Bryant University announces in-person academics and residential life for Fall

SMITHFIELD, R.I., March 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In an announcement shared with the Bryant community today, University President Ross Gittell, Ph.D.; Provost Glenn Sulmasy, JD, LL.M; and Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Inge-Lise Ameer reaffirmed plans for students to return to Bryant's Smithfield campus for a fully in-person fall semester that will begin with classes on September 7, 2021.

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"Bryant is one of the few schools in the nation to have operated at near full (94%) residency this academic year- with in-person instruction, small class sizes and personal attention of faculty and staff. Our entire community has worked with strong commitment to preserving as much as possible the high quality of academic programming and the student experience during the past year and we are positioned to expand on this positive student experience in the year ahead," said Bryant President Gittell.

Bryant's commitment is reflected in its comprehensive strategy and investments to address COVID-19 and campus health and safety. The entire campus community rallied around the call to Be Bryant Strong and adhere to essential public health standards, and as a result many aspects of campus life have continued through pandemic operations of the last year. For September 2021, all of Bryant's educational, residential and co-curricular activities are planned to resume in-person with continued health and safety measures in place.

"The transformational Bryant experience generates learning outcomes ranked among the top 2% in the country and is based on our integrated academic and residential programs," noted Gittell. "Right now, our graduating students are experiencing unprecedented high demand due to Bryant's distinctive real-world ready education. It is on our wonderful campus that students thrive the most, gain skills and build knowledge that leads to success long into the future, and forge powerful lifelong connections. We are excited by our plans to welcome students to campus for an outstanding 2021-22 year."

Bryant faculty are widely recognized for teaching excellence and an entrepreneurial campus culture of innovation and continuous improvement. During the past year, faculty have been innovating and practicing the design-thinking and management skills they teach to overcome challenges presented by the pandemic. "Bryant's world-class faculty did a tremendous job in adapting to the hy-flex, hybrid in-person and remote teaching model," said Provost Sulmasy. "We learned a lot this year and will continue adapting and innovating our teaching and learning strategies to deliver one of the top academic experiences in the U.S."

"Our expectation is that we will have many Student Affairs operations returning to normal, with special accommodations and meticulous attention to health and safety as students return," said Vice President Ameer. "Bryant is one of a small number of schools that required full-population PCR testing starting last summer, which has now become a best practice. The plans in place for the fall will continue to put us ahead of the curve, even as COVID-19 lingers, and we look forward to bringing our students to our vibrant campus and living and learning communities."

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Bryant's highly residential undergraduate student population of 3,400 has largely chosen to remain on campus this year, at 94% residency compared to last year. Approximately 95% of first year students and more than 80% of the total student body chooses to live on campus.
• Employment opportunities for Bryant University graduates have soared this year, as demand for the critical combination of 21^st century business skills including finance, accounting, data analytics, information systems, digital marketing, communication and design-thinking rises to an all-time high. In January and February alone, the Amica Center for Career Education posted almost 1,500 job opportunities for the 832 graduates in the Class of 2021.
• In each of the past five years, 98-99% of graduating students were employed and/or enrolled in graduate school within six months of Commencement. Since 2018, the median starting salary has consistently been $60,000.
• Bryant has conducted nearly 100,000 PCR and Cepheid rapid tests on campus over the past 7 months, with all students currently tested a minimum of twice weekly and 30% tested three times each week. Surveillance testing in partnership with the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT has been one of the core health strategies on campus this year.
• Located 15 minutes from Providence, the parklike Bryant University campus comprises 435 acres, spacious contemporary buildings and a single secured point of entry. The campus is ranked as one of the nation's 30 most beautiful campuses in the fall.

"The top priority of our collective efforts in planning for a productive and successful 2021-22 academic year is to ensure a safe and healthy on-campus learning environment for every member of our community," President Gittell said. 

"The contributions of our dedicated faculty, students and staff have remained extraordinary over the last year. We are eager to return to more of the in-person events and activities across campus that engage our students and excited to bring our Division I athletic teams back to Bulldog fans attending games in person this fall."

Bryant's plans for the 2021-22 academic year are subject to ongoing review and refinement in alignment with best practices as more becomes known regarding COVID-19, vaccine distribution and emerging guidelines from the R.I. Department of Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

About Bryant University

For 158 years, Bryant University has been at the forefront of delivering an exceptional education that anticipates the future and prepares students to be innovative leaders of character in a changing world. Located on a contemporary campus in Smithfield, R.I., Bryant enrolls approximately 3,800 undergraduate and graduate students from 38 states and 49 countries. Bryant is recognized as a leader in international education and regularly receives top rankings from U.S. News and World Report, Money, Bloomberg Businessweek, Wall Street Journal, College Factual, and Barron's. Visit https://www.bryant.edu/. 

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