KINGSTON, R.I. – Aug. 26, 2024 – The University of Rhode Island is set to welcome thousands of new and returning students for the start of the 2024-25 academic year. Fall semester classes officially begin at the state’s flagship public research university on Sept. 4.

Student move-in days begin Friday, Aug. 30, and run through Monday, Sept. 2. URI President Marc Parlange will greet and visit with students and families throughout move-in and give new students their official New Ram Welcome on Sept. 3.

RhodyFest will take place Sept. 1 on the URI Quadrangle and in front of the Memorial Union.

Over 3,100 new students attended orientation this summer, getting a better understanding of academics and student life at URI. Welcoming events for new undergraduate students take place as part of O-Week (Aug. 30–Sept. 6) leading up to the start of classes.

The Student Entertainment Committee kicks off a year of student activities with an evening of comedy with SNL’s Chloe Fineman on Sept. 3 in Edwards Hall. Tickets are on sale now, for students and the general public. The Ryan Center is also hosting a conversation with Max Greenfield and Jake Johnson from the TV show New Girl on Sept. 16. Visit here for details and get on the cyber club email list for future show updates.

President Parlange will deliver the annual State of the University Address on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 3:30 p.m. in Edwards Auditorium.

Interest in the state’s flagship research university reached an all-time high this year. URI received a record 26,900 first-year undergraduate applications for the fall 2024 semester, as well as a record number of applications to its graduate programs. Approximately 3,100 first-year students will join more than 500 transfer students, more than 2,000 graduate students, and thousands of returning URI students, to comprise a student body of more than 17,000 when classes start.

URI’s Graduate School also saw an increase of more than 25% in applications and a 50% increase in inquiries last year.

Students at URI have more than 200 student organizations to choose to be involved with. New and returning students can access URInvolved to find student organizations to join. The new platform, launched last year, saw nearly 1,000 events submitted in its first year. Many organizations will be at RhodyFest on Sept. 1.

Registration for Project Connect starts Aug. 30. The six-week program begins Sept. 16. New students can get to know others and learn more about options at the University via one-hour weekly sessions. It’s the second year for the program, which helps build connection and community through weekly small-group discussions led by student peer facilitators. New students are able to learn about campus events, resources and meet new people. Visit here for details.

A Community Voter Registration Drive will take place on the Quad on Sept. 24.

The Multicultural Student Services Center will hold a Welcome Back get-together on the MSSC Patio on the afternoon of Sept. 3.

Annual Quad Fest takes place Oct. 1 and includes the URI Student Organizations Fair, Rhody the Ram, lawn games, music, food, the Peckham Farm petting zoo, National Guard Rock Wall and more. URI Public Safety will be providing complimentary hot dogs, grilled cheese and popcorn for students.

About our students

-Approximately 5,500 students will live in 26 on-campus residence halls this fall, including 14 Living and Learning Communities. More than 600 students will reside in 16 fraternity/sorority houses on campus, another 73 will live in designated International Engineering Program housing, and 35 Talent Development program scholars will reside in the Talent Development Achievement House.

-This fall’s student body represents 47 different states and more than 65 countries.

-More than 30% of new students are the first in their family to attend college.

-URI is welcoming 311 students to the Talent Development program this year. TD has a total of 973 scholars at the University and a “TD Nation” alumni base more than 4,700 strong.

-With six sophomores selected this year, URI is the top-producing institution of NOAA Hollings Scholars in the nation for the second time in three years.

-URI was also the only public institution represented among this year’s 14 Rhodes finalists in District One (Boston).

-Approximately $1.2 million in nationally competitive awards went to URI students and recent alumni to pursue high impact educational opportunities, including 10 U.S. Department of State Gilman Scholars and four U.S. Department of Defense Boren Scholars.

Fall campus happenings

Nearly 400 students involved in Greek Life at URI are volunteering to help during first-year move in. URI Greek Life was recognized as a YMCA Y Hero recently, for students’ charitable work with the YMCA last year. In spring 2024, the Greek community at URI raised $170,000 during Greek Week to support Project Outreach, the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Research Foundation and Ronald McDonald House.

The annual Free Farmers Market opens Thursday, Sept. 5. The award-winning market offers fresh produce grown in URI’s Teaching Garden and at East Farm free to URI students. The market takes place weekly on Thursdays on the Quad, with a new satellite option outside of Mackal-Tootell through October.

This year’s fall Honors Colloquium will examine “Democracy in Peril.” The free annual educational forum brings experts to the University annually to examine issues of national and local relevance; the series will open on Sept. 17. The colloquium is free, open to the public, and also available online.

URI’s Center for the Humanities will also host a yearlong lecture series on “Sustaining Democracy,” beginning Sept. 26.

The URI Theatre season will begin in October with Machinal by Sophie Treadwell leading the 2024–25 season, directed by Rachel Walshe. See uri.edu/theatre for details.

This year’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge is focused on democracy, to correspond with the Fall 2024 Honors Colloquium. Students from all majors are invited to generate creative ideas to address social, political, environmental, and economic problems through democratic innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Forensic Science Seminar Series, which celebrated 25 years last year, starts in September. Public lectures take place in the Beaupre Center on Friday afternoons and are viewable online.

URI’s annual Be 5K Walk/Run for Mental Health Awareness will be held Oct. 19 on the Quad. Proceeds support mental health programs for students.

Other notable happenings and events

The University is celebrating a 25-year milestone for the International Engineering Program House, which opened on Upper College Road to house students in the program in 1999. The IEP has since expanded to include programs in six different languages.

¡Celebración Hispana! opens on Sept. 3 in the URI Welcome Center and Green Hall. The exhibit will be on display through December, presenting work in a variety of media by artists from the Caribbean, Central and South America.

URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography hosts Science Saturday on Sept. 7 at the Narragansett Bay Campus.

This year’s third annual FloURIsh Fest is happening on Sept. 11, hosted by Campus Recreation. Stop by the Quad from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for interactive booths and activities from a variety of departments and organizations to help you floURIsh at URI. This event is free for students and the URI community.

The College of Arts and Sciences will host a beam-signing ceremony at the Fine Arts Center on Sept. 19.

URI is a top Military Friendly University and maritime center of excellence in education and research. This year’s Sea Services Symposium takes place on Sept. 27 on the Quad, to expose URI students to the opportunities and career paths in maritime government service and maritime industries supporting government missions and the Blue Economy.

On Sept. 28, all first-year engineering students are invited to enter a Cardboard Boat Race, constructing a boat out of cardboard and duct tape.

On Oct. 3, URI will host a progress celebration at the Narragansett Bay Campus to share updates on the campus revitalization project, including the construction of the University’s new Ocean Robotics Lab. Supported by Rhode Island voters who approved bond referendums in 2022 and 2018, along with state support, the renewal of the Narragansett Bay Campus will ensure URI maintains its position as a global leader in the Blue Economy.

Homecoming Weekend will take place Oct. 25–27, with the Rhodyville block party starting at 10 a.m., before the football game on Oct. 26 against Maine. Family Weekend takes place Nov. 1–3, with Sal Vulcano and Joe Gatto and more.

URI Transportation and Parking has a new vehicle for its Rhody Safe Rides which provides community members with a safe and accessible alternative after hours. Last year, URI Transportation and Parking introduced a new vehicle that provides better access for students and employees with disabilities. Students, faculty and staff can schedule rides using the TransLoc App Monday through Friday 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., on the Kingston Campus, Emporium and to and from the Kingston Amtrak train station.

For more information on any of the items listed here, please visit the University of Rhode Island website at uri.edu. And download the Rhody Connect app for regular community updates.