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Bryant University Profile

Providence, Rhode Island

Bryant University Campus Profile

Bryant University, formerly Bryant College was established in 1863 as a private business and liberal arts & technology institution. The school is composed of 2 undergraduate, and 1 graduate school offering the above-mentioned programs within the City of Providence’s northwestern suburb of Smithfield Rhode Island. Bryant’s network of private educational facilities offers comprehensive undergraduate programs in several different business and technology fields including information technology, applied mathematics and statistics, international business, and cultural studies. Bryant prepares students for careers in the above-mentioned undergraduate schools through educational, and student workshop programs. The school itself is located in suburban Smithfield Rhode Island, which is approximately 20 minutes west to downtown Providence.

The campus footprint is unique for a small New England business school because it’s located within the town of Smithfield with it’s park like property and sprawling campus footprint, which helps students enjoy natural landscapes throughout the year. The area can be considered a rural/ suburban community with several miles of forests, and farmland. Bryant is very spread out geographically for a small school with facilities starting on Douglass Pike (Route # 7) to the east and continuing along to Jacob Drive on the southern end of the campus map. Mowry Road marks the western edge of campus while Rogler Farm Road marks the northern point of the campus.

As you can see, the school’s footprint is large for a private suburban business school with 420 acres. Bryant’s educational landscape offers students a professional education while still allowing students to enjoy a close-knit city community. The Smithfield campus offers students a college town community without boundaries within 20 minutes of the state’s largest city. The campus has approximately 46 buildings including lecture, residential, research, athletic, campus life resource centers, and dining facilities. The internal campus setting also provides students, employees, and alumni with several types of services including health, physical fitness, library, cultural meeting places, and several large playing fields and green areas.

The issue of student housing on campus is not a challenge for Bryant because the school is located in a suburban environment with a large number of student housing resources. Bryant guarantees housing for students for all 4 years, currently the school has approximately 2,849 students living on campus which, is about 83% of it’s students. The school actively competes for local real estate resources within the general area of the school to help students enjoy campus life.

The physical layout of Bryant’s campus fits well for a suburban school because the landscape is situated within a large park like property that overlooks a forest of several miles of trees. The school has a main entrance off Douglass Pike the leads visitors past a public safety guard station on your way to the administrative hall. Campus facilities can be found on the quad outside of the Bryant Center with students being welcomed to Bryant within the same area. The school uses natural waist high stonewalls and landscaping as natural barriers for entrance to it’s buildings campus and it doesn’t have any formal gates or metal fencing as barriers to the campus. Another interesting observation about this community is the students themselves. Bryant is a very mixed community with students from several northern states who wear Bulldog apparel in the area, and you will also find students embracing the business culture on campus by wearing suits and formal wear and not relieving school colors.

Bryant University has developed 3 freshman resident facilities within the campus landscape to provide housing that’s in close proximity to several campus life areas, including lecture halls, and the student center for easy access to student facilities. The school also has a large suite village of approximately 14 buildings offering upgraded housing facilities, and finally a large townhouse community that offers apartment style living for upperclassman. The townhouse village has approximately 15 buildings located on the southwestern edge of campus.

The internal campus setting provides students and employees with several types of student services including athletic facilities, television & radio stations, library services, and cultural meeting places and dining halls. Bryant’s observed focal points of reference during the campus tour were the row of buildings along the main academic quad outside the Bello Center for Information and Technology, and the Bryant Center. Students use these multi-story facilities to work, socialize and talk about school and life. The external observed focal points for the school could be found along Putnam Pike (Route 44) in Smithfield with several retail, and chain restaurants within a 10-minute drive off campus.

Bryant is a small sized suburban business school that has links to Providence on a 24-hour basis including government buildings & services, music & theatre productions, sporting & cultural events, museums, nightlife, and restaurants. Bryant also provides van service (Bryant Transit Authority or BTA) that also allows students to enjoy the above mentioned local retail shops and nightlife on Thayer Street in Providence by connecting to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) bus, and trolley services.

The published demographic information for the university describes a culturally diverse student population with students from all across the world. Bryant has developed several different programs, within it’s educational network to offer students a business and technology education format to enhance it’s commitment to different types of career endeavors. Below is a description of demographics for Bryant’s campus in Providence Rhode Island.

The school is home to approximately 1,848 male, and 1,345 female full, and 80 male, and 91 female part time students. The university also has 235 male, and 134 female students enrolled in graduate school programs. The average age of a freshman is 18 years old. 84% of students are from out of state, mostly the northeast States. Students on campus provide a diverse multi-cultural makeup including students from 31 states, 45 foreign countries, and Canada. 85% of Bryant students are white, 3% are African American, 3% Asian Americans, and 4% are Hispanic, and 4% race unknown.

Published Academic Standards for Admission Programs

Bryant University has a small educational system, which offers business, technology, and liberal arts programs. Below is a specific list of under graduate admission requirements.

Student Housing

The purpose of student housing is to provide safe and reasonable accommodations for students living away from home. The issue of housing and dormitory life is a critical element of overall campus life because students spend a large amount of time in their rooms. Student housing units historically come in 3 different styles including traditional corridor, suite, and apartment style units.

Bryant guarantees housing for all it’s students who have filed their intent to attend the school by the stated deadline. Housing selection is available through a lottery system for upper classman who have continuously registered as full time students. Bryant currently has 2,849 students living on campus, which is approximately 83% of it’s students. Housing resources for freshman students on campus are situated within several different villages including the Freshman Quad. Bryant also has suite villages, and townhouse campus apartments off Douglass Pike. The school has developed apartment style-housing units for upper classman within the campus to keep more upperclassman on campus. Information about housing can be found on the quick links page of this document.

Off Campus Housing

Bryant University has been described as a small suburban residential community in commuter distance to Providence. The reason I have mentioned the overall community of Smithfield is to re-assert the point that Bryant’s network of affiliated campuses has encapsulated it’s real estate holdings within the area. The campus footprint allows almost every student to have housing within walking distance to the campus. The issue of off campus housing has a different feel to it compared to other university off campus housing demands.

The demand for housing, especially off campus housing is usually a tough issue for institutions attempting to keep students within the general geographical area. Bryant students usually don’t look for off campus housing around Smithfield because it’s a family friendly bedroom community, they travel south on Douglass Pike to Providence’s Smith Hill community where they can share off campus housing resources with Providence College & Johnson & Wales students. Multi-story/ student friendly housing units can be found down the hill on Eaton Street, and Douglas Ave. Information about off campus housing can be found on the Bryant’s quick links page of this document.

Campus Life

Bryant is a multi-cultural campus environment that provides students with an excellent social, and educational atmosphere. The admissions demographics paint a picture of a very diverse community with students from all over the world. The local community of Smithfield and Providence Rhode Island only adds to the school’s international status because the community has multi-cultural roots as well. Bryant also addresses the issue of ecology in a positive way. The physical environment is reasonably clean and well maintained and the economic conditions are favorable to students and local residents due to the available services in walking distance to the school.

The emotional climate of the entire community is social because students are involved with local community groups and professional organizations. An observation of this very positive emotional climate can be found by looking at the student flyers posted throughout the campus on walls, doors, windows, and light poles. These flyers describe upcoming activities and they invite all students to enjoy the clubs, sporting events & intramurals, and public discussions on world events. Bryant’s students went as far as hanging banners outside residence halls to invite students to attend social events on campus, which was very welcoming. I also observed the universities Greek organizations presence on campus with students collecting donations for several local charities outside the student center during my visit.

This issue of school culture and emotional attachment is also a very important part of campus life because everyone wants to have a connection and emotional fit to their new school and community. Bryant has done a great job developing positive social systems with it’s students by providing a series of coordinated programs including workshops and seminars for freshman students. This type of process provides a foundation for learning and personal growth providing over 74 academic clubs, student organizations, and over 19 intramural sports activities for men, and women. The university also has 6 national fraternities for men, and 3 national sororities for women.

Campus life on campus at Bryant can be considered very active due to several notable student venues including the Bryant Center,, and the student recreational facility called the Chace Center . Bryant also has a continuing education and career center inside the Amica Center to help students prepare for the business world after college. These on campus facilities allows students to enjoy more than academic excellence, it gives them the opportunity to experience school sports, fraternities, and cultural events, on, and off campus. Bryant currently participates in 22 NCAA Division I Varsity Sports for Men, and women.

Finally, Bryant University is an attractive institution because it offers students real world professional experiences in Providence and nearby Boston, while providing social relationships with local organizations and community groups through student activities for everyone to enjoy throughout the year. The college also thrives on it’s physical and intellectual relationships with several local colleges and universities including Brown University & the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) located in the College Hill section of Providence, and Providence College in western Providence with Smith Hill.

These schools connect to each other on several RIPTA Bus Lines as part of Providence’s mass transit system. Students at Bryant can also enjoy student life in Boston, which is 1 hour away by train. Students flock to Boston each year to enjoy the city campus lifestyle in regard to activities, socialization, theatre, sports, and history.

Public Transportation

Bryant University has a large student parking permit population due to it’s suburban location but the school has developed a student shuttle van system (BTA) that connects students with several areas of Providence including College Hill , and Smith Hill on the western side of the city. This valuable van service connects non-drivers to the city through several different shuttle bus & trolley routes. In formation about this service can be found on the quick links page of this document. The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) has several bus stops on College Hill and Brown University, and Smith Hill for Providence College. This valuable service connects to all of Providence’s transit lines and regional train services for Amtrak and T.F. Green Airport.

Regional Public transportation resources can be found within Providence Station on Gaspee Street that link with trains to suburban Massachusetts, and lines to suburban Rhode Island (Newport) through (RIPTA & MBTA). Amtrak also uses Providence Station as a major hub within it’s Northeast Corridor. This complex train system also allows riders the ability to travel to downtown Boston, T.F. Green, and Logan Airport in approximately 45 minutes. People who live, work, and visit Providence usually travel by some type of mass transit. Students should be encouraged to purchase a metro card to get around. Mass transit information can be found at: www.RIPTA.com

Providence itself is located within close proximity to the 2 northeastern states of Massachusetts, and Connecticut, which make it convenient to several suburban communities and highway networks. The city itself also has several main roadways that connect the community to major state highways including the Rhode Island Turnpike (Route 95) that links Boston and suburban Connecticut, which is the main highway corridor on the eastern seaboard. Shopping, restaurants, and national hotel chains can be found within these major transportation networks after a short drive from the campus.

Community Profile

The Smithfield area of Rhode Island has been described in different ways, including a quiet family community with it’s student population, and natural neighborhood architecture, and a corporate friendly business centers for growing international ventures. The town also has a welcoming feel to it because it’s home to several farms and apple orchards all within 15 minutes of the state’s largest city with numerous historical restaurants, performing arts, museums, and finally sporting venues. Rhode Island is also a coastal community situated within 45 minutes of Boston, and 45 minutes to the sailing capital of the world Newport RI. The footprint of the community also seems to be split into several different neighborhoods including several corporate campuses on eastern edge of town, and residential communities on the western edge, Bryant University seems to be situated in the middle.

The neighborhood has a normal amount of restaurants, retail, and entertainment resources for a small campus community. The park like area can also be considered a commuter/ residential community with colonial style homes, apartment buildings, and farms lining several miles of the town. The community also has several shopping areas on Putnam Pike located in the heart of Smithfield on the southern edge of town. Student population, local municipal resources, and historical neighborhood architecture can be found within these areas of the neighborhood.

The following demographics for the Town of Smithfield RI describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 20,613 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Bryant has a strong relationship with this diverse community. An example of this commitment can be observed through Bryant’s community services handbook that describes educational programs, health care programs and services, legal programs and services to local residents who may require community help.

A Census Bureau community survey highlights several characteristics to describe the population including: 48% of residents are male, 52 are female. 97% of residents are white, 1% is African American, 1% is Hispanic or Latino, and 1% are Asian. The median age of population is 39 years old. 80% of residents are 18 years old or over, 70% over 21 years old, and 17% of town residents is over the age of 65. The issue of housing in Smithfield is also interesting. 97% of all housing units within the town are occupied. 22% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 78% of units are owner-occupied. Only 3% of total available housing was vacant.

Bryant University Quick Links Page

Smithfield Rhode Island Area Hotel Quick Links

Comfort Inn & Suites 1010 Douglass Pike Smithfield, Rhode Island 02917
Hampton Inn 945 Douglass Pike Smithfield, Rhode Island 02917

Below is a sample list of local restaurants in Smithfield RI. National restaurant chains & shopping resources can be found on Route# 44 (Putnam Pike), and Route # 7 (Douglass Pike). The interstate highway (Routes 295 & 95) also has several above mentioned resources. Below is a sample list of hotel and restaurant resources in nearby Providence RI (20 Minute Drive).

A&W (Hamburgers & Fries/ National Chain) Putnam Ave

Additional restaurants can be found inside Smithfield Crossings on Putnam Pike.

Providence Rhode Island Area Hotel Quick

Providence Biltmore Hotel
11 Dollance Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
Courtyard by Marriott Downtown
32 Exchange Terrace
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
The Hotel Providence
139 Mathewson Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
Radisson Hotel Providence Harbor
220 India Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
Providence Marriott Downtown
1 Orms Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02904
Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown
58 Weybosset Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
Providence Hilton
21 Atwells Avenue
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
The Westin Providence
1 W.Exchange Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02903

Below is a list of accommodations approximately 20 minutes from Providence College within the T.F. Green Airport facility in Warwick Rhode Island.

Sheraton Providence Airport
1850 Post Road
Warwick, Rhode Island 02886
Radisson Providence Airport
2081 Post Road
Warwick, Rhode Island 02886

City of Providence Transportation Links

Providence Regional Train & Bus Services

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Regional train service to Boston via the Providence/Stoughton Line. Line originates at Providence Station, 100 Gaspee Street.

Organized Tours of Providence Rhode Island

Restaurants in Providence Rhode Island

Complete information about hotels, restaurants, shopping, museums, and general tourism activities in nearby Boston Massachusetts can be found in the document “ Everything in Boston” on the Your College Profile web site.

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