KINGSTON, R.I. – Oct. 09, 2026 – The Academic Enhancement Center recently celebrated the grand opening of its newly renovated drop-in space inside the Robert L. Carothers Library. The AEC, part of the Fannon Institute for Student Success, provides a broad range of academic support services, including academic coaching, writing and speaking assistance, and tutoring.
Its mission is to help students successfully navigate the demands of their coursework. The newly renovated space was made possible through a donation from Diane ’74 and Kent ’74 Fannon.
The AEC receives more than 15,000 visits annually, supporting students across a variety of disciplines, including nursing, math, business, writing and chemistry.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house featured remarks from AEC Director Jennifer Burgess and Fannon Institute for Student Success Executive Director Kim Stack. The event also gave Diane and Kent an opportunity to connect with tutors and explore the new technology now available to students in the renovated space.
“Kent and Diane hadn’t seen the space at all and they were really impressed by it,” said Burgess. “I think any time you make a financial contribution, it’s one thing to be told how the money is being spent, but it’s another to physically see and hear about its impact. I think the open house served as a powerful reminder of how impactful donations like these can be.”
During the ceremony, Burgess shared before-and-after photos highlighting the transformation of the space, noting that the drop-in area had long needed upgrades. Improvements to the space include wall-mounted TV screens, enhancing tutors’ ability to better share visual materials and allowing students to see from wherever they’re sitting. A state-of-the-art speaker system will also allow audio to be projected to specific areas or throughout the entire space.
“On the screen dedicated to biology tutoring, we had the virtual reality software up and in the next pod we also had a chemistry tutor hook up his computer to show the periodic table while talking to people about what he loves about tutoring.,” said Burgess.
The renovated space reflects the center’s commitment to student success while creating new opportunities for collaboration, engagement and academic growth. For Burgess, the event underscored the value of the relationships formed between student tutors and their peers.
“The part that was really fulfilling for me was that people got to see the relationships we cultivate every day between our student staff and those students they are working with who may be struggling and are seeking academic support. It’s incredible to watch those relationships flourish,” said Burgess.
The Academic Enhancement Center’s drop-in space is open Monday through Thursday from noon to 7 p.m. Students can also schedule appointments with an AEC tutor via: https://web.uri.edu/aec/scheduling/.