2026 -- H 8323

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CELEBRATING MARCH 19, 2026, AS "RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE DAY" IN THE STATE

OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Representatives Alzate, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Bennett, Potter,
Messier, Shallcross Smith, O'Brien, Donovan, and Chippendale

     Date Introduced: March 19, 2026

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, Established by the General Assembly in 1854, and originally named the

"Rhode Island State Normal School", Rhode Island College (RIC) is a public college located in

the City of Providence and is the second oldest institution of higher education – and the oldest

public institution of higher education – in Rhode Island; and

     WHEREAS, Comprised of a 180-acre campus, RIC has 282 full-time faculty members,

and a student body of more than 6,500 undergraduate and graduate students. The college offers

more than 50 undergraduate and over 25 graduate degree programs, and a doctoral program in

nursing practice; and

     WHEREAS, In addition, RIC offers programs and classes in professional and workforce

development, continuing and adult education, and community programs and initiatives that

"empower our citizens and strengthen our communities"; and

     WHEREAS, RIC also offers a panoply of athletic opportunities as a member of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III with 21 varsity sports, including 9

men's sports teams and 12 women's sports teams; and

     WHEREAS, Earning recognition throughout the Northeast for its excellence, RIC is

among the top 10 regional public colleges/universities in New England and the top 10

college/universities in New England for social mobility in a 2026 U.S. News and World Report

article; and its Zvart Onanian School of Nursing was named “one of the best nursing master’s

programs for your money” in 2025, according to Money Magazine’s annual rankings; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island's motto "Hope", became reality for Rhode Island residents in

the fall of 2023, as the college initiated the Hope Scholarship, which will benefit its students

seeking a 4-year degree; and since its inception in 2023, 568 Rhode Island students have

benefited from the scholarship; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island College is now on the cutting edge of programs in healthcare,

cybersecurity, biotechnology, data science and artificial intelligence, allowing its students

opportunities to find meaningful and lucrative work in these critical fields. The programs will

also ensure that our State, as well as our nation, will have the needed expertise in these emerging

technological fields; and

     WHEREAS, The people of Rhode Island have chosen to invest in the State’s high-tech

future at Rhode Island College, approving funding in two successive bond referenda to

completely modernize the College’s physical sciences facility, Clark Science, which opened in

the Fall of 2025, and to transform Whipple Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus, into a

state-of-the-art Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies with a cyber range and

security operations center; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

celebrates March 19, 2026, as "Rhode Island College Day" and thanks the College and staff for

the significant contributions they provide to the citizens of our State; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Dr. Jack R. Warner, President of Rhode Island

College.

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