Nice bit of autumn weather we had this week. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** STORY OF THE WEEK: Is there a (somewhat) simple […]
URI
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for June 7, 2024
A blessing to all who spend quality time in the sweltering RI House chamber for the budget vote. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** […]
Posted inLocal, Political Roundtable, Politics
URI President Marc Parlange on RI’s economy, boosting research, and academia under fire
It’s not an easy time to be a university president. Academia faces criticism from across the political spectrum. Many campuses have been divided by the war between Hamas and Israel. And student debt remains a burden for many young people. But Marc Parlange, who became president of the University of Rhode Island in 2021, seems to be holding his own. URI recently completed a $300 million fundraising drive ahead of schedule. Parlange says Rhode Island’s flagship public university has turned a corner in attracting more robust state support. And last year, he unveiled an ambitious four-pronged 10-year strategic plan. The goals include making URI a hub for innovation and a more powerful economic catalyst. Are these goals realistic, and what will it take to realize them? How much promise is offered by the blue economy? And what does the university president make of the gripes about academia? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with URI President Marc Parlange
Posted inArticle, Housing, Local, South County Bureau
Report finds URI is contributing to Narragansett’s housing crisis
A new report commissioned by the town of Narragansett says University of Rhode Island students living off-campus have significantly altered the town’s housing market, leading to a “symbiotic relationship” between the university and private landlords at the expense of other renters. According to the study by the Burlington, Vermont-based group Crane Associates, URI has benefited […]
Posted inEpisode, On Sports
NIL and transfer portal challenge college administrators and coaches
College athletes are cashing in and changing schools like free agents, thanks to NIL and the transfer portal.
Posted inArticle, Health
A plea to expand abortion access in Rhode Island
About 85,000 women of child-bearing age are enrolled in state health insurance plans that do not cover abortions, according to an anaylsis by the State Budget Office. Legislation re-introduced in the General Assembly this session by state Representative Liana M. Cassar, D-Barrington, and Senator Bridget Valverde, D-North Kingstown, would allow abortions to be covered by […]
Posted inEpisode
Mosaic Community Essay: The Silence of Suicide
The Public’s Radio’s podcast on immigration, Mosaic, has a series of community essays. This one, called “The Silence of Suicide” is from Amy Dunkle of South Kingstown. She writes about her mother’s suicide and the need for more mental health resources. On Feb. 12, 2022, my two brothers and I marked the 39th anniversary of […]
Posted inHealth
URI instructs students in 2 Greek life houses to self-quarantine after several test positive for COVID-19
The University of Rhode Island has instructed 58 students in two on-campus Greek houses to self-quarantine or return home after three students tested positive for COVID-19.
Posted inHealth
URI testing thousands of students for the coronavirus, but not commuters
Just under one-quarter of the university’s roughly 17,000 students arriving on campus will be tested for the coronavirus. URI focused on students living on campus and in group housing who are considered at higher risk.
Posted inEpisode, On Sports
Farewell to three great Rhode Islanders: Jim Norman, Sandy McCulloch, Lou Schwechheimer
The coronavirus pandemic robs us of the chance to say a proper goodbye.