Rhode Island College (RIC) is a

public college A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

. The college was established in 1854 as the Rhode Island State Normal School, making it the second oldest institution of higher education in Rhode Island after

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

. Located on a 180-acre campus, the college has a student body of 9,000: 7,518 undergraduates and 1,482 graduate students. RIC is a member of the NCAA and has 17

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

teams.

History

Rhode Island College was first established as the Rhode Island State Normal School by the

Rhode Island General Assembly The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower house, lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 re ...

in 1854. Its creation can be attributed to the labors of

Henry Barnard Henry Barnard (January 24, 1811 – July 5, 1900) was an American educationalist and reformer. Biography He was born in Hartford, Connecticut on January 24, 1811 and attended Wilbraham & Monson Academy. He graduated from Yale University in 18 ...

, the first state agent for education in Rhode Island who had established the Rhode Island Teachers Institute at

Smithville Seminary The Smithville Seminary was a Freewill Baptist institution established in 1839 on what is now Institute Lane in Smithville-North Scituate, Rhode Island. Renamed the Lapham Institute in 1863, it closed in 1876. The site was then used as the campus ...

in 1845, and his successor,

Elisha Potter Elisha Reynolds Potter (June 20, 1811 – April 10, 1882) was a politician, jurist and historian from Kingston, Rhode Island. He was a justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, and served one term in the United States House of Representatives. ...

. The Rhode Island State Normal School was one of the nation's first

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...

s (teacher preparatory schools), which grew out of the humanitarian groundswell of the mid-19th century spurred by educational missionaries like

Horace Mann Horace Mann (May 4, 1796August 2, 1859) was an American educational reformer, slavery abolitionist and Whig politician known for his commitment to promoting public education. In 1848, after public service as Secretary of the Massachusetts Sta ...

. The school attracted hard working young people who came chiefly from ordinary backgrounds. Not yet thoroughly convinced of the school's value, the General Assembly curtailed its financial support in 1857 and the school was moved to

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

where it lingered until 1865 before closing. However, in 1869, the newly appointed state commissioner of education,

Thomas W. Bicknell Thomas Williams Bicknell (September 6, 1834 – October 6, 1925) was an American educator, historian, and author. Early life and career Thomas W. Bicknell was born in Barrington, Rhode Island to Harriet Byron Kinnicutt (September 1, 1791 – D ...

, began a vigorous personal campaign to revive the school. His efforts were rewarded in 1871 when the General Assembly unanimously voted a $10,000 appropriation for the school's re-opening in Providence. Renamed the Rhode Island Normal School, the institution settled into a period of steady growth punctuated by periodic moves to larger quarters. The general favor won by the school, after its first difficult years had passed, was confirmed in 1898 when it moved into a large building specially constructed for it on Providence's Capitol Hill near the State House. In 1920, the Rhode Island Normal School was renamed Rhode Island College of Education by order of the General Assembly. The college now offered a four-year program which upon a student's completion would grant a

Bachelor of Education A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) is an undergraduate professional degree which prepares students for work as a teacher in schools. In some countries such as Tanzania and Kenya, additional tasks like field work and research are required in order for ...

degree. At this time the observation school, which dated back to the 1890s, was renamed the Henry Barnard School. The college's graduate program also originated in the early 1920s and the first master's degrees were conferred in 1924. For the next three decades the college remained a

teachers' college A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

with a student body of four to six hundred men and women. Early in the 1950s that calm was shattered by intense debate that arose over the college's role in the state system of

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...

and for a time serious doubt was cast on its continued existence. There were plans to merge the institution with Rhode Island's other four-year college, the

University of Rhode Island The University of Rhode Island (URI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Kingston, Rhode Island, United States. It is the flagship public research as well as the land-grant university of the state of Rhode Island ...

. After careful consideration, the Board of Trustees of State Colleges decided to keep the college independent and strengthen it overall. In 1958, the college was moved to its current campus in the Mount Pleasant section of Providence. In 1959, the Rhode Island Commission to Study Higher Education recommended the development of the institution into a general college which was approved by the General Assembly. Reflecting the broadening of purpose, the institution's name was changed to its current name Rhode Island College in 1959. The East Campus includes the former grounds of the Rhode Island

State Home and School for Dependent and Neglected Children The State Home and School for Dependent and Neglected Children was the first state home for needy children in the state of Rhode Island. It was located on a campus in what was originally rural western Providence, on a former gentleman's farm. Th ...

, the first post-Civil War orphanage in the country. In recent years, many efforts have been undertaken by Rhode Island College and its benefactors to preserve the Yellow Cottage (or Cottage C), one of the original structures from the State Home.

Principals and presidents

The president is the chief executive officer; prior to 1920, the chief academic officer of the college was known as the ''principal''. Frank Sánchez is the tenth president, and 18th chief officer of Rhode Island College, starting his position in 2016 and continuing for two terms (each of three years). On January 6, 2022, Sánchez announced that he would not seek a third term as president of the college; his term ends on June 30, 2022.

Academics

Rhode Island College Guardo Hall School of Social Work

Academic programs at Rhode Island College are divided into five

colleges A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...

: the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, the School of Management, the School of Nursing, and the School of Social Work. These schools offer more than 90 undergraduate and 30 graduate programs for students. Rhode Island College is accredited by the

New England Commission of Higher Education The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit membership organization that performs peer evaluation and Higher education accreditation in the United States, accreditation of Public university, pub ...

. Among the five colleges, individual departments have received additional accreditation from the following associations:

Council on Social Work Education The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a nonprofit national association in the United States representing more than 2,500 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 19 ...

National Association of Schools of Art and Design The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), founded in 1944, is an accrediting organization of colleges, schools and universities in the United States. The organization establishes standards for graduate and undergraduate degrees ...

National Association of Schools of Music The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music. It was founded on October 20, 1924, and is based in Reston ...

, National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification,

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) was a professional accreditor focused on accrediting teacher education programs in U.S. colleges and universities. It was founded in 1954 and was recognized as an accreditor by ...

, and the

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is a nursing education accrediting agency in the United States. The CCNE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. CCNE accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory process, and the ...

.''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

'' magazine ranked the college 618th.

Student life

Enrollment is predominantly from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. 67% of students are female. The school's newspaper, The Anchor, has been running since 1928 as an independent, student-run publication. Its radio station is 90.7 WXIN Rhode Island College Radio. Student activities and clubs on campus are governed and funded by Student Community Government, Inc., a semi-autonomous organization financed by the college's student activity fee, consisting of an executive board, parliament, and several committees. Student Parliament consists of 34 student positions and a number of by-lawed positions. Those positions include seats taken by administrators, faculty, staff and alumni. All student representatives of Student Parliament represent a constituency whose concerns they are supposed to represent throughout the academic year. The James P. Adams Library is the main library. Students, faculty, staff, and the community have access to a wide variety of knowledge resources including electronic reference resources, e-books, databases, audiovisual materials, and special collections. The library is also the academic, social, and intellectual center of the campus, hosting a variety of lectures, exhibits and performances to the benefit of the campus community. RIC has six residence halls which house 1,194 undergraduate students. Penfield Hall, a new $30 million, energy efficient,

LEED-certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...

residence hall opened in 2007. The building expanded the institution's existing housing capacity by 44%. The Unity Center is non-denominational with many religions, ethnic groups, and academic concentrations represented.

Greek life

Rhode Island College has recently seen an increase in Greek life on campus. The Greek Council consists of IFC three fraternities and three NPC sororities, as well as numerous multicultural organizations and one co-ed Greek society (

Theta Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Society, Inc. () is a national fraternal organization that emphasizes the four pillars of Leadership, Diversity, Unity, and Respect. Founded in 2001 by fourteen undergraduate men and women at the University at Buffalo (SUNY), Th ...

. Fraternities at Rhode Island College include

Alpha Sigma Phi Alpha Sigma Phi (), commonly known as Alpha Sig, is an intercollegiate men's social fraternity with 181 active chapters and provisional chapters. Founded at Yale in 1845, it is the 10th oldest Greek letter fraternity in the United States. The f ...

Kappa Delta Phi Kappa Delta Phi (), also known as KDPhi, is a List of social fraternities and sororities, social Fraternities and sororities, fraternity that was founded on April 14, 1900, at the Bridgewater State Normal School, now known as Bridgewater State U ...

Kappa Sigma Kappa Sigma (), commonly known as Kappa Sig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international fraternities with currently 318 active chapters and colo ...

, and

Lambda Upsilon Lambda La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. ( or LUL) is a Latino-based collegiate fraternity. It was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York on February 19, 1982, and has 74 active undergraduate chapters and fifteen graduat ...

. Sororities at Rhode Island College are

Alpha Sigma Tau Alpha Sigma Tau (known as or Alpha Tau) is a national sorority founded on November 4, 1899, at Eastern Michigan University (formerly Michigan State Normal College). A member of the National Panhellenic Conference, the sorority has 83 active colleg ...

Delta Phi Epsilon Delta Phi Epsilon () may refer to: *Delta Phi Epsilon (professional), the professional foreign service fraternity and sorority *Delta Phi Epsilon (social) Delta Phi Epsilon ( or DPhiE) is an international Fraternities and sororities in North Ame ...

, and

Theta Phi Alpha Theta Phi Alpha (), commonly known as Theta Phi, is a women's fraternity founded at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor on August 30, 1912. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage Theta Phi Alpha is one of 26 nation ...

Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. In 1920, five women from Howard University envisioned a sorority that would raise the consciousness of their people, encourage the highest standards of scholastic achie ...

Mu Sigma Upsilon Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Incorporated () is a multicultural intercollegiate sorority founded on November 21, 1981 at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. It is a non-profit Greek-lettered organization for college-educated women that promotes th ...

, and

Omega Phi Beta Omega Phi Beta () is a sorority founded on March 15, 1989 at the State University of New York in Albany, New York by seventeen women of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. It is a member organization of National Association of Latino Frater ...

Athletics

Rhode Island College teams participate as a member of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

. The Anchormen are a member of the

Little East Conference The Little East Conference (LEC) is an NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic conference. The member institutions are located in all six states of New England. History Chronological timeline * 1986 - On April 28, 1986, the Little East Conf ...

. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field and volleyball. The Intercollegiate Athletic Arena, an 8,000 seat facility, is the home of the Rhode Island College Anchormen basketball teams.

Arts

The Rhode Island College Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance was established in 1972. Theatre students in the program have been top competitors at the Region I

Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theatre program dedicated to the improvement of collegiate theatre in the United States. Focused on the celebration of diverse and exciting theatre, KCACTF involves student ...

, either winning first, second or honorable distinction. Professional choreographers and celebrated filmmakers are often guests of the program. In September 2020, The Recording Academy placed the Rhode Island College Concert Chorus on the Official Ballot for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards for their virtual performance of "When I Think of You." The chorus earned their Grammy Award Considerations in two categories: Best Pop Duo or Group Performance and Best Music Video. This was the first Grammy Award Consideration for a music performance group at Rhode Island College in the school's history. On October 2, 2020, Rhode Island College President Dr. Frank Sánchez hosted an event at Sapinsley Hall for music producers Al Gomes (class of 1986) and Connie Watrous, along with Chorus Conductor and Professor of Music Teresa Coffman, to announce the Grammy Awards news live to the entire Rhode Island College community including administration, staff, students, and alumni.

Notable alumni

Notable alumni of Rhode Island College in arts and media include

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

, and

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

-winning actress,

Viola Davis Viola Davis (; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, she is the only African-American to achieve the Triple Crow ...

(Class of 1988); actor and playwright,

Ron McLarty Ronald William McLarty (April 26, 1947 – February 8, 2020) was an American actor, playwright, and novelist. He also worked as an audiobook narrator, in which role he recorded over 100 titles and received many Audie Awards. McLarty appeare ...

(Class of 1969); visual artist, Patricia Cronin (Class of 1986); Grammy-nominated composer, Peter Boyer (Class of 1991); Jefferson Award-winning music producer,

Al Gomes Al Gomes is an American record producer and songwriter from Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Gomes has been in the music business for over 45 years, is the co-founder of Big Noise, was part of the team that launched the career of Christina A ...

(Class of 1986); figurative painter, Ann Gale (Class of 1988); and ''Family Guy'' producer Danny Smith (Class of 1981). Alumni in journalism and reporting include new anchor,

Anaridis Rodriguez Anaridis Rodriguez-Starnino is an American journalist. She currently anchors and reports for the CBS owned-and-operated WBZ-TV in Boston. The journalist also worked for The Weather Channel. She is the former news anchor on America's Morning Head ...

and sports anchor, Jim Rose Alumni who have served as members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives include Maria Cimini (Class of 2002),

Raymond Gallison Raymond E. Gallison, Jr. (born March 23, 1952, in Providence, Rhode Island) is an American politician and a former Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives representing District 69 since Ja ...

(Class of 1974), Karen MacBeth, Mary Messier,

Patricia Morgan Patricia L. Morgan (born August 25, 1950) is an American politician and Republican member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives representing district 26 since 2021. She formerly represented district 26 from 2011 until 2019, where she chos ...

William O'Brien William O'Brien (2 October 1852 – 25 February 1928) was an Irish nationalist, journalist, agrarian agitator, social revolutionary, politician, party leader, newspaper publisher, author and Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of ...

Thomas Palangio Thomas A. Palangio (born June 14, 1962 in Providence, Rhode Island) is an American politician and was a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives representing District 3 from 2013 to 2017 and ...

Harold Metts Harold M. Metts (born October 6, 1947) is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Rhode Island Senate representing District 6 since January 2005. Metts served non-consecutively in the Rhode Island General Assembly from January 1985 ...

, David Bennett. Graduates in the

Rhode Island State Senate The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of ...

include Maryellen Goodwin, Nicholas Kettle,

Daniel Issa Daniel J. Issa (born 1952) is an American politician who served in the Rhode Island Senate from 1987 to 2009. Issa was the first Arab American state senator in Rhode Island's history. Issa is a lifetime resident of Rhode Island. He was born in C ...

J. Michael Lenihan J. Michael "Mike" Lenihan (August 30, 1943 – February 28, 2015) was an American politician. From East Greenwich, Rhode Island, Lenihan received his bachelor's degree from Rhode Island College and his master's degree from Brown University. ...

, Roger Picard,

Juan Pichardo Juan M. Pichardo (born October 21, 1966) is a Dominican American politician. A Democrat, he was a member of the Rhode Island Senate who represented District 2 from January 2003 to 2017. Education Pichardo earned his AA degree from the Commu ...

, Leonidas Raptakis, James Sheehan,

Adam Satchell Adam J. Satchell is an American politician and educator who served as a Democratic member of the Rhode Island Senate for the 9th district from January 2013 until 2021 and is the current dean of students for West Warwick High School. Early lif ...

, and Frank Lombardo. Other alumni in politics include

Allan Fung Allan Wai-Ket Fung (born February 25, 1970) is an American attorney and politician who served as Mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island from 2009 to 2021. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Rhode Island in the 2014 and 2018 elections as we ...

(Class of 1992), Congressman

James Langevin James R. Langevin ( ; born April 22, 1964) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the first quadriplegic to serve in Congress; Langevin was appointed to be the first q ...

(D-RI-2, Class of 1990), 70th Lieutenant Governor of RI

Sabina Matos Sabina Matos (born February 13, 1974) is a Dominican-American politician serving as the 70th lieutenant governor of Rhode Island since April 2021. Sabina Matos is the first Afro-Latina lieutenant governor and the first Dominican-American to hold ...

(Class of 2001), and

Robert J. Healey Robert J. Healey Jr. (May 3, 1957 – March 20, 2016) was an American attorney, businessman, and political activist. He was the founder of Rhode Island's Cool Moose Party, the state's third-largest political party from 1994 until 2002, and was a ...

(Class of 1979). Other notable graduates include 1995 US Women's Chess Champion, Sharon Ellen Burtman; mountaineer, educator, and suffragist,

Annie Smith Peck Annie Smith Peck (October 19, 1850 – July 18, 1935) was an American mountaineer and adventurer. The northern peak of the Peruvian Cordillera Blanca mountain chain, Huascarán was named ''Cumbre Aña Peck'' in Peck's honor. She was an ardent suf ...

; and pioneering African-American educator and chemist,

Josephine Silone Yates Josephine Silone Yates (1852 or November 15, 1859 – September 3, 1912) was an American professor, writer, public speaker, and activist. She trained in chemistry and became one of the first black professors hired at Lincoln University in ...

(Class of 1879). File:Josephine Silone Yates, c1902 (cropped).jpg, Educator and chemist,

(Class of 1879) File:Viola Davis by Gage Skidmore.jpg, Oscar-winning actress,

(Class of 1988) File:James Langevin official portrait (cropped).jpg, Congressman

(D-RI-2, Class of 1990) File:Allan Fung.jpg, First

Asian-American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...

mayor of Cranston,

(Class of 1992) File:Sabina Matos 11.21.jpg, 70th

Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island The current lieutenant governor of Rhode Island is Sabina Matos, who was sworn in on April 14, 2021, after Daniel McKee succeeded to the office of governor. The first lieutenant governor was George Brown. In Rhode Island, the lieutenant gover ...

(Class of 2001)

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{authority control Public universities and colleges in Rhode Island Educational institutions established in 1854 Universities and colleges in Providence, Rhode Island 1854 establishments in Rhode Island