As
the state’s public land-grant research university, the University of Rhode
Island’s mission includes economic development as a central, and critical,
priority. Consequently, we have
worked closely with Governors, the General Assembly, and the people of Rhode
Island to secure substantial investments in new buildings and facilities that
have provided, and will provide, new opportunities for economic growth and the
creation of jobs. These include the Center for Biotechnology and
Life Sciences, the College of Pharmacy building, the Richard E. Beaupre Center
for Chemical and Forensic Sciences, and the $125 million College of Engineering
facility. There is more in the pipeline
of our capital improvement plan, including the second phase for Engineering and
much needed new facilities for the Graduate School of Oceanography.
As
important as science and engineering are to URI, the university has a much
broader and equally important mission that encompasses the humanities, the
social sciences, and the arts. The
University of Rhode Island is concerned with educating our students to become
the well-informed, thoughtful citizens they need to be amidst the substantial
challenges of the 21st century.
We strive to be a positive force for social development and cultural
understanding – improving lives not only financially, but also by strengthening
families and communities, building mutual understanding and respect, and
providing for the common good.
The
arts – music, theater, art, film, design – are an important, even essential,
element in achieving this broader mission.
They offer a medium of communication that spans time and space,
connecting us to each other, to our past, and projecting our vision and our lives
into the future. The arts can foster
understanding and appreciation across cultures, can reinforce our mutual
humanity, and help us discover our shared values and common ground. Concurrently, the arts can provide profound
and moving critiques of our cultures, politics, and societies – critiques from
which we may learn and benefit.
For
all of these reasons, the University of Rhode Island has long offered a wide
variety of programs and degrees in the arts, including the Bachelor of Arts,
the Bachelor of Fine Arts, and the Bachelor of Music. Hundreds of shows, performances, exhibits,
and recitals take place every year. Over
50,000 people from all across the state attend arts events at the University of
Rhode Island each year – yes, over 50,000. Enrollments in arts classes exceeded
8500 last academic year. In short, the
arts are a vibrant, engaging, and inspiring part of URI’s teaching, scholarship
and creative work. The many contributions from our faculty, students, and
distinguished visitors constitute substantial service to the state, which is also
intrinsic to our land-grant mission. And
we should certainly note that many have pointed out that the arts can have a
significant and positive economic impact in their own right.
To
sustain and enhance our efforts in the arts, it is time to invest. The Fine Arts building, which dates from the
1960s, is in urgent need of replacement and/or renovation. New technologies for teaching and learning
are now available that need to be incorporated, and new kinds of spaces
created, which will permit the arts to thrive well into the future. This project will be one of our top
priorities for consideration and approval by the Governor, the General Assembly,
and the people of Rhode Island. I hope that the entire URI community, all those
who enjoy and benefit from URI’s commitment to the arts, and all those who
agree that the arts epitomize much of what is best in the human spirit, will
join us in this endeavor.
