| R 277 |
| 2025 -- S 1027 Enacted 05/06/2025 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| CELEBRATING APRIL 24, 2025, AS "RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE DAY" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Senators Lawson, Vargas, and Appollonio |
| Date Introduced: May 05, 2025 |
| 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 360 full-time faculty members, |
| and a student body of more than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The college offers |
| more than 55 undergraduate and 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 New England for its excellence, RIC was |
| named one of the "Top 10 Best Value Public Colleges in New England" in 2021, and was ranked |
| #1 for social mobility among public regional universities in New England, according to the 2022 |
| U.S. News and World Report; and |
| WHEREAS, Rhode Island College is now on the cutting edge of programs in cyber |
| security, 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, 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 |
| 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, 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 Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby celebrates April 24, |
| 2025, 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 Jack R. Warner, President of Rhode Island |
| College. |
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| LC002586 |
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