KINGSTON, RI – August 18, 2010 — The University of Rhode Island will welcome new and returning students to all of its campuses during the first full week of September.
Here’s a preview of enrollment at the University and a few of the activities and events that will be happening, including URI’s Honors Colloquium series entitled “Race” that will feature top-notch speakers from around the nation, a special panel discussion, “Seeing Clear: Perspectives on the Gulf Oil Spill,” with experts discussing various aspects of the spill, and the big Family Weekend event including comedian Craig Ferguson. New this year — URI will begin its Grand Challenge courses to involve freshmen in small classes exploring global issues with full-time faculty members. In addition, faculty and students will find improvements in the classrooms on the Kingston Campus. Where none existed before, new digital media technology has been installed in 52 general assignment classrooms in 15 academic buildings.
About the Students*
• The University’s Office of Admission received and reviewed more than 19,564 applications for enrollment, which represented a more than 21 percent increase from last year.
• About 2,959 freshmen and 537 transfer students have paid deposits for enrollment at the University.
• About 120 veterans or members of their families will attend classes this fall at URI’s Kingston or Providence campuses, thanks to the GI Bill. A “URI Supports Student Veterans Committee” formed three years ago to ease the transition from the battleground to the classroom. Among its many initiatives is a Veterans Office at URI’s Feinstein Providence Campus, veteran information on admission and enrollment websites, designated advisors and more.
• The freshman class includes 593 students of color, which represents a 26 percent increase over last year. About 45 percent (1,339) of the class is from out of state. Consistent with trends nationwide, 54 percent of the students are women and 46 percent are men.
• After Rhode Island, the top states represented in the freshman class are respectively, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and New Hampshire. Combined, the incoming freshman class represents 32 different U.S states and 13 nations.
• In total, there will be about 13,250 undergraduates (including pharmacy and other professional degree-seeking students) and about 3,000 part- and full-time graduate students attending URI this year. URI’s student body represents 44 different U.S. states and 41 nations. Sixty percent of the students are from Rhode Island.
• About 5,200 undergraduate students, including 2,600 freshmen live in the University’s 24 on campus residence halls, suites and apartments. An additional 750 students live in the 17 sororities, fraternities and specialty houses on campus.
Fall Highlights
• Freshmen Move-In Days, Sept. 4-5: To provide the best service to incoming students, about half of the freshman class will move in on Saturday, Sept. 4 and half Sunday, Sept. 5 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. At that time a resident assistant will escort each student to his or her new room. Upperclassmen move in starting Sept. 6. A series of Welcome Week activities are planned to welcome freshmen and all campus residents.
• Grand Challenge Courses: For the first time, freshmen have the opportunity to enroll in one of 29 exciting new courses that will explore current global issues. Called “Grand Challenge” courses, these are smaller class sizes, have more focused content, and they are taught by full-time faculty who are engaged in dynamic research on the subjects covered. Topics range from “Apocalypse Now! Film and Fiction in the 21st Century,” to “Which Box to Check? Constructing Race, Gender & Sexual Identity,” to “Earth Gone Mad?” and “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: Leadership for a Changing World.”
• Common Reading: To introduce first-year students to a campus culture focused on academic engagement and learning, URI’s Summer Common Reading project selected the book A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League by Ron Suskind. The subject of the book, Cedric Jennings, will visit the Kingston Campus on Sept. 22. Students are encouraged to participate in a blog discussion and prepare to discuss the book in various first-year courses. The blog is at uricommonreading.blogspot.com.
• Honors Colloquium Begins, Sept. 14: The University’s Fall Honors Colloquium will explore the topic of “Race.” The series delves into perceptions about race that shape everyday experiences, public policies, opportunities for individual achievement, and relations across racial and ethnic lines. Leading speakers will include Majora Carter, a McArthur Genius fellow who is a well known voice in city planning and urban renewal; BD Wong, the Tony award winning actor known for his role on NBC’s Law and Order; and Duana Fullwiley, a Harvard University professor of African and African American Studies who researches race, identity and medical genomics. A complete schedule of the colloquium can found online at www.uri.edu/hc.
• Football Kickoff, Sept. 18: First home football game of the season, URI vs. New Hampshire.
• Oil Spill Panel, Sept. 29: URI experts have been on the front line in addressing the crisis of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Now they are coming together for a panel discussion entitled “Seeing Clear: Perspectives on the Gulf Oil Spill,” to share details about what happened, what we learned, and where we go from here.
• Family Weekend, Oct. 1-3: This annual program brings thousands to the South County area. This year, Craig Ferguson will entertain at the event for families and community members. Families of undergraduate students have the chance to participate in numerous activities including attending classes with their students, learning about programs on the Kingston and Narragansett Bay campuses, attending a football game and more. The weekend will end with a brunch with President Dooley. For more information visit www.uri.edu/familyweekend.
• 14th Annual Diversity Week, Oct. 4-8: Events will be held on the Kingston Campus to celebrate the importance of diversity and identity in higher education, the workplace, the community and the world. Last year’s events drew 3,800 people to numerous activities. The week is brimming with arts, music, dance, film and other activities, dozens of workshops and more. Most events are free and open to the public. For a complete schedule visit www.uri.edu/mcc.
• On Stage, Oct. 14: To coincide with the Fall 2010 URI Honors Colloquium on Race, URI Theatre begins its fall season with “Spinning Into Butter” by Rebecca Gilman Oct. 14-24. View details at www.uri.edu/theatre.
• URI’s Open House, Fall: Thousands of high school seniors and their families will attend one of the University’s Open Houses that will be held Oct. 16, 30 and Nov. 5. The programs provide potential students with a chance to learn about the admission process, financial aid, scholarships and more. Visitors can register for the program at www.uri.edu/admission.
• Homecoming 2010, Oct. 22-24: Homecoming on the Kingston Campus includes reunions, college- and department-based gatherings, a 5K race to benefit URI student scholarships, music, food, entertainment and more. The URI vs. University of Maine game starts at noon on Saturday, Oct. 23 at Meade Stadium. That evening, the 5th annual URI Distinguished Achievement Awards celebration will be held. Read more about Homecoming at http://advance.uri.edu/alumni/homecoming/
• Distinguished Achievement celebrated, Oct. 23: The University will hold its fifth annual URI Distinguished Achievement Awards ceremonies. This event will honor four alumni who are making a big difference in the world. At the same time, the deans of each of the University’s degree-granting colleges name honorees representing their areas to receive Dean’s List Awards. More information will be available at http://advance.uri.edu/programming/default.htm
• Dedication, Oct. 29: Retired Communication Studies Professor Agnes Doody will be honored when the Swan Hall Auditorium is named and dedicated in her honor.
• Anniversaries: This year, the University will celebrate several anniversaries. The Graduate School of Oceanography and the Psychology Department both will turn 50, the Cancer Prevention Research Center turns 30, Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America turns 10, and the College of Nursing turns 65. Various events will be held this fall and throughout the year to honor each of these programs.
Construction Zone
• College of Pharmacy: Construction is well under way for the $75 million College of Pharmacy Building, the second major part of the URI Health and Life Sciences District. When the new pharmacy facility opens at the end of 2011, the 148,000 square-foot, five-story structure will allow the college to accept more students in its six-year doctor of pharmacy program, its graduate programs and its new four-year bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences. View construction in progress.
• Edwards Hall: Contractors renovating Edwards Hall this summer discovered a set of mural paintings that had been done during the Depression, but were hidden behind walls in the lobby of the building. After the oil-on-canvas paintings were safely removed for conservation, the building renovation progressed to enhance fire protection and make architectural improvements in the 900-seat auditorium. Funded by a $1.5 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant, Edwards will be reopened in September.
• Landscapes: On the Kingston Campus, the Ranger-Green campus landscaping and beautification project will be completed in November. The $1.5 million project has included extensive infrastructure and exterior improvements and overall enhancements to turn this heavily traveled area into an attractive and accessible pedestrian green space.
• Housing: The University is preparing to build a 429-bed residence hall that when opened in September 2012 will be the most energy efficient residential complex at the University. The $42.7 million Hillside Hall will replace the four-building, 90-bed Terrace Apartments located on Baird Hill Road south and west of the Memorial Union.
• Wellness and Fitness Center: A project construction contract will be awarded this fall for the Wellness Center at the former Roger Williams Dining Center. The Wellness Center will be funded entirely through private donations.
• Library and New Technology: Design and planning is under way for a $750,000 renovation of the Robert L. Carothers Library and Learning Commons to create a technology-rich student learning and resource center in the library.
• Other Capital Projects include: Completion of a new $350,000 indoor batting facility at Beck Baseball Field (thanks to a private donation), a $600,000 renovation of two rooms in Morrill Hall and installation of an undergraduate chemistry lab, and completion of 4 high-technology “New Order, Multi-Modal, Advanced-Design” (NOMAD) classrooms for education majors, three in Chafee and one in East Hall. In addition, preparations are being made for a new nursing classroom in White Hall and there are several other projects under way to improve the teaching, learning and living spaces at URI.
A Few Simple Facts
• About 13,300 undergraduate students, 3,000 graduate students*
• About 2,959 Freshmen*
• 19,564 applications received
• More than 5,000 undergraduate students now reside on campus
• 15 to 1; student to faculty ratio
• 84 percent of faculty have doctoral degrees
• More than 103,598 active alumni
TUITION AND FEES (2010-11)
• Undergraduate Tuition and fees:
o In-state $10,476
o Out-of-state $27,182
o Regional $13,522/ $15,776
• Undergraduate Room/Board, $11,083
• Graduate Tuition and fees:
o In-state $10,870
o Out-of-state $24,250
MOST POPULAR MAJORS
• Top 10 undergraduate majors are Nursing, Communication Studies, Psychology, Kinesiology, Human Development and Family Studies, English, Accounting, Textile, Fashion Merchandising and Design, Political Science, and Biological Sciences
*Figures are as of August 4, 2010. Final enrollment numbers will be available in late October.