SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Campus enhancements, bond questions and finding new ways to improve budgets were among President Marc B. Parlange’s talking points during his annual State of the University address Wednesday at the University of Rhode Island.
Parlange wore a “Yes on 2” button on his jacket and verbally pledged to the community to cast a “yes” vote on Question 2 on Nov. 5 to help further grow the campus with a new biomedical sciences building. The pending ballot question asks voters for a yes-or-no decision on a $160.5 million higher education facilities bond for both URI and Rhode Island College.
Of that amount, $87.5 million will go toward the construction of a new biomedical sciences building on the URI campus. The university said the new biomedical sciences building will provide state-of-the-art laboratory space for researchers across a range of biomedical, biotechnology and science-related fields, and supportive office space.
Parlange said the new biomedical sciences building will help support URI’s “life-changing research,” from Lyme disease to dementia to Alzheimer's disease.
The remaining $73 million of the bond will be utilized by RIC to refurbish Whipple Hall to support the college’s Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies.
Parlange also updated the university community on “significant strides” URI has made in following its 10-year strategic plan that
he unveiled in 2023,. On the “Broaden our Impact” part of the plan, Parlange said URI has recently begun the second construction and rehabilitation phase of the university’s Narragansett Bay Campus, home to URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography. The project, which includes a new building and improved lab and research facilities, was supported by a $100 million bond approved by voters in 2022.
Additionally, Parlange said URI has begun construction on a new $99 million fine arts facility, which was supported by a $57.3 million bond. URI says the project provides significant upgrades to the center, including construction of a 71,000-square-foot, three-story academic building that will feature a new theater lobby and art gallery on the first floor. In all, the project includes more than 166,000 square feet of new and renovated space.
Parlange said the two projects are helping the university “position itself” as a leader in the blue economy, such as inspiring startups, supporting ocean-relation research and attracting companies to the Ocean State.
“With the new fine arts facility, we’ll support the creative endeavors of our students, staff, faculty and alumni while bringing the broader community to our [South Kingstown] campus,” Parlange said.
Parlange also touched on the university exploring the possibility of establishing a college of medicine on campus through a special legislative study commission. Parlange said URI will work with state officials on how to further meet Rhode Island's heath care needs, including addressing the shortage of primary care physicians.
However, a Sept. 13 Providence Business News cover story offers details that
not everyone in the state is convinced that Rhode Island would benefit from a second medical school along with Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School in Providence.
Regarding the “Enhance Student Advancement” portion of the strategic plan, Parlange said URI awarded $150 million in student financial aid over the past year. Also, he said the university is working with about 775 students to reconnect them to URI after they left the university following the COVID-19 pandemic despite being in “good academic standing.”
URI also received a record 27,000 applications from prospective students for this academic year, Parlange said.
On the topic of “Power the University of the Future,” Parlange said URI initiated the development of a new budget model for the university with the help of state support. He said the new model’s framework better aligns URI’s resources with strategic priorities, promotes innovation and diversifies the university’s revenue streams.
“Extensive community collaboration” helped drive URI to change its budget model, Parlange said, which can “enhance transparency” and builds “financial predictability and sustainability for the years to come.”
“As a flagship university, we must continue to innovate,” Parlange said. “We must continue to lead in areas of impact for the region and the world.”
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.
Every single election cycle there is another bond question posted for URI. It’s getting a little ridiculous. Enough already. Their tuition is insanely high for a State school and seems to have no ability to be financially self sustaining. Taxpayers need to stop approving these higher education bonds for URI. We do have a couple other schools that could benefit.