Rhode Island College President Frank Sanchez plans to depart
PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island College President Frank D. Sanchez said he is stepping down from the job because it's a good time for him to pursue other opportunities.
In a brief interview on Thursday, Sanchez, who will depart after his contract expires on June 30, said he is leaving the college in a much stronger place.
"We've moved up in the national rankings," he said. "Our fundraising is going off the charts. We've seen a 200% increase in the last five years.
"Our facilities have gone up a notch, with a $3.2-million school construction bond in 2018 and $38 million to modernize our science building."
With his son graduating high school, Sanchez said it seems like a good time for the college to make a transition in leadership.
Asked if he felt pressured to leave, Sanchez said no.
"Our enrollments are within the average of our peers nationally," he said. Enrollment declines for four-year state colleges ranged from 7% to 15% this past year.
RIC saw a 10% drop in enrollment.
Sanchez said he was most proud of the following accomplishments: reducing out-of-pocket expenses with such moves as putting more textbooks online and reducing the price of RIPTA passes. Most RIC students are commuters.
"This year, we have saved nearly $1 million in textbook costs," he said.
RIC, he said, has also grown its endowment by 65% and doubled its annual giving.
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Although generally well-liked by faculty and staff, Sanchez has been under tremendous pressure to stem the steep decline in enrollment precipitated in part by COVID.
Rhode Island College was also embroiled in controversy when the Council on Post-Secondary Education hired a controversial $76,000-a-week consultant to review the institution’s financial health, a bid that was later withdrawn.
That contract, however, prompted some observers to question the institution’s fiscal health.
Sanchez in February declined to put a number on the current budget shortfall, but it was pegged at more than $10 million and the college later asked the General Assembly for $5.9 million in additional aid in the spring of 2021.
Later, Rhode Island College said it expected to reduce 50% of its adjunct-faculty budget after three straight years of declining adjunct employment.
Sanchez has in the past attributed some of the drop in enrollments to the Rhode Island Promise program, which offers two free years at the Community College of Rhode Island to high-school graduates who meet certain criteria.
Faced with two years of free tuition, Sanchez said many students chose to begin their college education at CCRI rather than RIC.
Sanchez asked the General Assembly to include RIC in the Promise program but wasn't successful.
“Enrollments are really challenging,” Sanchez said last winter. “Our enrollments are down. Only 5% of our students are going to class face-to-face.”
RIC saw a 6.5% decline in enrollment last fall. In 2019, prior to COVID, the college had its strongest freshman enrollment in five years.
Sanchez pointed to new curricula around computer science, cybersecurity and data analytics as examples of how the college is responding to market demands.
Sanchez also pointed to numerous improvements that the college has made to its buildings, as well as a ballot question that asks voters to approve $38 million in borrowing to modernize the Clarke Science Building, home to programs in physics, chemistry, nuclear medicine, geology, astronomy and oceanography.
Gov. Dan McKee praised the progress RIC has made under Sanchez, stating, “Dr. Sanchez has significantly raised RIC’s stature during his tenure and I, and the state, are certainly appreciative of his leadership. I wish him great success in his future endeavors.”
Barbara Cottam, chairwoman of the Rhode Island Board of Higher Education, could not be reached for comment and Tim DelGiudice, president of the higher education council, declined to comment.
Linda Borg covers education for the Journal
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island College President Frank Sanchez plans to depart
