Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education today shared an update on the executive search for a new president of Community College of Rhode Island College (CCRI) and voted unanimously to name Rosemary Costigan, Ph.D., RN., as the interim president during its monthly meeting. CCRI President Meghan Hughes, Ph.D. announced in March that she will step down in August.
“Dr. Hughes’s legacy includes the creation of a strong leadership team, of which Dr. Costigan as vice president of academic affairs has played an integral role. As the chief academic officer,” said David Caprio, Council on Postsecondary Education chairman, “Dr. Costigan possesses strong relationships with key CCRI stakeholders; she bears responsibility for the quality of the education provided; and her institutional management experience make her the most ideal candidate to serve as interim president.”
“Dr. Costigan embodies the college’s core values of educational excellence and a strong commitment to inclusivity and equity,” said Meghan Hughes, Ph.D., president of the Community College of Rhode Island. “Her distinguished career as a nurse, educator, and administrator gives her a profound understanding of and commitment to the students we serve, and I know she’ll continue to guide the college with the same values and vision that have been the cornerstone of her venerable tenure at CCRI.
Costigan, a nurse by education and training, has worked in Rhode Island’s postsecondary education eco-system for 24 years at the nursing schools of CCRI and University of Rhode Island. She has progressively advanced from associate professor of nursing, to nursing department chairperson, to interim assistant dean of nursing, and to her most recent role as vice president of academic affairs. In addition to her academic duties, she is leading the post-pandemic recovery effort and managing the routine accreditation renewal process underway.
A life-long Rhode Islander, Costigan earned an associate degree in nursing from Rhode Island Junior College; a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Rhode Island College; and both a master’s and Ph.D. in nursing from University of Rhode Island.
The Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner supports the work of the Board of Education and the Council on Postsecondary Education in providing an excellent, accessible, and affordable system of higher education designed to improve the overall educational attainment of the citizens of Rhode Island, support economic development, and enrich the civic, social, and cultural life of all living in the state of Rhode Island. Visit www.riopc.edu for additional information.
The Community College of Rhode Island, New England’s largest community college, enrolls nearly 18,000 students in credit-bearing degree and certificate programs and an additional 8,500 individuals in workforce development programs and adult education courses annually. With a passionate commitment to student success and closing equity gaps, CCRI provides Rhode Islanders with an outstanding college education that leads to strong learning outcomes, successful degree attainment and robust labor market outcomes. With four campuses across Rhode Island, CCRI offers, online, hybrid and in-person options for students, meeting them where they are and helping them achieve their educational and career goals. CCRI was named the 2019 Two-Year College of the Year by Education Dive magazine.