University of Rhode Island

The University of Rhode Island, commonly abbreviated as U.R.I., is the principal public research university in the State of Rhode Island, with its main campus in Kingston, Rhode Island, and three other campuses located throughout the state. URI has 10,320 undergraduates and 3,115 graduate students. It is a land grant, sea grant, and urban grant institution.

History

The University was first chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The site of the school was originally the Oliver Watson Farm, and the original farmhouse still lies on the campus today. In 1892, the school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. The first class was comprised of only seventeen students, and they graduated two years later. In 1909, the school's name was again changed to Rhode Island State College and the school's programs expanded beyond its original mandate. In 1951, the college became the University of Rhode Island by an act of the General Assembly. The Board of Governors for Higher Education, appointed by the governor, became the governing body of the University in 1981.

Academics

The University comprises ten colleges:

University College - mainly for incoming or undecided undergraduates
College of Arts and Sciences - natural sciences, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, fine arts
College of Continuing Education - focused on older or part-time students
College of Business Administration
College of Engineering - electrical engineering, computer engineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, ocean engineering
College of Environment and Life Science - biology, landscape architecture, geosciences, food sciences, plant sciences, natural resource sciences, marine affairs, environmental and natural resource economics
College of Human Science and Services - communicative disorders, human development and family studies, education, physical education, textiles, and fashion merchandising and design
College of Nursing
College of Pharmacy
Graduate School of Oceanography

Athletics

The University of Rhode Island Department of Athletics and Recreation offers 22 intercollegiate sports (12 women and 10 for men) and 17 club sports programs. The university is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association, and the NCAA Division I (Division I-AA for football). The wide range of athletic facilities include the Ryan Center, Keaney Gymnasium, Meade Stadium, Mackal Field House, Tootell Aquatic Center, Boss Ice Arena, URI Soccer Complex, Beck Field and URI Softball Field. Other facilities available for students include fitness rooms, indoor track, swimming and diving pools, twelve tennis courts, and two beach volleyball courts, among others.

The team colors are light blue (formerly officially referred to as "Keaney blue"), white and navy blue. According to school legend, the color was refined by legendary coach Frank Keaney (who was also a chemistry teacher) to distinguish the teams on the field. (It is worth noting, however, that this color was already in use by two other popular schools, Columbia and North Carolina, at the time of its inception.) The school's mascot is a ram. It was chosen in 1923 as tribute to the school's agricultural history. There has not been a live ram at the school since 1974, with "Rhody," a student in an anthropomorphic ram costume, roaming the sidelines in his place.[http://gorhody.cstv.com/genrel/091803aab.html

Student Organizations

Student organizations are funded by the Student Senate, which is in turn funded by fees levied on all students. Prominent organizations are:

Student Entertainment Committee (SEC) - organizes large concerts and other campuswide entertainment, including comedians, guest speakers, and special activities; notable events in the 2005-2006 school year included concerts by Kanye West and My Chemical Romance, a show by stand-up comedian Dane Cook, and various free 'Daytime Distractions'.
WRIU - campus radio
The Good 5 Cent Cigar - campus newspaper
URI Students for Social Change - www.urissc.org
Local branches of national organizations such as: Hillel, the Association for Computing Machinery, Model UN

Traditions and Trivia

A rifled cannon, fired by the ROTC students in the 19th century, burst on the Quadrangle. The school placed the barrel of said cannon, known as "Ben Butler", in a permanent mount, guarding the Quad.

Butterfield Dining and Residence Hall is referred to as "The Butt".

Roger Williams Dining Hall is referred to as "Ro-Jo's," a reference to the old Howard Johnson's restaurants.

Many off-campus students live "down the line" in Narragansett or Matunuck.

Film

The film "Outside Providence" shot its private school sequences at Green Hall, among other locations at the Kingston Campus.

External links

Land-grant universities | Sea-grant universities | University of Rhode Island | Atlantic 10 Conference