Success Centers now open

Simulcast ribbon cutting held on three main campuses

CCRI officially opened its three new Success Centers last month with a simulcast ribbon cutting among the Warwick, Lincoln and Providence campuses.

The Success Centers, located within the library facilities, serve as information clearinghouses for all student support services throughout the college. Knowledgeable staff members are available to make student referrals regarding academic support, financial aid assistance and counseling. The centers also house a total of 49 state-of-the-art workstations available for student use. And, the Success Centers serve as home base for several support services, such as the college's Peer Tutoring Program and the Student Academic Support Program.

As part of the ribbon cutting ceremony, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) addressed the crowd in a pre-recorded message. Reed, along with fellow Senator Lincoln Chafee and Representatives Patrick Kennedy and James Langevin, recently helped secure $265,000 in federal funding for the success centers.

"A well educated population is vital to keeping Rhode Island economically competitive," Reed said. "I am pleased that this funding will help CCRI continue to offer excellent programs for youths and adults to advance their skills and further their education."

In addition to the federal funding, CCRI received a $265,000 grant from The Champlin Foundations to put the latest technology in place at each of the three centers.

Neurolinguist Kenneth Roffmann, president of 21st Century Learning and training director for the St. Louis-based Metro Education Group, was the featured speaker at the ribbon cutting. His talk, entitled, "Significant Learning: Mapping Student Success," focused on the concepts of learning communities and learner-centered teaching.

Assistant Dean of Student Success John Whitman likened the centers to hubs within wheels of information. He stressed the importance of centralized and customer-friendly resources for CCRI's diverse student population.

"When things are easy and clear to access --from signage to publications to referrals-- that makes learning more manageable," said Whitman.

He added that without centralization, students may get inaccurate information from the wrong source rather than seek out the right information from an accurate source.

"It also allows staff to collaborate and deliver a consistent message to students," Whitman said.

The Success Center at the Warwick campus is the largest of the three, consisting of more than 4,000 square feet. The Lincoln Success Center totals approximately 2,000 square feet, while the Providence center measures approximately 1,000 square feet. A Success Center is also planned for the latest CCRI full-service campus currently under construction in Newport.

For more information on the Student Success initiative, visit www.ccri.edu/successcenters .