Rhode Island College VP Jason Meriwether resigns

PROVIDENCE — Jason L. Meriwether, vice president for student success at Rhode Island College, resigned his position Tuesday.

RIC spokesman John Taraborelli said, "I can’t comment any further because it’s a personnel matter."

Meriwether, contacted by phone Tuesday, confirmed that he had resigned, adding, "I'm leaving for me."

"I wish RIC and the RIC community the absolute best," he said, when asked if he was leaving on good terms.

Meriwether was hired in July 2017 to ensure that all students earn their degrees at Rhode Island College. An article published by RIC said his expertise was in data mining and analytics — using data to drive educational decisions, from budget forecasts to student enrollments.

Data, he said, can show how engaged students are with their courses and their institution. It can help identify students who are more likely to drop out.

On a daily basis, Meriwether mined data from the 17 offices he oversaw and made projections.

He was a former vice president of student engagement and enrollment at Fisk University.

A spokesman for Brenda Dan-Messier, executive director of the Office of Post-Secondary Education, which oversees the state's three public colleges, declined to comment Wednesday.