Agreement enables CCRI grads to transfer to PC

John Howell
Posted 9/30/14

the Rev. Brian Shanley, president of Providence College, called an agreement announced Friday allowing eligible Community College of Rhode Island graduates to attend the college’s School of …

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Agreement enables CCRI grads to transfer to PC

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The Rev. Brian Shanley, president of Providence College, called an agreement announced Friday allowing eligible Community College of Rhode Island graduates to attend the college’s School of Continuing Education at a 33-percent tuition discount and earn a bachelor’s degree a “perfect fit for our mission” and a “marriage made in heaven.”
CCRI President Ray Di Pasquale was beaming.
“This is first class,” he said of Providence College. “I can’t think of a better place to go.”
That was also the thinking of CCRI students Samuel Joseph of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Daniel Corneilo of Cranston, who were found in the college’s great hall eating lunch. They had not heard of the agreement, but when informed were anxious for details. Both play on the CCRI basketball team, and both were intrigued with the possibility of earning a PC degree – and, who knows, maybe even playing for the Friars.
CCRI has matriculating agreements with numerous institutions, but Di Pasquale called this one with PC the first formal agreement with a private in-state institution providing such a tuition discount. In August, CCRI signed a comparable agreement with the American International College in Springfield, Mass. And Di Pasquale disclosed another agreement is in the making with Northeastern University in Boston, which could be announced in the near future.
To be eligible for the tuition discount, CCRI students need to earn their associate degree at CCRI with a 3.0 grade point average. They could then transfer to PC’s School of Continuing Education, which holds evening and night classes and offers a limited number of majors compared to the day college. The discount amounts to about $300 a course at $645, which is approximately $115 more than the current course cost at CCRI.
Under the terms of the agreement, Janet Castleman, dean of PC’s School of Continuing Education, said CCRI students “would be guaranteed admission.”
Castleman said PC is looking to grow enrollment, which is now 400, at the school. Shanley sees the agreement as in keeping with the college’s mission to serve Rhode Islanders while bringing diversity to the School of Continuing Education. As Castleman noted, CCRI students are generally older, averaging 29 years old, and are “working adults.”
To be eligible, she said, CCRI students would need to decide they would transfer within earning their first 30 credits at CCRI. This is done to ensure the CCRI students are in “lockstep” with the PC program and “to make sure the students are on the right track.”
Castleman said there are no financial need requirements for CCRI students to be eligible for the tuition discount.
Calling it the “miracle of PC and CCRI,” Di Pasquale said the agreement is an unbelievable opportunity to attend a premiere institution.
“This is helping students to realize their dreams to go to Providence College,” he said.
“This is the providence of God for both our institutions,” said Shanley. “You’re going to hand off students to us that are ready to go.”
Di Pasquale gave Shanley a hooded CCRI sweatshirt as a token of the agreement.
Shanley hadn’t brought gifts, but Di Pasquale queried where the agreement included season tickets to the Friars’ games.
Shanley quipped, “If you stay in Rhode Island,” in reference to Di Pasquale being one of three finalists for the state of Louisiana’s commissioner of higher education.
After the laughter died down, Shanley added, “I do hope you don’t leave. You’ve been fabulous for the institution and the team.”

For additional information, please visit: http://www.providence.edu/sce/Pages/default.aspx?utm_source=WarwickOnline.com&utm_medium=Publicity&utm_campaign=9-30-News-Article

 

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