KINGSTON, RI – November 18, 2024 – The University of Rhode Island’s Speaking Center was established in the fall of 2023, initially to aid and prepare Harrington School of Communication and Media students with public speaking assignments. As of fall 2024 the Center is now open to all University Students.

“We had a Speaking Center approximately 10 years ago when Adam Roth was the Basic Course Director,” Kristine Cabral, Director of the newly reopened Center, told us. “When he left, there was nobody to take on the responsibility of running it. Professor Martha Waitkun showed an interest in re-establishing a Center; she had been advocating (since the renovation of Ranger Hall) to create a space for it.” With the help of Professor Cabral, the Center reopened last year.

The center is staffed by both part-time faculty and graduate students who teach Communication 100. Consultants work with students in a one-on-one setting with the goal of creating a nurturing and safe environment to practice public speaking. The Speaking Center is not limited to speech delivery practice; students also have the opportunity to participate in brainstorming sessions to help with topic selection, receive support both researching and organizing presentations, as well as develop strategies to reduce speaking anxiety.

“[We want] more people [to] know about us,” Cabral said. “We know most college students are apprehensive about public speaking; thus, we know there is a need for support that goes beyond the classroom. We have trained experts at the Center to provide that support. Students from all majors can benefit from our services. We also want University faculty to know about us so they can encourage their students to book an appointment with us!” The Center is open 5 days a week, including evening hours. To learn more about the Center or to book an appointment, follow this link https://web.uri.edu/harrington/speaking-center/ or go to Ranger 301A for a walk-in appointment.

This article was written by Erin Malinn, class of 2028.