Learn how to speak Rhody!
Before you get where you’re going, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the local language. Take a minute to brush up on your skills and learn some important terms that will help you navigate URI with ease.
| What URI says | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active Learning Classroom | A classroom designed for interactive instruction, group work, and collaboration. |
| AEC | The Academic Enhancement Center offers tutoring in the STEM disciplines, Academic Skills Development programming, and a Writing Center. |
| AI Lab | The Artificial Intelligence Lab is a hub in the library for faculty, students, and the URI community to explore the social, ethical, and economic implications of AI technology, such as wearable medical devices. |
| Brightspace | Online learning management system where students access course materials, submit assignments, and take quizzes and exams. |
| CBLS | Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences |
| CCEE | Center for Career and Experiential Education, the home base for career education specialists, who can help you with career exploration, professional development, and internship opportunities. |
| CED | Community, Equity, and Diversity |
| Credits | This indicates the number of hours the course is worth. The majority of classes are 3 or 4 credits, meaning that the course will meet approximately 3 or 4 hours per week. We suggest 2 hours of studying/preparation for every hour of class time. 15 hours in class + 30 hours of study time = the right combination for success. |
| DAI | Disability, Access, and Inclusion |
| Degree-Granting College (DGC) | Academic college that will grant your degree. URI has 8 degree granting colleges. |
| Down the Line | Beautiful beach towns of Narragansett and South Kingstown where upperclass students often choose to live. |
| eCampus | The online student information system where you register for classes, check grades, request a transcript, gain access to financial records, and make housing and dining choices. |
| Emporium | Stores at the top of campus that sell food, clothing, and other necessities. |
| Enrollment Services | Your one stop shop for all your billing, registration and financial aid needs. |
| Faculty | Individuals who teach your classes including professors and instructors. |
| Fannon Institute for Student Success | The Fannon Institute for Student Success is where you will find support on every step of your URI journey, from admission right through to graduation, and beyond. Our network of student support centers C.A.R.E.S. The Center for Career & Experiential Education connects students with high-impact personal and professional experiences. The Academic Enhancement Center provides tutoring, writing support, and academic coaching, while the Retention and Academic Success Center offers individualized academic interventions to help students overcome challenges and stay on track. The Exploratory Studies Center and Student-Athlete Support Services help students align their academic interests with career goals, focusing on timely graduation and a strong foundation for lifelong success. |
| First-Year Students | This is the name for students who are in their first year of college (formally known as Freshmen). |
| Freshman(men) | First-Year Student(s) |
| Gen Eds / Gen Ed Classes | In college, “gen eds” refer to general education classes. This is the set of required foundational courses outside of your specific major that span a broad variety of subjects, like: history, writing, science, humanities, social sciences, etc. These classes typically make up about one-third to one-half of a bachelor's degree and are usually completed during your first two years. |
| Greeks | Students who are members of fraternities and sororities. |
| Greek 101 | A community-wide new member education program that all new members of URI fraternities and sororities attend. The program consists of a weekly series of workshops that address the following areas: team-building, mental health awareness, anti-hazing, substance abuse prevention, sexual assault prevention, scholarship, and leadership. |
| Handshake | URI's online career platform for connecting students and alumni with employers, jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities. |
| Health Services Patient Portal | Where new students must submit requirements for Health Services. It is also where all students schedule online appointments and access their health information (immunization record, lab results, visit summaries). |
| Hope Commons | Across from Fascitelli Center, Hope contains Mainfare dining hall, PizzaXpress and the Corner Store. |
| HRL | Housing and Residential Life |
| Info Desk | A place in the Memorial Union that will point you in right direction for an event, class, or meeting and where you can buy bus passes and stamps. |
| IT Help Desk | IT Service Desk that provides support for any issue related to e-Campus, Brightspace, email, internet connections, wireless, smartphones and tablets, laptops, desktops, and more. |
| Launch Lab | Dynamic, full-service space for URI students, faculty, and alumni interested in actively pursuing innovation and entrepreneurship. |
| Learning Community (LC) | The group of people with whom you'll take similar classes based on your major or academic interests. |
| Little Four | Used to describe the space around Residence halls Tucker, Peck, Hutchinson, and Merrow |
| Living and Learning Community (LLC) | Residence hall that is assigned to a specific academic college, major, or interest area. Students in LLCs form study groups, share access to Residential Academic Mentors (RAMs), and attend faculty-sponsored programs. |
| Makerspace | Provides access to fabrication equipment/software, 2d/3d design, virtual reality, and many other tools and technologies that facilitate hands-on learning, teaching, and research activities in all disciplines at URI. |
| MSSC | Multicultural Student Services Center |
| MU/The Union | The Memorial Union is home to student clubs and organizations, Campus Store, Ram's Den, RIPTA bus, and other services |
| Office Hours | Weekly hours set aside by the instructor for students to stop by to ask questions and make a connection. These hours are posted in the class syllabus and often in Starfish. Visit with your instructors early and often. |
| Quad | Large rectangular grassy area at the top of campus that is surrounded by historic stone buildings. |
| RA | Resident Assistants are trained live-in peer leaders who supervise and support students living in residence halls. |
| RAM | Resident Academic Mentors are trained peer mentors who reside in living and learning communiites and help first year students with their academic transition to college. |
| Second Grade Option | The University of Rhode Island's "Second Grade Option" is a grade replacement policy allowing students to retake a course to replace a grade of C- or below in their cumulative GPA calculation. While the original grade remains visible on the transcript, only the second attempt impacts the cumulative GPA, though both grades are used for calculating graduation honors. |
| Rhody Connect | Official URI app that gives you easy access to the campus information. |
| SGO/Second Grade Option | Undergraduates may exercise a second-grade option by repeating a course in which they earned a C- or lower. Only courses that fall within the student’s first 30 attempted credits taken at the University may be selected for this option. The time frame for when this option may be exercised is different for First-Year and Transfer students. To learn more and take advantage of this option, review the Second Grade Option Form. |
| Slate Portal or Applicant Portal | Where you view your admission decision and financial aid award letter, contact your dedicated admission counselor, and register for admission and orientation events. |
| SSO (Single Sign On) | Username and password that you use to access Starfish, Brightspace, Handshake, Office365, and email. Before creating your SSO, you must be set up in e-Campus. It will take approximately 48 hours after setting up your e-Campus account to be able to create your SSO, which will be your primary log-in credential as an enrolled student. |
| Staff | Individuals who provide support services on campus such as academic advising, dining services, housing and residential life, and multicultural student services. |
| Starfish | Online communication platform that allows students, faculty, advisors and staff to contact each other, make appointments, and see comments from faculty about kudos (good work!) and flags (I'm concerned about you). |
| Syllabus | A contract between instructor and student that includes important details about the course including assignments and the course schedule. |
| Top of Campus | Area of campus nearest to Upper College Road. |
| Upperclass | This is how students who have been at the University for more than one year are referred to. |
| URI 101: Planning for Academic Success | 1-credit course taken by all new students that is designed as an introduction to the major with a focus on academic planning and transition to college. (Note: Equivalents are EGR 105, BIO 130, and MUS 119). |