Faculty Senate approves Africana studies program as official University department

Students participating in an Africana studies event. Photos from uri.edu. Following a unanimous vote from the Faculty Senate and approval from the Board of Trustees, the University of Rhode Island’s Africana studies program (AAF) is now officially a department. They reached this status, along with the gender and women’s studies program (GWS), last week. As…

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Annual Amanpour Lecture brings science journalist to discuss COVID-19

Ed Yong, a science journalist from The Atlantic, during his virtual talk about the mistakes America made in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Screenshots from Grace DeSanti. During the annual Christiane Amanpour Lecture, journalist Ed Yong argued that pre-existing vulnerabilities in American society exacerbated the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. An award-winning science…

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University awaits results, response to US presidential election

Incumbent President Donald Trump. Photo from Whitehouse.gov. Gone are the days when you’d wake up on the first Wednesday of November every four years and know the victor of the United States presidential election.  In a divisive Election Week in American history, the presidential contest of Republican President Donald Trump vs. former Democratic Vice President…

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‘The Tribe Has Spoken’

Aaron Meredith and Jamal Shipman, former participants of the show “Survivor,” share their experiences in the competition. Screenshots from Evan McAlice.  Last Thursday, The University of Rhode Island gave a whole new meaning to “the tribe has spoken.” URI’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology hosted a panel discussion featuring two contestants from the CBS reality…

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Public Safety prepares for election result reactions

The aftermath of students rioting after Super Bowl LIII. Photo  contributed by Joe Lachance. Regardless of who is declared the next president of the United States this election, the University of Rhode Island is preparing for students to exercise their First Amendment rights and organize in protest or celebration. Emergency Management Director and Assistant Director…

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Faculty for Student Voting Rights pledges to help college voters


Two URI faculty members joined the national organization Faculty for Student Voting Rights this year. Graphic by Ethan Pellegrino.  At the beginning of this semester, two professors took the initiative to join the national organization Faculty for Student Voting Rights (FSVR) on behalf of the University of Rhode Island. The FSVR is a non-partisan organization…

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Narragansett ordinance already impacts search for off-campus housing

Students Andy Main, Tyler Pelletier and Kayla Michaud currently live in a five-person house which will only be available to three students next year. Photo by James McIntosh. A Narragansett Town Council ordinance preventing over three students from renting together has already begun to affect both off-campus students and realtors for next year. The ordinance…

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