By J. CHARLES STERN

Ray M. Di Pasquale’s title is about to become a bit shorter, but the expectations he has for the college he serves are about to multiply.

Next week, the Community College of Rhode Island interim president will permanently accept the position of president and, with him, he’ll bring a series of lofty expectations for both students and staff.

“I look forward to seeing the students of a new generation develop the skills, knowledge and talent that will help them define their future and perhaps their generation’s future,” Di Pasquale said.

Di Pasquale will become just the fourth president in CCRI’s history. To celebrate his inauguration, the college has planned a weeklong celebration designed to foster community spirit and pride.

The ceremonies will center on changing lives and achieving dreams and speakers from across the country are being brought in to discuss overcoming hardships and making differences in the lives of others.

Included in the ceremony will be former Marshall University football coach Jack Lengyel, who will share lessons he learned in rebuilding the team following a 1970 airplane crash that killed 75 of its members. Lengyel’s story was recently the focus of the motion picture “We Are Marshall.”

On Tuesday, Di Pasquale has asked the college community to work in the neighborhood assisting nonprofit charities with their community endeavors.

Service work will be done in each city in which a CCRI campus is located, including Warwick. In Warwick, students and faculty will volunteer at Westbay Community Action. Volunteers will partake in a spring cleanup, helping spruce up the area by removing debris from roadways and doing minor landscaping work. In the event of inclement weather, students will work indoors, helping to paint and repair the office building.

Students also plan to work with the Rhode Island Community Food Bank in Providence, Channel One in Central Falls and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Center and East Bay Community Action, both of Newport.

College staff said Di Pasquale is still working on his inauguration speech, which is scheduled for March 23 at the Warwick campus. Di Pasquale has said he will set the bar high for college officials. He will demand their best and ask they represent the college proudly both on and off the campus.

Additionally, Di Pasquale will urge students to make the most of their experiences, calling on them to seek ways to change the lives of people around them. Students should seek positive employment opportunities and volunteer with various organizations.

Di Pasquale was appointed interim president in January of 2006 and was named permanent president six months later. Prior to coming to CCRI, he was a vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at SUNY Brockport, located in New York. He is a former member of the Springfield (Mass.) City Council and the school committee.

On Monday, the ceremony kicks off with Lengyel at 10 a.m. At 7 p.m., at the Warwick campus, the CCRI community will perform at the Bobby Hackett Theatre to showcase the college’s musical talents.

On Tuesday, in addition to performing community work, there will be a poetry reading by various CCRI authors at the Lincoln campus at noon.

On Wednesday, Alan Weiss, a motivational speaker, will speak to the people at the Warwick campus. Weiss will address mastering change.

On Friday, an inaugural procession will begin at 2:30 p.m. at the Warwick campus. During the afternoon festivities, Di Pasquale will accept the permanent position of president. He will later meet with the college community during a reception at the Field House.