KINGSTON – “Nobody wants the university to be more successful than the people who have spent much of their careers here,” University of Rhode Island President Robert L. Carothers said in a statement explaining why he and Jayne Richmond, dean of URI’s special academic programs and University College, have decided to donate $100,000 to the Making a Difference capital campaign.
The couple’s gift will go toward the creation of an International Center for Students and Scholars, a two-story building that will be linked to the URI Multicultural Center by a glass corridor.
“We have been working for many years to integrate international education and intercultural exchange into an expanded global perspective for our students and faculty,” Richmond said.
This calendar year, the university has 525 international students and 134 international scholars on its campus, plus another 55 foreign students who are studying “abroad” at URI. Meanwhile, 600 URI students are studying abroad in other countries.
This new diversity benefits everyone, Richmond said. “Today, the University is recognized for having some of the best language programs in the country. More and more of our students are studying or interning aboard in more locations.”
The planned International Center “will provide a gathering place, a central location where the entire campus community – international and domestic students, faculty, staff, and visiting scholars – can access information and resources and exchange ideas,” Richmond said. “Its physical presence will demonstrate that international education is a dynamic agenda on campus.”
The center will house three offices directed by Diana Brandford-Calvo: the International Education and National Student Exchange office, which oversees student study-abroad opportunities and assists visiting exchange students; the Office of International Students and Scholars, which provides immigration and problem-solving assistance to students, scholars and their dependents; and the Office of International Faculty-Led Summer Programs, which will allow firsthand exploration of Belize, Cape Verde, China, Dominican Republic, England, Greece, Italy, the Philippines and Spain.
“For many years, students from other countries have been coming to the United States for their education,” Carothers noted. “This has served our country well. It has helped explain us better. It builds professional relationships. But perhaps the biggest benefit is that is creates friendships.”
Additional information about the planned International Center for Students and Scholars at URI and the university’s Making A Difference capital campaign is available by contacting the URI Foundation at 874-2145 or campaign@uri.edu.
