Professor Robert E. Armstrong will closely monitor and supervise the VITA program. He will be assisted by Professor Richard Hayes, Professor Jack Renza and Professor Gary Bower.    

CCRI sets Weekend College Open House

PROVIDENCE -- If your work or family schedule makes it difficult for you to attend classes during the week, the Community College of Rhode Island’s Weekend College is just the answer. Take courses that lead to an associate’s degree on Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays at the Providence Campus on Hilton Street. An Open House will be held January 13 at 10 a.m. and classes begin January 22.

Courses are being offered in a number of program areas, including accounting, art, biology, business administration, computer studies and information processing, economics, English, history, human services, law, math, office administration, psychology, sociology, Spanish, speech, theatre and travel and tourism. A new Renal Dialysis program that has a weekend format will also be offered. 

Seminars designed to promote student success will also be offered as part of the Weekend College. Topics include time management, note taking coping with test anxiety, scholarships and financial aid and problems of older returning students. 

An in-person registration session will run from 9 a.m. to noon on January 13th. Telephone registration is underway now. For more information, call 455-6113.

CCRI HOLDING REGISTRATION FOR SPRING COURSE OFFERINGS

The Community College of Rhode Island will offer more than 300 credit and non-credit courses this spring Choose courses from more than 50 different content areas including the latest in the high technology fields. 

These courses will be offered at CCRI’s campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, and Providence and at off-campus locations in East Providence, Middletown, Newport, Westerly and Woonsocket.  

Classes begin Monday, January 22. 

Telephone registration is underway. Walk-in registrations for spring semester courses have also been scheduled at the college's main campuses in Warwick, Lincoln and Providence. Students may register for courses on January 11 from 10 am to 7 pm and on January 12 from 10 am to 3 pm. Advisors will be available to answer questions about enrollment, registration procedures, tuition and fees, course descriptions and financial aid.

In-person registrations will also be held at the satellite locations January 8-11 and January 16-18. See the online course bulletin for more details.

Non-credit courses, offered through the Office of Community Services, provide an opportunity to explore areas such as appliance repair, assertiveness training, ballroom dancing, building self-esteem, money management, tap dance, and more.

For more information, call the Office of Enrollment Services in Warwick at 825-2125, in Lincoln at 333-7097 or in Providence at 455-6017. 

CCRI will also offer 11 telecourses beginning January 22. The courses being offered are: biology, business administration, economics, English, history, human services, law, mathematics, political science, psychology and sociology. The telecourses will be shown on Channel 70 and by the Rhode Island Higher Education Cable Television Council and US Navy Cable in cooperation with the State Interconnect Cable Companies. 

For more information on these telecourses, call CCRI’s Office of Instructional Technology at 455-6113.

CCRI announces scholarship winners   

Lisa Ann Chartier of Pawtucket, Ruby Chece of Lincoln and Leah Brunson of East Providence were awarded $667 from the Andrew & Mary Conroy Scholarship. This award, endowed in 1992 in memory of Andrew and Mary Conroy, was established to provide financial support to liberal and fine art students in their second year of study. 

Rafael Sanchez of Providence was awarded $200 from the Underhill Dental Hygiene Book Award. This award provides assistance in buying books to students entering their second year in the dental hygiene program. The account was endowed by Dr. Underhill, a former trustee of the CCRI Foundation who contributes annually to this fund. 

William Walsh of Cumberland was awarded $200 from the 2000 Prybyla National Guard Scholarship. Endowed in 1995, this award was established to provide financial assistance to students who are in the R.I. National Guard. 

Monica Izbicki of Woonsocket and Michael P. Ray of Providence were awarded $300 from the 2000 Dollars for Scholars Scholarship. Endowed in 1992, this award was established to recognize students who are enrolled in CCRI’s Access to Opportunity and Linkages & Transition Programs, have demonstrated academic growth and/or financial need, and are transferring to a four-year college or university. 

Lu-Ann Masaroco of East Providence was awarded $750 from the 2000 Saint Dunstan’s Access Scholarship.  Endowed in 1995 by Chemistry Professor Emmanuel (Manny) Terazakis, this award was established to recognize students who are enrolled in CCRI’s Access to Opportunity Program, demonstrate financial need, and are transferring to a four-year college or university. Professor Terezakis was instrumental in soliciting funds from Saint Dunstan’s, which is in the process of divesting all it’s assets. 

[top]