Preamble/
Introduction

New Initiatives

Occupational Therapy

• The College of Human Science and Services continues to explore the possibility of a Master’s program in Occupational Therapy. This program, if offered, would be housed in a planned addition to the Independence Square building which currently houses our Physical Therapy and Exercise Science programs.

Feinstein Center for a Hunger-Free America

• The Alan Shawn Feinstein College for Continuing Education is proposing the establishment of the Feinstein Center for a Hunger-Free America. The hunger center will be a focal point for experiential opportunities at the University of Rhode Island. Opportunities for personal involvement, including credit-bearing internships through the Office of Internships and Experiential Education (formally University Year for Action), as well as through the Clearinghouse for Volunteers will be available.

Leadership Studies Minor

• Hunger cessation also will become a highly visible track in the existing Leadership Studies Minor. Beginning with the Freshman Leadership Institute and throughout the program’s four years of study, internships, and service opportunities for hunger advocacy will be an ongoing action focus.

Urban Initiative

• Emanating primarily from the Providence campus will be a series of activities under the title Urban Initiative. They will include service learning experiences for students, a public Policy Institute, and applied research in urban issues (education, hunger, race, immigration, housing, crime, environmental health, mass transit, urban design, planning and economics).

• Urban areas throughout the State will partner with URI to design courses, internships, consulting and joint funding proposals to attack a broad range of urban problems. Such partnerships may yield credit and non-credit course offerings that could lead to a certificate or a concentration in one of our degree programs.

Charter School

The University will explore establishing a Charter School in response to legislation (98-142) enabling universities to be sponsoring entities. The school will serve low-income, multi-racial Providence students in grades 9-12. This initiative is teacher-driven based on the active participation of the University in the Providence schools through the URI Guaranteed Admissions Program (GAP) and the Partnership for College and Employment (PACE). The project will be open to collaboration with other postsecondary institutions and will be guided by the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Environmental Biotechnology

• To support the Environmental Biotechnology Initiative, the facility plan will be adjusted to include the construction of the second floor of the Biological Sciences Building.

Engineered Products Consortium

• The College of Business and the Department of Computer Science are participating in the Engineered Products Consortium. Dean Edward Mazze is serving as a Member of the Board of Directors. The Consortium recently received funding from a Samuel Slater Technology Grant and will begin operation in the coming year.

Computing Collaboratory

• The College of Engineering and Department of Computer Science of the College of Arts and Sciences are developing the Computing Collaboratory to introduce a multidisciplinary concept in enhancing teaching, research, and outreach related to all computing related programs. A major proposal was submitted to the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support the proposed Collaboratory.

Partnership in Forensic Science

• In addition to the Partnership in Forensic Science, an initiative in this field that will result in programs of study and collaborative research projects is being considered. It would include scientists in Chemistry and related fields and the professionals affiliated with the State Crime Laboratory.

Sustainable Communities

• The emerging collaboration for Sustainable Communities has strong links to the recently funded Transportation Center. Linking these two activities will allow the Sustainable Communities group to incorporate state-of-the-art transportation technology into its planning, design and decision-making activities.

World Leadership Program

• The goal of the World Leadership Program is to facilitate the development of leadership skills for students who demonstrate a commitment to multiculturalism and concern for global issues, including study or work in developing countries. The program will sponsor fellowship awards that will enable students to develop skills in citizenship, community responsibility, employment, problem solving, communication, and working with others.

Distance Education

• The Nurse Midwifery Program is pursuing a distance education program using PictureTel for Masters’ students at the University of Vermont.

• The University’s Libraries are participating in a distance-learning initiative between the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health and Trinity (VT) College by offering access to library services and resources, beginning in May 2000.

Program Development

• Consideration and development of programs in the following areas are ongoing:

• The College of the Environment and Life Sciences plans on developing the Master's of Environmental Science and Management (a non-thesis master’s degree) this coming year which would replace the non-thesis option M.S. degree that was developed this past year.

• A number of departments/programs in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences wish to initiate a second "umbrella" M.S. and Ph.D. degree in Life Sciences. Like the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Science, this umbrella degree would replace those Life Science degrees in Plant Sciences, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Food Science and Nutrition, Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science, and perhaps Natural Resources Science. Therefore, students could apply for graduate admission to the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees in either Environmental Science or Life Sciences.

• The College of Pharmacy and the College of Business are exploring a Doctor of Pharmacy/Master’s of Business Administration (PharmD/MBA) option for students.

New Minors

• Consideration is also underway for possible enhancement of the offerings or development of new minors in the following areas:

Centers Approval

• Board of Governors approval will be sought for the following Centers which currently have provisional status:

• Funding will be sought to enhance or establish the following:

Other

• The University is exploring a plan to link URI and the University of the Aegean.

• The University will continue to develop connections with the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation to enhance the research activity of the University in the context of the economic development of Rhode Island.

• The Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Graduate Studies and Outreach will continue to develop internships, investment, and collaborative arrangements with the private sector.

• The University plans to extend sponsorship of the Electronic Town Meetings to other colleges.

• A Film Studies Committee comprised of 11 faculty is leading the effort to develop a major. A draft proposal is nearing completion for the Film Studies major, including a statement of objectives and a list of course requirements.

• The University continues to demonstrate a commitment to global education as a hallmark of the undergraduate and graduate experience at URI. This year we will appoint a Director for the Office of International Education so that service to both students and faculty can be improved.