Institutional Updates
Summer 2023
Johnson & Wales University’s New Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree Program
Johnson & Wales University’s new Bachelor of Science in nursing degree program begins the fall 2023, approved by Rhode lsland’s Board of Nursing Registration & Nursing Education last September. The accelerated, four-semester program is designed for baccalaureate students that complete prerequisite courses in human anatomy, physiology and chemistry before enrolling, and includes in-class instruction and faculty-supervised clinical hours.
Hispanic-Serving Institutions
The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) earned their status as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS) on April 6th, 2023. The HSI status is designated by the U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Act and acknowledges Title V-eligible colleges and universities with 25 percent or more full-time undergraduate student enrollment that identify as Hispanic or Latinx. CCRI earned HSI status for the 2021-22 academic year with 25.1 percent enrollment. They experienced a data collection and verification delay by the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
In 2021, Rhode Island College was the first RI higher education institution to receive the HSI designation for having 25 percent Hispanic/Latinx undergraduates enrolled full-time during the 2021-22 academic year. At that time, RIC was one of the 559 HSIs that existed in 29 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Winter 2023
Bryant University’s new School of Health and Behavioral Sciences
This summer Bryant University launched the new School of Health and Behavioral Sciences which houses the Physician Assistant program and the departments of Psychology and Biological and Biomedical Sciences (formerly the department of Science and Technology). A $200,000 grant from the Fred M. Roddy Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting medicine, health care, and education, is helping to fund the laboratory equipment for the Center for Health and Behavioral Science that is located in the Academic Hall/Unistructure.
Providence College’s new School of Nursing and Health Sciences
The newly established School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Providence College was approved by the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education in September of 2022. Providence College will begin enrolling students for the new programs in the fall of 2023, offering a bachelor of science nursing degree program, a bachelor’s degree in health sciences, and the existing health policy and management major.