Roger Williams University Unveils New Academic Structure

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Mar 24, 2010, 08:00 ET

Integrative Model to Enhance Traditional Academics; New Centers Established

BRISTOL, R.I., March 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Three years after Roger Williams University embarked upon its ambitious RWU 2020 strategic planning process in January 2007, President Roy J. Nirschel announced a plan to revamp the academic organization of the University to best fulfill its mission to prepare students for life as 21st century citizen-scholars.

"It is my belief that schools and academic centers must be student-focused and provide greater opportunities for partnerships among faculty members, disciplines and ways of thinking," President Nirschel said. "This will create opportunities for students to receive an education that is not only well-grounded in their chosen discipline, but also interdisciplinary, integrative and reflective of an ever-changing world."

In separate announcements to faculty/staff and students, the President outlined a realignment of the University's schools and colleges as well as the enhancement of five transdisciplinary academic centers. The Core Centers will bring together the University's best thinkers with leaders from around the globe to address contemporary issues and provide students and faculty a more integrated approach to learning.

The Core Centers will include:

The Center for Teaching and Learning
The Peggy and Marc Spiegel Center for Global and International Programs
The D.F. Pray Center for Sustainability
The Center for Economic and Environmental Development
The Leadership Institute

In addition, the University will realign all current schools and colleges effective July 1, 2011, with some incremental changes occurring earlier. The schools and colleges under the new plan will be assigned names closer to the implementation process with further input from the RWU community.

The following schools and colleges will be included in the plan:

The Gabelli School of Business
A school of sciences and the environment
A school of social justice and civil society
A college of communication and the arts
A school that encompasses architecture, engineering, construction management and historic preservation

President Nirschel also called for the creation of "a bold new approach to graduate and continuing education that will take advantage of technology and our growing global reputation to serve the needs of the adult learner," and noted that the University would examine those areas in more detail moving forward. And while the School of Law will remain unaffected from a structural standpoint, the University intends to capitalize on synergies with law students and faculty on initiatives coordinated through the Core Centers.

As the new structure is implemented, all University and program-specific accreditations will be maintained. While some academic programs will be housed within different schools, there are no plans to eliminate any existing programs. Nine new faculty hires are expected to start in the fall of 2010.

This momentous initiative for the University is the latest in a string of successes under the leadership of President Nirschel. Since his appointment in 2001, the number of faculty has nearly doubled, applications have increased by 100 percent, and the acceptance rate has decreased by more than 25 percent. This year RWU received nearly 9,000 applications for an entering freshman class of 1,050; an 11 percent increase in undergraduate applications over last year. In a time when many institutions are making cuts, RWU balanced budgets for FY 2009 and 2010 without committing layoffs or cutting programs. Over the last three years, RWU completed $100 million dollars in capital projects on campus, giving the University the modern physical space needed to match its academic growth.

"It is my hope that between integrative academic centers and the realignment of our schools and colleges, we will further enhance the student learning experience and serve as a first conversation in the larger dialogue about general education reform and learning outcomes," President Nirschel said.

The announcement came after three years of research, analysis and planning, which started with a 2007 strategic planning task force. Suggestions from faculty, staff, students and others were considered throughout the process, and many were incorporated into the plan unveiled today.

The RWU Board of Trustees, under the leadership of Chairman Richard L. Bready, unanimously endorsed this enhanced integrative education model, and expects that it will propel the University's success as it prepares to meet the commitments outlined in the RWU 2020 strategic plan.

As the University forges ahead to implement the new academic structure, continued updates will be posted to: http://www.rwu.edu/about/president/initiatives/integrative_education/.

About RWU: Roger Williams University is a leading independent, coeducational liberal arts university at which students live and learn to be global citizens. With 40 academic programs and an array of co-curricular activities on its Bristol, R.I., campus, RWU is committed to its mantra of learning to bridge the world. Under the leadership of President Roy J. Nirschel, Ph.D., the University has achieved unprecedented academic and financial successes. In 2009, U.S. News & World Report named RWU the seventh-ranked baccalaureate college in the north.

SOURCE Roger Williams University