Navigation is about knowing where to go, when to reach out, and how to ask questions.
URI cares about you and has a plan to support you!
Once students have begun establishing their accessibility plan, the next step in a successful transition is navigation, understanding how to use the systems, offices, and people for support. College is different from high school in one important way: support exists in many places, and students are empowered to take the lead in connecting with those resources, from enrollment and orientation to tutoring, advising, health care, career planning, and testing services.
As you review these resources, think proactively
- Who will I contact if I have an academic question?
- Where can I go if I need tutoring?
- What supports exist if I begin to struggle?
Rhode to Becoming a Ram (NewRAM)
Rhode to Becoming a Ram (often called NewRAM) is URI’s official onboarding experience designed to guide newly admitted and committed students and their families through the transition to university life. It functions as a roadmap with key steps, deadlines, events, and engagement opportunities to help students prepare for their first semester and feel confident about joining the Ram community. It breaks the transition into manageable milestones and support points, from confirming enrollment and setting up campus accounts to attending Welcome Days, Orientation sessions, and accessing key resources before classes begin.
uri.edu/newram/
rhode2ram@uri.edu
401-874-2133
- Checklists and Next Steps: Step-by-step lists for first-year and transfer students to stay organized with critical tasks after acceptance, including deposit payment, housing, ID, academic advising, and more.
- Welcome Days: Special campus visit events for new students, families, and supporters featuring walking tours, meetings with faculty, and opportunities to connect with current students and staff.
- Summer & Winter Orientation: Multi-day orientation sessions where students finalize schedules, meet advisors, explore campus, and learn about student life and support services.
- Mobile Access: URI’s Rhody Connect app includes a NewRAM toolkit for admitted students, with to-do lists, campus maps, event info, and reminders, to keep everything in one place.
Fannon Institute for Student Success
The Fannon Institute for Student Success provides a centralized network of academic support and student success resources that guide students from the moment they arrive through to graduation and beyond. It’s designed to help students navigate academic challenges, explore majors and career paths, and thrive throughout their college experience.
- Exploration & Major Guidance: Resources for students who are undecided or considering changes in their major to help them find the best academic and career fit.
- Embedded Support Centers: It is home to a suite of support services, including tutoring and coaching through the Academic Enhancement Center, career and experiential education opportunities, retention and success coaching, and student-athlete academic support.
- Academic Support & Early Alerts: Personalized guidance and interventions to help students stay on track academically, including connections with faculty and advisors through tools like Starfish.
uri.edu/success/
401-874-2993
Academic Enhancement Center (AEC)
The Academic Enhancement Center (AEC) is a free, comprehensive academic support hub designed to help undergraduate students develop effective learning strategies, build confidence, and succeed in their coursework and academic goals. Students can access a range of peer-supported and professional academic resources that complement classroom learning.
- STEM & Business Tutoring: Free peer tutoring for STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) and business courses through scheduled groups, occasional sessions, and a drop-in center.
- Undergraduate Writing Center: One-on-one writing consultations for students at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming ideas to revising drafts, are offered both in person and online.
- Academic Coaching: Personalized appointments with peer academic coaches to build study, planning, time-management, and metacognitive skills that strengthen student success across courses.
- UCS Courses & Workshops: UCS 160/161 courses and other workshops focus on learning strategies, study skill development, and academic planning to support students as they navigate collegiate expectations.
uri.edu/aec/
Retention and Academic Success (Early Alert)
Retention and Academic Success serves as an early intervention system that identifies and responds to signs of academic difficulty or disengagement. Whether a student is missing classes, struggling with coursework, showing reduced engagement, or not responding to communications, faculty, staff, peers, and family members can raise a referral so that trained staff can follow up and connect the student with appropriate support.
uri.edu/earlyalert/
earlyalerturi@etal.uri.edu
401-874-5527
- Outreach and Support: Staff reach out directly to the student, or work through holistic campus partners (such as DAI, advising, tutoring, or housing), to offer guidance, create strategies, and coordinate services that can help address the challenge.
- Follow-Up: Staff check in with the student as needed and work collaboratively to connect them with the support best suited to their situation.
This is not an emergency service, but a supportive, preventative resource focused on student success and connection to services before issues escalate.
First-Year Experience Program
The First-Year Experience (FYE) is a coordinated network of programs and opportunities that helps new students transition into college life, build confidence, and establish a strong foundation for academic and personal success during their first year. Rather than a single class or event, FYE links engagement, learning, peer-connected communities, leadership, and academic resources to support students as they navigate their early university experience.
- First-Year Seminar: A semester-long, small-group seminar course that help students build a sense of belonging, learn campus expectations, and develop skills for academic success.
- Rhody F1rst: A student-led organization dedicated to supporting, empowering, and celebrating first-generation college students, cultivating community, mentorship, and inclusive engagement.
- FYE also connects students with career, academic, and student support resources, like the Academic Enhancement Center, retention services, exploratory advising, and experiential opportunities, helping students align academic goals with meaningful involvement and success.
uri.edu/success/first-year-experience/
401-874-5611
Center for Career & Experiential Education
The Center for Career & Experiential Education (CCEE) is a central career support hub designed to help students explore careers, build professional skills, and connect with employers from the first semester through graduation and beyond.
uri.edu/career/
ccee@uri.edu
401-874-2311
- Career Education Specialists: One-on-one advising (in-person and virtual) to help students explore career paths, develop resumes and LinkedIn profiles, prepare for interviews, and plan job or internship searches.
- Job & Internship Resources: The Center supports access to Handshake, the University’s job and internship portal, tools for finding on-campus employment, experiential learning placements, and career-related funding options.
- Handshake lists on-campus positions across academic departments, administrative offices, research labs, libraries, recreation, dining, and more.
- Experiential Learning Programs: The ITR Internship Program and other experiential opportunities help students apply academic learning in real-world settings, enhancing professional readiness.
Health Services
Health Services is the campus-based comprehensive medical and wellness center dedicated to supporting the physical and overall health of enrolled students. It offers access to primary care, specialty clinics, preventive services, and health education.
- Ambulatory medical care & office visits with licensed providers for acute and ongoing health needs.
- On-site pharmacy, lab, x-ray, and diagnostic services to make appointments and treatment easier without leaving campus.
- Immunizations, allergy care, and specialty clinics that support preventative health and chronic needs.
- Health Promotion & Wellness education have workshops and programs on sleep, relationships, nutrition, and other wellbeing topics.
uri.edu/healthservices/
health@uri.edu
401-874-2246
Counseling Center
The Counseling Center provides confidential, short-term mental health and wellness support to enrolled students, supporting their personal, emotional, and academic well-being through a range of professional services. Accredited by the International Accreditation of Counseling Services (IACS), the team includes psychologists, clinical social workers, and mental health counselors committed to student growth and well-being.
- Individual Counseling: Short-term therapeutic sessions with licensed counselors to help students address emotional, stress-related, or adjustment concerns.
- Group Counseling: Facilitated groups that bring students together around shared themes (e.g., stress management, identity-based supports).
- Crisis Support: Immediate assistance for students experiencing acute distress.
- Care Management: Guidance for students navigating more complex or ongoing mental health needs, including referrals to off-campus providers for longer-term care, medication management, or specialized treatment.
- 24/7 Support via TELUS Health: Free, confidential chat, phone, and virtual support available anytime, including in multiple languages, to complement on-campus services.
uri.edu/counseling/
401-874-2288
Academic Testing Center (ATC)
The Academic Testing Center (ATC) provides professional exam proctoring services in a secure, accessible environment for students, faculty, and academic departments. The ATC administers exams for students with DAI-approved accommodations, as well as for students needing make-up or alternative exam arrangements due to excused absences.
uri.edu/atc/
academictesting@uri.edu
401-874-4421
- Flexible Scheduling: Exams are scheduled by students once faculty submit requests, and the ATC accommodates a range of formats, including paper-based and instructor-approved digital exams; scheduling is typically online and organized within the date range specified by instructors.
- The ATC maintains certification with the National College Testing Association (NCTA).
- The majority of ATC staff are certified in Mental Health First Aid, and the space is designated as a URI SafeZone, contributing to a supportive, student-centered testing environment.