This academic year, my final year as president of the University of Rhode Island, reminds me of the central theme of my inauguration in 2010: The future is not predetermined, and we have the opportunity to create the future we wish to see for ourselves and those who follow us. The stories in these pages reflect the URI community’s enduring capacity to recognize some of the most important challenges we face in building a better future: infectious disease; climate change; the global contamination of our environment and food supplies by plastics and other pollutants; hunger that threatens our ability to learn and to thrive; and social injustice that threatens the fabric of human societies in America and across the world. Undaunted by the public health crisis, political turmoil, and the longstanding crisis of systemic racism that have dominated the first year of this new decade, URI students, faculty, and alumni are innovating and finding creative ways to address the most pressing and threatening issues of our times.
URI has weathered–so far–the extraordinary threats and challenges of 2020. Prior to the COVID-19 onslaught, we had received the highest number of applications in our history, validation that students and their families recognize the tremendous value of an education at the University of Rhode Island. Despite the uncertainties presented by the pandemic, we enrolled an impressive 3,345 students. We acknowledge, of course, the potential for COVID-related adjustments to these numbers, despite our having put into place comprehensive and sophisticated safety and health measures.
Austin Pare ’23 (on truck) moved into Hillside Hall this fall with help from her mom, Kristen Woodman and stepdad, Michael Harvey. The Essex, Massachusetts, native and nursing major says she was excited to come back this fall after feeling like her first year was “stripped away from me right when I was finally feeling comfortable.” Because of COVID-19, students in URI residence halls are not permitted to have visitors from other buildings. “That rule makes it harder to make new friends,” says Pare, “but I joined the women’s Ultimate Frisbee team and am rushing a sorority in order to meet new people this year. It isn’t challenging to live on campus because our building staff has been so supportive and professors reach out to students and answer questions the best that they can. It is definitely important to know that there are people on campus to support us during this time.”
Throughout the spring and summer, the faculty and staff worked tirelessly to prepare for this academic year. By August, we were ready to teach and our students were ready to learn. Creating a 24/7 learning environment has been a University priority for a decade, and the pandemic served as an accelerant for the delivery of an unparalleled online academic experience. In fact, URI is the only university in Rhode Island to receive a Tier 1 designation from Educate to Career for having the systems required to deliver its full curriculum online and in-classroom. Building on URI’s institutional strengths, we are preparing our students for the “next normal,” enabling them to pursue their studies while bolstering their resiliency and resourcefulness.
And that is really the heart of our mission. We have long embraced our role in developing and launching multidimensional global citizens with excellent academic credentials who are also capable of navigating rapid change. The pandemic has certainly reinforced the value, indeed the necessity, of this part of our mission.
Our ambitious Big Ideas. Bold Plans. The Campaign for the University of Rhode Island will serve as a catalyst for further development of URI as a learning-centered research university. Thanks to your generosity, we are already starting to see the impact of Big Ideas. Bold Plans. Recent graduates like Leah Hopkins ’20, profiled in this issue, exemplify the transformative effect of higher education. Leah’s URI experience has shaped her critical work to raise awareness of Indigenous people and their contributions to our country. And, in turn, Leah’s influence has changed the URI community.
Whatever the future holds, I am confident that we will continue to be inspired by the stories that define our University and its bright future.
David M. Dooley
President, University of Rhode Island