Academic Support, Office of
Rhode Island College provides a number of academic support and advising services in the office known on campus as OASIS. OASIS is responsible for the orientation of all new undergraduate students. At orientation students receive academic advising, register for classes, and are introduced to campus life. First-year students entering in the fall participate in a two-day summer program on campus. New transfer students attend a shorter, more intensive orientation during the summer months.
OASIS was established to assist students with questions concerning academic policies and procedures at Rhode Island College and to serve as the official advisor to students in the exploring majors categories (undeclared).
Students interested in becoming more effective learners will find assistance in OASIS. Services include instruction and tutorial help for reading comprehension, note taking, and test preparation for admission and certification testing for the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development. Assistance with tests required by the School of Nursing is also available. OASIS works closely with Disability Services to offer academic counseling and learning strategies to students who have or think they may have a learning disability. OASIS welcomes all Rhode Island College students. For more information on tutorial help, refer to the Mathematics Learning Center, Tutorial Services and Writing Center.
Adams Library
The James P. Adams Library provides:
- Access to information in print and online.
- Reference services in person and through use of several icons, such as “Text Us” and “Email” on the library homepage.
- One-on-one research consultation.
- Public computers for use throughout the building.
- Laptops, iPads, Nexus 7 tablets, external hard drives and graphing calculators for loan.
The library collection today includes 151,873 eBooks, 54,116 journals in electronic format and 101 databases, all of which are accessible both on and off campus. Print holdings include 545,755 items and 158 periodicals. The library also has a collection of technical reports, newspapers and government publications, a DVD collection of films and documentaries, a variety of music CDs and a rotating collection of popular fiction and non-fiction books for recreational reading.
Your RIC ID is your library card. During the 2015-16 academic year, 52,002 items from the library’s collection were circulated.
Library faculty collaborate with college faculty to create library instruction for specific courses focused on the discovery, use and evaluation of library resources and information on the web. The library provided 182 library instruction sessions which were attended by 3,046 students during the 2015-16 academic year. These sessions are conducted by the reference librarians, who also answer about 6,740 reference questions a year.
The library’s participation in the Higher Education Library Information Network (HELIN) allows the RIC community to borrow from academic libraries throughout the state with a click of a button in the online catalog. Users can request items not available in the HELIN consortium through the library’s Document Delivery Service. During the past year the RIC library borrowed 5,956 items from other libraries and lent 4,123 items, for a total of 10,079 items.
The College Archives, a rich depository of the history and records of Rhode Island College, as well as faculty and alumni publications and student theses, are located in the Special Collections Department. Special Collections includes a number of subject collections consisting of papers, books, manuscripts and other resources that document the state’s education, ethnic and socio-political history. A growing number of student theses and honor projects, faculty publications and Special Collections materials are also accessible electronically in the Digital Commons.
The Curriculum Resources Center, housed within the library, provides instructional material and curriculum development resources for teachers and teacher education programs.
Information about library hours, services and resources can be found on the Adams Library website at library.ric.edu.
Career Development Center
The Career Development Center serves students and alumni in the career planning and job and internship search process. The center also offers assistance with applying to graduate school, including program selection and help with writing the personal statement.
Individual counseling sessions are offered at the center, along with TypeFocus, an online system that helps students examine their values, skills and interests to reach informed decisions about a major and career.
Workshops and programs are offered that help students develop competitive job search skills and strategies (e.g., résumé and cover letter writing, effective interviewing, LinkedIn accounts and networking).
Many resources are available 24/7 online such as job and internship postings and information about career fields. Employers seeking full-time, permanent and part-time employees and interns are connected with students. Work-study and non-work-study jobs are also available both on and off campus.
Current students and alumni may post résumés, view jobs/internships, and access the center’s online library with RIC's career management tool, Destinations (www.ric.edu/careerdevelopment/destinations.php)
Disability Services Center
The Disability Services Center (DSC) is the central location on campus for disability-related services for undergraduate and graduate students and is committed to providing accommodations for students with disabilities and supporting them in achieving their academic goals. Students who self-identify and provide appropriate documentation of their condition to the DSC may be eligible to receive reasonable accommodations in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and analogous state laws. Support services may include classroom and testing accommodations, advisement, referrals and use of assistive technology.
The DSC serves students with all types of disabilities: mobility, hearing, vision, motor, psychological, learning, attention, speech, medical, developmental and other conditions. In addition, the DSC shall seek to assist students with temporary impairments who are in need of short-term accommodations. The DSC is also available to advise any student who needs information about how to obtain proper documentation of a disability.
The DSC promotes the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of college life, and endeavors to make students aware of the many opportunities and resources available to them at Rhode Island College. The DSC recognizes disability as a form of diversity and is the primary resource to educate, train and guide the college community in understanding disability access, rights and responsibilities. The DSC not only serves as an advocate for students with disabilities, but also encourages students toward self-advocacy and self-determination.
Clarification of policies and procedures for disability-related services is available in the Policies and Procedures Manual for Students with Disabilities. Copies of the manual are available at the Disability Services Center or on its Web site at www.ric.edu/disabilityservices. Persons using TTY/TDD devices may contact the Disabilities Services Center via Rhode Island Relay Services by dialing 711.
Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning
The Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL) promotes the professional growth and development of faculty as teachers and as scholars of teaching and learning. It cultivates a public dialogue about teaching and learning across disciplinary lines and strives to build a professional community among teachers at Rhode Island College. The FCTL serves faculty at every stage of their professional lives in order to support a campus-wide culture committed to excellence in teaching and learning. The FCTL is by faculty, for faculty. We offer opportunities for faculty members to get together and talk about what they are doing, share strategies and stories and learn about online teaching and new technologies. In addition, we offer one-on-one support for course design, syllabus design and online course design and redesign in addition to help with class discussions and crafting assignments. Our support services are typically by appointment but walk-ins are welcome. For more information about the FCTL and our offerings visit our website at www.ric.edu/fctl.
Help Center
The Help Center provides comprehensive support for computer and printer problems along with a full complement of IT equipment and support for classroom instruction. The Help Center also assists conference planners with presentation media.
Henry Barnard Laboratory School
The Henry Barnard Laboratory School (HBS), which enrolls learners from preschool (age 3) through grade five, has served the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development and the College for 115 years. It provides opportunities for Rhode Island College education students preparing to become teachers to observe classes, to participate in clinical and practicum experiences and to student-/co-teach. HBS faculty participate in educational research activities, publish in literature of the field and present at local and national conferences.
As a laboratory school, HBS seeks to be a model for other schools in the state and region. Faculty seek to develop, document and disseminate new, effective practices for the field. The HBS preschool is a Reggio-Emelia-inspired program. Afterschool care for all learners is available. For more information, visit the website at www.ric.edu/hbs.
Information Services
Management Information Services (MIS)
Management Information Services provides technical support for the PeopleSoft administrative computer systems at the college. Additional database support is provided in areas not served by PeopleSoft along with scanning services for time sheets and testing.
User Support Services (USS)
User Support Services is responsible for distributing and maintaining desktop hardware, software and multimedia resources. To assist and educate students, faculty and staff in the appropriate use of technology, USS provides a primary point of contact for end-user support and offers a wide range of end-user services, including the Help Center, oversight of computer labs and electronic classrooms, and technology training. The college has two large walk-in computing facilities for student use located in Horace Mann Technology Center and in Whipple Hall where over 150 PCs and Apple Macintosh systems are available. In addition, hands-on instructional computing facilities are located in Alger Hall, ALEX AND ANI Hall Clark Science Hall, Gaige Hall, Fogarty Life Sciences, Henry Barnard School, Horace Mann Hall, Nazarian Center, School of Social Work (Bldg 9) and Whipple Hall. Electronic classrooms are available for instructional use in over 15 buildings.
Network and Telecommunications (NT)
Network and Telecommunications is responsible for the data and voice infrastructure on the Rhode Island College campus. The college has a gigabit Ethernet data network, with extensive wireless coverage; a Nortel digital phone system; and a modern data center, with redundant systems for business continuity.
Learning for Life (L4L)
Learning for Life is a multi-faceted community and college partnership, linking students to a wide range of services, supports, and opportunities that fortify them for college success and remove practical, life challenges and obstacles that may prevent education from remaining a priority in their lives.
By connecting students with academic, social, life-skill, financial, and career-related supports, L4L helps students to navigate a direct course to college completion. Contact Learning for Life at www.ric.edu/learningforlife/ or l4linfo@ric.edu.
Mathematics Assessment and Tutoring
The Mathematics Learning Center, located in OASIS, has peer tutors available each day to assist students individually or in small groups with the Mathematics Accuplacer Examination, with mathematics courses or with mathematics topics in another discipline. Students may make appointments in person or by phone.
Outreach Programs
Outreach Programs offer a variety of workforce development programs that include internship coordination and support as well as requisite course in job skills and job search. The comprehensive curriculum includes internship coordination and support as well as a requisite course in job skills and job search. Focus is on job readiness and employability skills, culminating in a full portfolio of targeted résumés and job-search tools. All courses include the full support of staff trained in job procurement and retention as well as financial and computer literacy instruction. Additional course offerings include English as a Second Language, green business practices, remedial math, reading and language.
Partnerships and Placements, Office of
In cooperation with academic departments within the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, the Office of Partnerships and Placements is responsible for securing field placements and maintaining partnerships with school districts.
Tutorial Services
Any student requiring assistance with mastering course content is encouraged to arrange for tutoring as soon as possible. All tutorial services are offered free of charge and are administered through OASIS. In-person and online tutoring in Accounting, Bilingual Math, Biology, Chemistry, Computers and Technology, Economics, ESL/Writing, Essay Center, Finance, Math, Nursing, Physics, Spanish and Writing is available in OASIS, or through the “Smarthinking” web service. Tutoring for many of the subjects is available online 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Upward Bound Program
The Upward Bound Program was first established at RIC in 1966. It is designed to instill in low-income, potential first-generation college students the skills and motivation to complete high school and to enter and graduate from college. Upward Bound is committed to providing equal access and opportunity to students from specific target high schools who meet federal eligibility requirements. The program enhances the intellectual, emotional, character and motivational development of each participant by offering rigorous academic instruction, counseling, support services and an environment that recognizes individual differences and academic potential.
For more information visit the Upward Bound office, or e-mail upwardbound@ric.edu, or visit the Web site at www.ric.edu/upward_bound.
Writing Center
The Writing Center is staffed by highly qualified student tutors. Tutors work with all writers, from freshmen to graduate students, in all disciplines. Tutors assist with any phase of writing, such as refining topics, writing for a specific audience, developing ideas, organizing material, revising drafts and editing.
The Writing Center maintains a reference library of books, journals and articles on writing theory, writing for specific disciplines and other topics, including MLA, APA and Chicago style manuals. Services are free to all Rhode Island College students, faculty and staff.