RWU Joins the New American Colleges and Universities Consortium

BRISTOL, R.I. – Roger Williams University has joined The New American Colleges and Universities (NAC&U), a consortium of colleges and universities that purposefully integrate liberal education, professional studies and civic engagement.

“The approach to education at Roger Williams University mirrors that of our members,” said Nancy Hensel, president of NAC&U. “Their emphasis on blending strong liberal arts programs with well-regarded professional schools while providing experiential education through community service, study abroad and undergraduate research makes Roger Williams an ideal fit for our organization.”

NAC&U members are small- to medium-sized institutions across the nation that are committed to providing hands-on, project-based learning so that students can connect theory to practice and classroom learning to real-world situations. Members also emphasize civic responsibility from a local, regional and global perspective.

For Roger Williams, the invitation to join NAC&U comes three years after the launch of its Affordable Excellence initiative, which has positioned RWU at the leading edge of the national dialogue on cost, debt and job-preparedness for today’s college graduates. In addition to encouraging undergraduates to develop expertise in both the liberal arts and a professional program, the University has greatly expanded opportunities for meaningful experiential learning projects rooted in local communities, many of which are facilitated through its five-year-old Community Partnerships Center.

“The invitation to partner with NAC&U offers us the unique opportunity to join forces with a select group of institutions that share our commitment to preparing a diverse array of students for successful careers and fulfilling lives,” said Donald J. Farish, president of Roger Williams University. “Collectively, we can demonstrate the potential for higher education to transform the lives of students and provide the skills and experiences needed for a lifetime of working toward the greater good of society.”

NAC&U affords its members many opportunities to collaborate on projects and share best practices through events such as its annual Summer Institute, grant-funded projects such as its recent Teagle Foundation-funded monograph, “Redefining the Paradigm: Faculty Models to Support Student Learning,” and multi-campus projects, such as its Civic Engagement Collaborative, which will launch in Fall 2015.