BRISTOL, R.I. – With federal student loan interest rates set to double on July 1, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) held a news conference at Roger Williams University this morning to call for bipartisan support of developing legislation that will stabilize interest rates and develop a long-term strategy to address college affordability and a healthy American economy.
“The reality is that young people today are graduating with enormous debt,” Reed said to a packed room of students, staff and faculty. “It is inhibiting their ability to do what they want to do; it’s inhibiting their ability to participate in the economy. It’s something that is not only affecting us from an educational standpoint, but also from a macroeconomic standpoint.”
BRISTOL, R.I., – The Community Partnerships Center at Roger Williams University starts the spring semester with 28 projects, serving nearly a dozen Rhode Island communities, including community development and Main Street revitalization initiatives in Providence, Woonsocket and Central Falls.
A key component of the University’s Affordable Excellence initiative, the CPC pairs students and faculty with local nonprofits, municipalities and other organizations to tackle community projects that often require specialized expertise or additional resources. Students apply classroom learning and gain real-world experience by engaging in community projects such as economic development research and planning, public policy formulation, architectural design and urban planning.
The Hearst Foundations have awarded a $75,000 grant to Roger Williams University to support its Intercultural Leadership Ambassador (ILA) program, which provides full-tuition scholarships to underrepresented students. The grant, awarded over a three-year period, will provide further financial support for ILA students for costs related to housing, dining, textbooks and other educational expenses.
The University launched the Intercultural Leadership Ambassador program in 2007 as part of a campus-wide initiative to increase educational opportunities for students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Eligible students must have overcome a life challenge in pursuit of education; be first-generation college students or speak English as a second language; and come to the University from an under-resourced community.
In case you missed it, President Farish sat down with WPRI Channel 12 reporter Ted Nesi on Wednesday, Oct. 31, to talk about the state of higher education and how the Affordable Excellence Initiative at Roger Williams University will address the issues of cost, jobs and debt facing students and their families in the coming years. The interview aired on Sunday, Nov. 4, but readers can watch the full episode of "Executive Suite" with Ted Nesi, featuring RWU President Donald Farish, below.
BRISTOL, R.I. – As part of a comprehensive strategy for confronting the most pressing challenges facing higher education in America – increasing costs that limit access to college; rising student and family debt; and the job readiness of graduates – Roger Williams University launched the Affordable Excellence initiative on October 24, 2012.
University President Donald J. Farish shared details at his annual State of the University address, invoking questions he raised during his Inaugural Address in October 2011 on how to create “affordable excellence” in higher education. His words yesterday served as a call to action – directed to both Roger Williams University and to America’s colleges and universities more broadly.
