RIIHEA

IN OUTLINING his latest legislative agenda, Providence Mayor David Cicilline argued on this page on May 27 (“A ‘fair-share’ future for Providence”) that “long-term economic recovery… will only be accomplished by remaining focused on the basics: creating jobs, maintaining safe communities, improving public education, nurturing arts and cultural opportunities, creating decent and affordable housing and developing a more attractive business climate.”

The mayor called upon independent higher education to be a part of this economic resurgence. What the mayor failed to articulate, however, are the many current contributions that colleges and universities already support and lead. Working with the city, state, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, the Providence Foundation and many others, the members of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Rhode Island (AICU Rhode Island) are taking a strong role in growing the state’s knowledge economy.

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It’s going to get harder to become a teacher in Rhode Island.

Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist, who has made teacher quality the cornerstone of her three-month-old administration, is raising the score that aspiring teachers must achieve on a basic skills test required for admission to all of the state’s teacher training programs.

As the school year and the fall flu season begin, colleges and universities nationwide have already seen tens of thousands of reported cases of swine flu, and they are bracing for more.

The fall and winter flu season is rapidly approaching, and the extent and severity of potential H1N1 (swine flu) or seasonal flu outbreaks remains uncertain. So far, there have been several outbreaks of H1N1 at colleges such as Emory College, Ga., and University of Kansas at Lawrence, Kan. The effects may not be as catastrophic as the mass media has projected, due to recommendations provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Providence College has also enacted certain precautionary measures to prevent an outbreak on campus.

More than 1,100 colleges, universities and schools across the country have entered into Yellow Ribbon Program agreements with the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve financial aid for veterans participating in the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

In attempting to close the projected budget deficit in Providence, Mayor David N. Cicilline has officially asked the city’s nonprofit hospitals and universities to do their “fair share” by increasing fee payments to the city, notwithstanding their status as tax-exempt property owners.

‘Student tax,’ nonprofit property exception at issue

Two bills have made progress in Rhode Island’s General Assembly that could cost Brown and its students millions of dollars if they become law.

One bill would allow cities to assess a “student impact fee” of $150 per semester for out-of-state students who attend private colleges in Rhode Island. The universities would pay the municipal governments directly, allowing them to raise the funds as they see fit.

David Cicilline seems to love spending taxpayer dollars on reports. It might be because they’re very official looking and make it look like he’s actually doing something productive. Now, David Cicilline seems to be focused on arts and culture. You might recall him paying $100,000 to an out-of -state firm to come up with the name “the Creative Capital.” Now, his cultural plan has expanded, along with the cost.