From The University of Rhode Island
5.14.24 [Just found this undated.]
Campus Renewal will modernize facilities, optimize ship operations, and empower world-class educators, students and scientists.
The most obvious site work is a larger parking lot along Pier Road at the West edge of campus. By providing ample parking for employees, students and visitors, most vehicular traffic will skirt the campus perimeter while the campus interior becomes a more typical “quad” and pedestrian-friendly zone.
The architect’s recommendations include improvements to campus infrastructure (e.g., power and water lines), lighting, way-finding, accessibility and circulation to support the proposed building program, reduce impacts to the environment, and improve circulation and resiliency.
The lack of an efficient and comprehensive pedestrian circulation system hinders meaningful connections between different parts of campus and impacts campus ADA accessibility, pedestrian safety, and the overall pedestrian experience and impression of the campus. Many of these deficiencies will be rectified during Campus Renewal.
Thinking Big, and Long-Term
The University of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay Campus has begun a multi-year series of infrastructure improvements that will modernize its facilities and enable it to build upon its global reputation for oceanographic research and education. Much of the investment in this vision is derived from the generosity of R.I. taxpayers who, in two state-wide referendums, have approved more than $140 million in borrowing.
“As international leaders in understanding the world’s oceans, we are preparing the next generation of oceanographers and ocean engineers to be at the forefront of the advancements in ocean science,” said Paula Bontempi, dean of the URI Graduate School of Oceanography. “To continue this important work, we need the proper facilities that will allow our faculty and students to make lasting contributions that we can share with the world.”
An exhaustive master planning process identified numerous strategies for upgrading or replacing existing campus facilities to accommodate the needs of modern research technologies, enabling oceanography and ocean engineering faculty and students to push the boundaries of ocean exploration and discovery. The upgrades will also service the requirements of a new research vessel and improve conditions for personnel throughout the campus.
“The Bay Campus is more than 60 years old, and it has evolved opportunistically, with buildings erected where they were most convenient as they were needed. There was no master plan back then,” said David Palazzetti, director of facilities and operations for the campus. “By creating a campus master plan, we were able to determine what makes the most sense for the operation of a world-class oceanographic research institution.”
Palazzetti said that when the dust has settled, the Bay Campus will look quite different than it does today, largely because it will be more pedestrian-friendly, like a typical campus.
See the full article here .
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The University of Rhode Island is a diverse and dynamic community whose members are connected by a common quest for knowledge.
As a major research university defined by innovation and big thinking, URI offers its undergraduate, graduate, and professional students distinctive educational opportunities designed to meet the global challenges of today’s world and the rapidly evolving needs of tomorrow. That’s why we’re here.
The University of Rhode Island, commonly referred to as URI, is the flagship public research as well as the land grant and sea grant university for the state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in the village of Kingston in southern Rhode Island. Additionally, smaller campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Rhode Island Nursing Education Center in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West Greenwich.
The university offers bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees in 80 undergraduate and 49 graduate areas of study through eight academic colleges. These colleges include Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education and Professional Studies, Engineering, Health Sciences, Environment and Life Sciences, Nursing and Pharmacy. Another college, University College for Academic Success, serves primarily as an advising college for all incoming undergraduates and follows them through their first two years of enrollment at URI.
The University enrolls over 13,600 undergraduate and 3,000 graduate students. U.S. News & World Report classifies URI as a tier 1 national university, ranking it very highly in the U.S.