John Nazarian has seen his alma mater undergo a dramatic transformation over the decades, from a teachers’ college in downtown Providence, to a small college in Mount Pleasant, to the sprawling, ever-more diverse school it is today, with more than 9,000 students. Under his leadership, Rhode Island College has formalized and sharply increased fundraising, built a $10 million performing arts center – named after Nazarian – substantially expanded the campus, and this year, opened a new $30 million, 360-bed residence hall. There’s no doubt Nazarian has thoroughly enjoyed overseeing it all. He has even personally signed most every diploma for the last 17 years, about 28,000 in all. But now, he says, he’s ready to hand the reins to someone else.
PBN: Why leave now, when it seems that the college is at a critical stage?
NAZARIAN: We’ve reached a plateau. It’s important for somebody new to come on. People are always looking for change. There are new faculty, new staff. There are new ideas. The world is changing. Technology is changing us, whether we like or not. Everything is now changing, and maybe it’s time for me to change, too. Have someone else come in here and verify that what we’ve been doing is good and maybe come up with something new that needs to be done. We can’t live in the past; we have to move forward.
Selling Luxury Real Estate Requires More Than Exposure
By Emilio DiSpirito IV License Partner | Private Office Advisor Engel & Völkers Oceanside www.DiSpiritoteam.com…
Learn More
PBN: Some faculty members have said they would welcome a change in leadership. Have you done things that upset people on campus?
NAZARIAN: I’m sure. The hiring and firing is done by the president. Approving programs; not approving programs. There are lots of issues that people come up with. The budget always constrains you. … So you have to be creative. And I’ve been creative in doing some of the things. Since I’ve been president – and even when I was vice president – there are probably about 14 to 15 building that are either new or renovated [on campus]. That’s quite a lot. The campus has changed significantly.
PBN: You mentioned the budget. The state’s share of your budget keeps going down. Do you ever see that trend reversing?
NAZARIAN: I’ve been dealing with it every since I became president. It was the most severe back in ’91 after the credit union crisis. That was the worst time, and we were cut significantly. Our tuition went up 28 percent. Over the years, [the funding] managed to creep back up. And some of the losses we got back. You know, when I was a student [1950-54], the tuition was zero. The state supported it completely. The whole program was supported by the state, until the early ’60s. Then it was for each dollar that came in tuition fees, we got two dollars from the state. Now the state support is less than revenue coming in from the students. Things are changing because society has changed.
PBN: Has the nature of RIC changed as it has grown and diversified?
NAZARIAN: Teaching is still our bread and butter. We have to have faculty that really want to teach. They do research, too, but this is not a research institution, it’s a teaching institution. We have to have faculty that want to teach and do their research and use their research to inform their teaching. That’s very important. And more and more of that is happening today, especially with the technology that we have today. In years past, we wouldn’t have been able to do that unless we were at a research institution.
PBN: What do you see in the future for RIC?
NAZARIAN: Growth. We have room to grow. I see more and more people coming to Rhode Island College who in the past didn’t know what was offered here.
PBN: State residents and those from out of state, too?
NAZARIAN: We’re always going to be Rhode Island’s college. I don’t ever see us having the majority of the students coming from out of state, although it helps in your revenue.
PBN: What about RIC’s “commuter school” reputation? Will that change?
NAZARIAN: We have about 1,200 students who live on campus. That’s critical mass. I wouldn’t like to see that perception changed because I think there are people who just can’t afford to live on campus. Most of our students now have to work – 85 percent of them work. Some work full time and spread their education over five or six years. They need to earn the money. I don’t see that changing.
PBN: Your proudest accomplishments?
NAZARIAN: I was really humbled when they named the [Center for the Performing Arts] after me because I believe in the arts, and I worked hard for that, for years. We campaigned for it. To have a building named after you, not too many people have that privilege. The other thing I’m proud of was when we had our sesquicentennial celebration. I had a capital campaign, which was the first ever. And everybody said, “$25 million – how are you going to raise $25 million?” But we made our goal.
PBN: Disappointments?
NAZARIAN: Well, the budget. It’s a disappointment when you need some additional resources and you don’t have it. There are things on the drawing board that haven’t come to fruition. There’s no end of the number of things you’d like to see done.
PBN: Any advice for your successor?
NAZARIAN: Listen to the students. Do what’s in the best interest of the institution. And enjoy it. •
Interview: John Nazarian
POSITION: President, Rhode Island College
BACKGROUND: After a lifetime at his alma mater, where he has worked since graduating in 1954, John Nazarian – the longest-serving college president in Rhode Island – plans to retire when his contract expires in June. Initially a math and physics instructor, Nazarian rose through the faculty and administrative ranks to become president of RIC in 1990.
EDUCATION: B.A. in education, 1954, Rhode Island College of Education (now RIC); M.A. in education and mathematics, 1956, Brown University; M.A. in mathematics, 1961, University of Illinois; Ph.D. in mathematics, 1967, New York University
RESIDENCE: Pawtucket
AGE: 75
