Media invited to meet president, students Friday, Sept. 3

Parlange to greet students, families from 9 to noon.

WHO: University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange, Vice President for Student Affairs Kathy Collins and thousands of URI students, many of whom are entering their first year at the University. Parlange, Collins and members of URI’s Housing and Residential Life team and fellow students will offer a warm welcome to the incoming students on the third day of move-in.

Students making up the Class of 2025 come to URI after at least three semesters of high school undertaken in uncertainty due to the pandemic. First-year students were selected from a record-setting 25,107 applications. These students will join approximately 500 transfer students, more than 2,000 graduate students, a number of Finish What You Started students, thousands of returning URI students, and hundreds of students who will be concurrently enrolled in high school and at URI, to comprise a student body of approximately 17,000.

WHAT: Nearly 5,700 students will live in 27 on-campus residences this fall, including 17 Living and Learning Communities. In addition, approximately 650 students will reside in 15 private fraternity/sorority houses on campus, and another 75 will live in designated International Engineering Program housing. This year will be the first year for Talent Development Achievement housing for approximately 30 high-achieving TD students. The new dedicated housing will also include learning spaces and TD offices. 

The 2021-2022 academic year starts with the first day of classes Sept. 8 at the University of Rhode Island with what is expected to be a “near normal” fall semester that will include mostly in-person classes, and in-person athletic, academic, and cultural events, though some COVID-19-related policies will be in place to protect the health of the University community.

WHEN: Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, 9 a.m. to noon.

WHERE: The campus residential area along Butterfield Road. Parlange and Collins will begin at the Memorial Union on Lower College Road, walk to Hillside Hall and continue to Butterfield Road where the majority of residence halls are located.

TO INTERVIEW PRESIDENT PARLANGE AND MAKE COVERAGE ARRANGEMENTS: Contact Dave Lavallee, URI Marketing and Communications, 401-874-5862, cell, 401-465-4291, email, dlavallee@uri.edu.