SMITHFIELD – The Bryant College board of trustees has voted unanimously to change the college’s name to Bryant University, effective Aug. 25, to reflect its graduate school expansion into international business education.
Before the vote on May 21, Bryant’s National Alumni Council endorsed the change, as well as a majority of alumni, students, faculty and staff, Bryant said in a statement.
“Becoming a university will allow us to further develop global initiatives for both our graduate and undergraduate programs,” Bryant College President Ronald K. Machtley said. “Whether it is attracting international students, incorporating a global perspective into the overall academic curriculum or pursuing new partnerships abroad, Bryant is focused on preparing our students to meet the challenges of the world economy and better positioning the institution to serve a more international and diverse population.”
According to John D. Callahan, class of ’56, chairman of Bryant’s board, the change reinforces the transition the college has already made to broaden its undergraduate curriculum and enhance technological and academic resources on campus.
Within the new organization structure for the university, there will be a College of Business and Graduate Studies and a College of Liberal Arts and Graduate Studies, each headed by a dean, Machtley said. There will also be increased focus on a global context for the graduate school.
The president added that the number of undergraduates at Bryant is expected to remain the same, at about 3,000. The university will also maintain its commitment to a business core, and will continue to pursue academic programs in line with this mission.
In 2001, Bryant began offering degrees in applied psychology, communication and information technology, and recently announced a new degree in international business set to begin this fall.
State hospitals among least expensive in New England
PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Health has released a report, “Hospital Costs in Rhode Island (2002),” that compares hospital costs in the state to those in other areas. According to the report, hospitals in Rhode Island ranked the second-least expensive in New England, trailing only New Hampshire, while receiving the lowest reimbursement in the region.
Nationally, Rhode Island ranked the 19th least-expensive state, and the eighth-lowest reimbursed of all states for acute care hospital services. The report uses data from the American Hospital Association on patients at all acute care hospitals in the state and compares per capita expenses, unit expenses and unit reimbursement in tracking changes from 1999 to 2002.
The report’s author Bruce Cryan notes that the hospitals in Rhode Island are generally very cost-efficient and operate with relatively low reimbursement rates. This situation favors the purchasers of hospital services, so long as hospitals remain profitable. However, if profitability declines, the quality of hospital care could be affected. The report is available off the state Department of Health’s Web site at www.health.ri.gov.
