With a student-faculty ratio of 19:1, our faculty get to know each student and live for the moment when "everything clicks" - when students make a significant discovery or understand concepts that bring classroom instruction to life. Our faculty meet students where they are and empower them to achieve beyond their expectations. In the classroom or in the field, our faculty are champions of our students' success.
Our full-time and part-time faculty and professional staff are organized among the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, the School of Business, the School of Nursing, and the School of Social Work. These units are complemented by the community-education and workforce development mission of the Office of Professional Studies and Continuing Education.
The Council of Rhode Island College, established in 1963, is the chief legislative and regulatory agency of the faculty. Its function is to examine and evaluate current policies in light of the philosophy, purposes, and assigned function of the college and to recommend such amendments and additions of policy that are deemed necessary or desirable to provide for the most effective operation of the college.
Faculty advisors play an incredibly important role helping students connect with the college, navigate the maze of academic requirements, and ultimately see the path to graduation.
Emeriti appointments may be conferred by the president when a member of the college faculty or senior administrative staff retires from active service in good standing, and that individual has served with exceptional distinction.
The Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL) promotes the professional growth and development of Rhode Island College faculty as teachers and as scholars of teaching and learning. FCTL is by faculty, for faculty. FCTL fosters a dialogue about teaching and learning across disciplinary lines. FCTL partners with faculty and staff members who share their expertise and experiences with their colleagues via several Professional Development formats including workshops, new faculty orientation, seminars, and panel discussions. Individual consultations are also available.
The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) is the college's central clearinghouse for all external research and programmatic grants and contracts with government agencies and private foundations. OSP supports faculty and student advancement of knowledge and scholarship across the disciplines.
RIC/AFT unites members of the Rhode Island College faculty in a federation for mutual assistance in order to promote the interests of the faculty and the teaching profession and to protect an atmosphere and structure of academic freedom for faculty and students in the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge and in the acquisition and dissemination of skills.
The Tenure and promotion process provides a structure for determining the continuous and permanent term of appointment of the professional faculty of Rhode Island College.
The RIC Adjunct Faculty Union advocates on behalf of the adjunct faculty community at the college. Learn more.
The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee is a committee of the Council of Rhode Island College. It is responsible for the approval and oversight of all aspects of the undergraduate curricula, including honors programs and general education. Implementation of Undergraduate Curriculum Committee decisions is subject to action by the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President of the College.
The Committee initiates the study of new curricula or changes in curricula, and consider suggestions for curriculum development from the administration, divisions, departments, programs, individual faculty members, and students.
The Graduate Curriculum Committee is a committee of faculty governance under RIC Council. The mission of the Graduate Committee is to oversee graduate curricula and programs, and to advance the interest of graduate programs and students at Rhode Island College. The Graduate Committee reviews and approvals proposals for new and revised curriculum and for policies related to graduate studies.
The Committee on General Education is responsible for the approval and oversight of all aspects of the General Education Program, which is designed to provide students in all academic majors and professional programs with the knowledge and skills of a college-educated citizen. General Education approaches eleven learning outcomes through three core courses, seven distribution areas, a second language requirement, and writing in each of the disciplines.
In the first year, First-Year Writing provides a starting point for writing at all levels throughout the curriculum. Also in the first year, students choose from a large selection of intriguing topics with which to hone their skills in First-Year Seminar. Connections courses, taken later in one’s program, again use a topical approach to strengthen academic skills. Writing in each discipline purposefully and explicitly develops student writing appropriate to the style and context of the individual discipline.
The Committee for Faculty Scholarship and Development (CFS&D) supports faculty research and creative activity, professional development, and training through major grants up to $4,000 and mini-grants under $1,500. CFS&D also awards faculty reassigned time.
Committed to transparency, CFS&D communicates the allocation process and announces the funding awards to the entire campus community.
The Committee on Assessing Student Outcomes (CASO) identifies and evaluates the measures used to assess achievement of college-wide learning goals, which are derived from General Education’s Learning Outcomes statement, the College Mission and Vision, and the College Strategic Plan. CASO, which reports to the Provost, oversees assessment of curricular learning outcomes, while assessment of co-curricular outcomes falls under the purview of the Vice President for Student Success.
Each academic program has its own assessment plan, on which it reports annually to the College’s assessment coordinator. Assessment of General Education learning outcomes is a coordinated effort between the Committee on General Education (COGE) and CASO.
Faculty are the most valuable resource of any educational institution, and the development of an outstanding faculty is therefore one of the most important and attention-demanding efforts we engage in. It is our collective responsibility to put in the classroom and departments the very best faculty we can find, faculty who believe in our teaching mission and who sign on to the notion of education as a mechanism of social change.
Search committees do most of the hard work of building our full-time faculty resources at Rhode Island College. The role of a search committee is to attract and identify a strong, diverse pool of highly qualified candidates who have the potential to bring to RIC a set of skills, life experiences, and perspectives that will add to the quality and richness of our academic community. Specifically, search committees should strive to:
An important consideration in any search process is to maximize objectivity and minimize implicit bias or other subjective considerations that might hamper opportunities for highly qualified and well-matched candidates to be selected for the short list or be selected as a top candidate following on-site interviewing. It is imperative that the search committee follows appropriate guidelines for what can and cannot be considered in the review and interview process, and also that they recognize both their own potential biases and those of the committee and department.
RIC’s School of Social Work has a statewide reputation for producing superior graduates taught by exceptional faculty.
“Es importante saber de dónde vienen nuestros estudiantes para poder apoyarlos mejor en nuestras escuelas”. ~ Profesora Erin Papa
The Career Empowerment Opportunity (CEO) Program is a mentoring program that connects current students with RIC graduates to support them in their field of interest and prepare them for the workforce.
Campus has been abuzz lately, with fantastic events such as Open House, Service Recognition Awards and First Generation Day. Our community has been shining as we grow and gather together!