NEWS

After serving 7 years, CCRI President Hughes to step down Aug. 31

Posted 3/23/23

Dr. Meghan Hughes, the fifth President of the Community College of Rhode Island, announced last week she will step down effective Aug. 31.

In a letter to college colleagues Hughes wrote, “I …

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NEWS

After serving 7 years, CCRI President Hughes to step down Aug. 31

Posted

Dr. Meghan Hughes, the fifth President of the Community College of Rhode Island, announced last week she will step down effective Aug. 31.

In a letter to college colleagues Hughes wrote, “I believe the time is right to transition the college to new presidential leadership by summer’s end as CCRI is strong and continuing to grow even stronger. We have largely emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, our enrollment continues to recover each semester, and we are laser focused on supporting strong student learning outcomes.”

On a personal note, Hughes said the “heart” of her decision is based on her “desire to spend a few months dedicating my time to my family, especially my mother. She taught me to read more than 50 years ago and dedicated most of her life to me and my family. I want to make the most of this time.”

Hughes, the first woman president at CCRI, .was named to the post in 2016. A release announcing her decision to leave cited her focus on student performance and commitment to providing Rhode Islanders with an outstanding education that leads to strong learning outcomes, successful degree attainment, and robust labor market opportunities. Under her leadership, the college achieved the highest graduation rates in more than 20 years, outpacing national two-and three-year graduation rates, and was named the 2019 two-year college of the year by Education Dive magazine.

She advocated for the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship program initiated by former Governor Gina Raimondo that provided free CCRI tuition for high school graduates provided they were enrolled on a full time basis and met certain performance requirements. The program has resulted in improvements in enrollment and graduation rates for students, in particular for low income students and students of color.

Hughes has worked with government to build in-demand credentials that allow Rhode Islanders to receive the training needed to compete in today’s economy and provide a pipeline of qualified employees for businesses. CCRI’s Division of Workforce Partnerships trains more than 4,000 Rhode Island residents annually in short-term, labor-market driven credentials and is the leading educational partner for General Dynamics Electric Boat for its submarine building facilities in New London, CT and Quonset, RI. CCRI is also poised to launch the state’s first GWO training program in support of multiple offshore wind farms expected to be constructed in the coming years.

During Hughes’ tenure, the college created the first ever Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Organizational Development and reformed how the college attracts, hires, and retains a diverse talent of faculty and staff.

“Serving as CCRI’s president has been the greatest professional honor of my lifetime, and I am profoundly grateful to all the faculty, staff, students, and broader Rhode Island community members who have taught me so much and who continue to inspire me daily,” Hughes said in a statement.“

 “President Hughes has been a bold, visionary leader at CCRI,” said Governor Dan McKee ina statement. “From making community college more accessible, to increasing graduation rates, and working together to create innovative job training partnerships in key sectors like offshore wind, President Hughes has been a true partner on our team and a key part of our Administration's work to strengthen our state's higher education ecosystem."

"I speak on behalf of the entire Council on Postsecondary Education when I say how much we will miss Dr. Hughes’ passion and commitment to the CCRI community,” said David Caprio, Esq., Chair of the Council on Postsecondary Education. "Her transformational leadership has profoundly impacted countless lives and elevated CCRI to one of the best community colleges in the nation."

Hughes chairs the Board of Directors for the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Foundation and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. In addition, she serves as a member on the Council on Competitiveness, the College Board’s Community College Advisory Panel, Congressman David Cicilline’s Women’s Advisory Council, and the Rhode Island Commodores.

Hughes is an Aspen Institute Fellow for Community College Excellence. She was presented with the “Trailblazer in Education” award in 2018 at the Realizing Inspiration & Sustaining Excellence Women’s Leadership Conference. Hughes was recognized by the Latino Public Radio Foundation with its Foundation Builder Award in 2016 and by the Rhode Island Foundation with its Community Leader award in 2015. In 2014, U.S. Rep. David Cicilline named Hughes an Outstanding Woman of the Year.

The Council on Postsecondary Education is expected to announce plans for an interim president by the April 19 meeting.

Hughes, CCRI

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