CCRI Turns 60! 92 PRO-FM Joins CCRI in Celebrating College’s 60th Anniversary on September 24

Warwick, RI – Sixty years to the day it opened its doors for the first time, the Community College of Rhode Island will co-host a special 60^th Anniversary Celebration Tuesday, September 24 with Today’s Hit Music 92 PRO-FM at its Warwick Campus.

The event begins at 11 am and launches a year-long celebration of CCRI’s 60^th anniversary dating back to September 24, 1964 when classes began at the college’s temporary headquarters in Providence, RI. Six decades later, CCRI is one of New England’s largest community colleges and Rhode Island’s only associate degree-granting institution.

The September 24 celebration features food, games, and music courtesy of 92 PRO-FM on-air personality Jessica, who will broadcast live from the campus’ Great Hall from noon–12 pm. The PRO-FM street team will also be on hand with prizes, swag, and other free giveaways. A special cake-cutting ceremony highlights the celebration, which is open to all CCRI faculty, staff, and students.

CCRI 60^th Anniversary Celebration

Tuesday, September 24

11 am– 3 pm

CCRI Warwick Campus (Great Hall)

Celebrating 60 years
Six decades since its inception, CCRI continues to meet the wide-ranging educational needs of our diverse student population with more than 90 degree programs, seamless transfer opportunities, and professional and personal growth through an array of academic, career, and lifelong learning programs. CCRI meets students where they are, offering 30% of its course sections online with 34% of its students enrolled in at least one online course, and remains an economic powerhouse in the state of Rhode Island, adding $889.6 million in income to the state’s economy while supporting approximately 11,049 jobs during the last fiscal year.

A timeline of noteworthy events:

• 1964: Classes begin for the first time at the Rhode Island Junior College’s temporary Providence quarters. Three hundred and twenty-five students studying at the Henry Barnard School were the first to take courses at the then RIJC.
• 1972: The Knight Campus, CCRI’s primary facility, opens in Warwick on 80 acres of property donated by Royal W. Knight. Additional campuses opened in Lincoln (1976), Providence (1990), and Newport (2006) with satellite locations in Westerly and Woonsocket.
• 1980: The Rhode Island Board of Regents for Education approves a change in the college’s name from Rhode Island Junior College to Community College of Rhode Island. The rebranding reflects the college’s true mission, which is to offer all Rhode Islanders an affordable, high-quality education.
• 2017: CCRI enrolls its first cohort of Rhode Island Promise scholarship students. The scholarship offers two years
  of free tuition to Rhode Island high school students upon graduation, an investment in education that has provided educational opportunities for thousands of Rhode Islanders.
• 2023: Class of 1978 graduate Dr. Rosemary A. Costigan begins her tenure as CCRI’s Interim President, becoming the first alumnus to serve in that capacity.

About CCRI

The Community College of Rhode Island 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 students, CCRI provides Rhode Islanders with an outstanding college education that leads to strong learning outcomes, successful postsecondary credential 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 is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and was named the 2019 Two-Year College of the Year by Education Dive magazine.