University of Rhode Island Campus Profile

The University of Rhode Island was established in 1892 as a public health, business and liberal arts & technology institution. The school is composed of 8 undergraduate, and 3 graduate schools offering the above-mentioned programs within the rural town of Kingston Rhode Island. URI’s network of public educational facilities offers comprehensive undergraduate programs in several different public health, business, engineering, biological science, and computer technology fields. The University prepares students for careers in the above-mentioned undergraduate schools through educational, and student workshop programs. The school itself is located in rural Rhode Island, which is approximately 40 minutes north to downtown Providence.

The campus footprint is typical of a rural state school because it’s located within the town of Kingston with it’s park like property and sprawling campus footprint, which helps students enjoy natural landscapes throughout the year. The area can also be considered a rural/ coastal community with several miles of forests, farmland, and the nearby coastal community of Narragansett Rhode Island. URI is very spread out geographically for a state school with facilities starting on Route # 138 to the south and continuing along from Plains Road to the west, to Old North Road to the east. Flagg Road marks the northern edge of campus map.

As you can see, the school’s footprint is large for a rural public school with 1,248 acres. The University’s educational landscape offers students a professional education while still allowing students to enjoy a close-knit city community. The Kingston campus offers students a college town community within 10 minutes of the beach, and 40 minutes to the state’s largest city. The campus has approximately 314 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 URI because the school is located in a rural environment with a large number of students commuting to the university on a daily basis. URI guarantees housing for students that file a request for housing before May 1 of each year, currently the school has approximately 4,100 students living on campus which, is about 45% 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 URI’s campus fits well for a rural 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 Route # 138 the leads visitors to a welcome station off Upper College Road, Undergraduate Admissions and administrative, and academic buildings can be found on this main campus road. Student housing facilities can be found on the quad off Butterfield Road between West Alumni Ave and Baird Hill Road. 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. URI is a mixed community with students from Rhode Island and several northern states who wear URI apparel in the area, and you will also find students embracing the Greek culture on campus by wearing Greek shirts and hats.

The University of Rhode Island has developed several 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 union for easy access to student facilities. The school has also developed a Graduate Village for upperclassman offering upgraded housing facilities for families and graduate students. URI also offers upperclassman suite style, and apartment style housing facilities including the Gateway Apartments. And finally, URI has several fraternity & Sorority houses located within Fraternity Circle off Route # 138 on the western edge of campus. The internal campus setting provides students and employees with several types of student services including athletic facilities, library services, and cultural meeting places and dining halls. RIU’s observed focal points of reference during the campus tour were the row of buildings along the main academic quad outside Ballentine Hall, Hope Commons within the freshman quad, and the Memorial Student Union also located within the 1st year quad. URI also has several green areas used for informal gatherings including the Quadrangle off Upper College Road, and the green areas outside the main athletic venues including Mackal Recreation Center, and the Ryan Center. Students use these multi-story facilities to study, workout, eat, socialize, and talk about school and life. The external observed focal points for the school could be found along Fortin Road with several local retail, and chain restaurants within a 5-minute walk off campus.

The University of Rhode Island is a large sized rural public 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. URI also provides students with the opportunity to enjoy several shore communities within a 10 minute drive from the campus. The school provides shuttle services for students to enjoy the above mentioned activities including public transportation links to Amtrak, and the Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority (RIPTA) bus services.

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

The school is home to approximately 4,792 male, and 6,002 female full, and 574 male, and 805 female part time students. The university also has 766 male, and 1,196 female students enrolled in graduate school programs. The average age of a freshman is 18 years old. 39% of students are from out of state, mostly the northeast States. Students on campus provide a diverse multi-cultural makeup including students from 50 states, 53 foreign countries, and Canada. 73% of URI students are white, 5% are African American, 3% Asian Americans, and 5% are Hispanic, and 14% race unknown.

Published Academic Standards for Admission Programs

The University of Rhode Island has a large educational system, which offers business, technology, liberal arts, public health, and engineering programs. Below is a specific list of under graduate admission requirements.

• Freshman Class: 14,242 applied, 11,300 accepted, 3,155 enrolled. SAT Verbal 580, SAT Math 590. ACT 25 Application Deadline: February 1.
• Faculty/ Classroom: 60% of faculty is male, 40% female. All instructors teach and do research. 7% of graduate assistants teach undergraduates. The average class size in an introductory lecture is 30; and in a regular course 21, and a laboratory, 14.
• Student / Faculty Ratio: 17 to 1
• Retention Rate: 19% do not continue beyond 1st year, 56% remain to graduate.

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.

The University guarantees housing for all it’s students who have filed their intent to attend the school by the stated deadline (May 1). Housing selection is available through a lottery system for students who have continuously registered as full time study. URI currently has 4,100 students living on campus, which is approximately 45% of it’s students. Housing resources for freshman students on campus are situated within several different buildings including the Freshman Quad. URI also has suite style housing, and campus apartments off Route 138. The school has developed apartment style-housing units for upper classman with families and graduate students 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: The University of Rhode Island has been described as a small rural residential community in commuter distance to Providence, and the beach. The reason I have mentioned the overall community of Kingston is to re-assert the point that URI’s network of 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. URI students usually don’t look for off campus housing around Kingston because it’s a family friendly bedroom community, they travel north on interstate Route # 95 to several of Providence’s local communities including Smith Hill where they can share off campus housing resources with Providence College & Johnson & Wales students. URI students can also look for off-season beach rentals within the local shore communities of the Rhode Island coastline. Information about off campus housing can be found on the Bryant’s quick links page of this document.

Campus Life

The University of Rhode Island is a multi-cultural campus environment that provides students with a social campus atmosphere. The admissions demographics paint a picture of a diverse community with students from Rhode Island, and the Northeast, as well as all 50 states and Canada. The local community of Kingston and Newport Rhode Island only adds to the school’s national status because the community has multi-cultural roots as well. URI 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. URI is also going through a growth phase with new facilities being developed to improve campus life.

The emotional climate of the entire community is social due to student’s participation 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. The downside of URI is the issue of students going home on the weekends, and the commuter culture in regard to off campus student housing in the area. The upside of campus life at URI can be found within the strong Greek presence, and the large athletic footprint within the facility.

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. URI 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 90 academic clubs, student organizations, and over 21 intramural sports activities for men, and women. The university also has 11 national fraternities for men, and 9 national sororities for women. Approximately 12% of male, and 15% of female students are involved with Greek life at URI.

Campus life on campus at URI can be considered very active due to several notable student venues including the Memorial Student Union, Mackal Recreational Center, Ryan Gymnasium, Hope Commons, and URI also has a continuing education and career center inside the Academic Enhancement 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. The University currently participates in 21 NCAA Division I Varsity Sports for Men, and women.

Finally, the University of Rhode Island is an attractive institution because it offers students real world professional experiences within a comfortable rural campus within driving distance to the state’s largest city (Providence). Students at URI also enjoy world famous Newport, which is considered the sailing capital of the U.S. within a 15 minute drive to the coastline from the campus. Students can also enjoy the City of Boston by accessing Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor Service Line down the street from campus. Students flock to Boston each year to enjoy the city campus lifestyle in regard to activities, socialization, theatre, sports, and history.

The university 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.

Public Transportation

The University of Rhode Island has a large student parking permit population due to it’s rural location, and commuter student population of approximately 5,000 full, and part time students. The school has developed a student shuttle system through RIPTA that connects students with several areas of Kingston, Wakefield, and Narragansett. This valuable bus service connects non-drivers to the local town, shore, and connections to Amtrak .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 Route 138 connecting students to the above mentioned areas of Rhode Island and T.F. Green Airport in Providence.

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

Kingston, Newport, and Providence Rhode Island are 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 state 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 Kingston area of Rhode Island has been described in different ways, including a quiet family community with it’s student population, and natural neighborhood architecture. The town is also located between interstate 95, and Route # 1 within the shoreline of Rhode Island, which makes it a heavily traveled route for a rural area. The town also has a welcoming feel to it because it’s home to several farms and apple orchards all within 45 minutes of the state’s largest city (Providence) with numerous historical restaurants, performing arts, museums, and finally sporting venues. Kingston is also a located within 10 minutes of several coastal communities including Newport. The footprint of the community also seems to be split into several different neighborhoods including several farm, and residential communities on western edge of town, and shore communities on the eastern edge, URI seems to be situated in the middle.

The neighborhood has a normal amount of restaurants, retail, and entertainment resources for a rural 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 Routes 138, 108, and 1 located in the heart of Kingstown & Wakefield on the southeast 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 South Kingston RI describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 27,921 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. URI has a strong relationship with this diverse community. An example of this commitment can be observed through URI’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. 91% of residents are white, 2% is African American, 2% is Hispanic or Latino, and 3% is Asian. The median age of population is 34 years old. 77.5% of residents are 18 years old or over, 63% over 21 years old, and 12% of town residents are over the age of 65. The issue of housing in South Kingston is also interesting. 82% of all housing units within the town are occupied. 25% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 75% of units are owner-occupied. 18% of total available housing was vacant. The town also has a seasonal housing rate of 15%.

University of Rhode Island Quick Links

• Home Page: www.uri.edu
• Directions: www.uri.edu/admission/visiting.html
• Admissions: www.uri.edu/admission
• Financial Aid: www.uri.edu/admission/payingforuri.html
• Student Life Activities & Clubs: www.uri.edu/involvement/index.html
• Greek Life: www.uri.edu/greek
• Residence Life: www.housing.uri.edu/info/undergraduate.php
• University Meal Plan: www.uri.edu/dining
• Off Campus Housing: www.uri.edu/commuter_housing
• Student Handbook: www.uri.edu/judicial/studenthandbook.pdf
• Public Safety/Police Department: www.uri.edu/publicsafety/police
• Health Services: www.health.uri.edu
• Athletics: www.gorhody.com
• Recreation & Intramural Sports: www.uri.edu/athletic/recservices
• Career Services: www.career.uri.edu
• Memorial Student Union: www.mu.uri.edu
• Student Parking: www.uri.edu/parking
• Shuttle Bus (RIPTA): www.uri.edu/parking/kingcon.html
• Information Technology Center: www.uri.edu/its

Kingston Rhode Island Area Hotel Quick Links Page

Holiday Inn & Suites/ South Kingston
3009 Towers Road
South Kingston, Rhode Island 02874

Hampton Inn/ South Kingston
20 Hotel Drive
South Kingston, Rhode Island 02879

Below is a sample list of local restaurants in North & South Kingston RI. The additional restaurants & shopping resources can be found on Fortin Road on URI’s campus (Student Style Food). Additional hotels and restaurants can be found on Route# 138, 108, and Route # 1 The interstate highway system (Routes 295 & 95) also has several above-mentioned resources. Below is a sample list of hotel and restaurant resources in nearby Narragansett & Newport RI (10 –20 Minute Drive Respectfully) North Kingston Restaurants (Mostly Seafood , Steak, & Pub Food)

• Bay Leaves 8220 Post Road
• Seven Moons 6900 Post Road
• The Corner Tavern 20 South County Trail
• Greg’s Restaurant 4129 Quaker Lane
• South Kingston Restaurants (Mostly Seafood , Steak, & Pub Food)
• Bluebird Café 554 Kingston Road
• Caylily’s Bistro 333 Main Street
• Casey’s Bar & Grill 191 Old Tower Road
• Cap’n Jacks Restaurant 584 Succotash Road
• Italian Village 195 Main Street.

Narragansett & Newport R.I Area Hotel Quick Links

The Village Inn & Resort Narragansett
One Beach Street
Narragansett R.I. 02882

Hyatt Regency Newport
1 Goat Island
Newport R.I. 02840

Newport Marriott
25 America’s Cup Ave
Newport R.I. 02840

The Newport Harbor Hotel
49 America’s Cup Ave
Newport R.I. 02840

Below is a list of accommodations approximately 30 minutes from the University of Rhode Island 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

Providence Rhode Island Area Hotel Quick Links

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

City of Providence Transportation Links

• T.F. Green (Providence Airport) Warwick Rhode Island www.pvdairport.com/
• Providence Public Transportation (RIPTA) 401-781-9400 or www.ripta.com
• Providence Ferry & Train Service www.ripta.com

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. Information about service can be found at: www.mbta.org

• Amtrak Rail Services: (800) 872-7245 or www.amtrak.com
• Greyhound Bus Services: (800) 231-2222 or www.greyhound.com
• Peter Pan Trailways: (800) 237-8747 or www.peterpanbus.com

Restaurants in Providence Rhode Island

• Alforno (Mediterranean) 577 Main Street (401) 273-9760
• Adesso ( Italian) 161 Cushing Street (401) 521-0770
• Café Paragon (American) 234 Thayer Street (401) 331-6200
• Hemenway’s (Seafood) 1 Old Stone Square (401) 351-8570
• Pizzico (Italian) 762 Hope Street (401) 421-4114
• XO Café (Fusion) 125 N. Main Street (401) 273-9090
• Asian Paradise (Asian) 165 Angell Street (401) 454-0222
• Andrea’s (Greek/American) 268 Thayer Street (401) 331-7879
• Café Nuovo (Contemporary) 1 Citizens Plaza (401) 421-2525
• Sicilia’s (Italian) 181 Atwells Ave (401) 273-9222

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