Ray DiPasquale Left Lasting Legacy at STCC

SPRINGFIELD — Ray DiPasquale, president of Massasoit Community College in Brockton, who passed away on April 4, served in several leadership positions from 1979 to 1998 at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC).

While he rose to become president of three community colleges, he spent the bulk of his 50-year career in higher education at STCC. He also spent decades serving the city of Springfield, working as a city councilor and a School Board member, as well as running for mayor in 1991.

STCC President John Cook expressed his sincere condolences to DiPasquale’s friends and family, and to the students, faculty, and staff of Massasoit Community College.

“STCC would not be the same today were it not for Ray DiPasquale,” Cook said. “It was a full-circle moment meeting Ray in person when he assumed the presidency at Massasoit. I knew he played a role in developing key services at STCC, and his leadership across three states and multiple institutions was a tribute to his talents.”

DiPasquale began his career in higher education at Middlesex Community College in 1974. In 1979, he joined STCC as director of Admissions. He would rise through the ranks, helping to develop or re-envision departments and services at STCC, until leaving the college in 1998.

In 1982, DiPasquale was named assistant to the president. His next and longest-held position at STCC was dean of Admissions/Public Relations. Between 1983 and 1992, he was responsible for the operation of the Admissions Office, Public Relations, Media Communications, College Publications, the Transfer Office, and the Placement Office.

In 1992, DiPasquale was named vice president of Enrollment Management/Student Affairs. Among his various responsibilities, he served as a member of the president’s executive cabinet. He provided leadership, administration, and direction for enrollment management and marketing strategies for the entire college, and helped secure federal and state funding to support the newly founded Student Success Center.

DiPasquale created STCC’s Enrollment Management Division. He drew together functions from various areas of the college into a cohesive team that increased applications 21% over a seven-year period. He also served as a consultant for other Massachusetts colleges in developing the enrollment-management concept.

In 1998, DiPasquale left STCC for a position as vice president for Enrollment Management & Student Affairs at SUNY Brockport in Brockport, N.Y. He held the position until 2006.

He began serving his first term as president of the Community College of Rhode Island in 2006, following his selection by the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education.

Four years later, he was named commissioner of Higher Education for the Rhode Island Board of Education, a position he held until 2013. He was also president of Clinton Community College in New York. He began his presidency at Massasoit Community College in August 2021.

According to an announcement on Massasoit Community College’s website, DiPasquale was committed to serving the communities he called home and worked to advance the lives of others through education. In addition to his professional pursuits, he volunteered his time to numerous nonprofits and community organizations.