2008 Woodie Awards
New provost says he has 'big plans' for the university
Christina Cannon
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Campus
04/11/08 - University of Rhode Island students will see a new face lingering in the office of the provost and vice president of academic affairs next year.
Donald DeHayes, former dean of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, is replacing retiring Provost M. Beverly Swan, the second-ranking administrator behind President Robert L. Carothers.
DeHayes, 56, taught Ecology, Plant Biology, and Racism in the Environment at UVM. "There is so much that the students don't know, there is so much racism interjected in this world," DeHayes said.
He said during the time that he spent at UVM, he was very successful in helping the university acquire $32 million from the Rubenstein family and facilitated with the school's $250 million capitol campaign. At UVM, DeHayes supervised a school second only to its College of Medicine in amount of money raised.
DeHayes said he has big plans for URI. He wants to start new programs that will insure global awareness, including more summer programs. "With the ocean being so close, there are summer courses that students could take and receive credit for, why not take advantage of the natural surroundings?" DeHayes said.
He also wants to start an advisory panel that consists of student and faculty. The advisory panel would meet once or twice a month in effort to work together on general issues at the university.
DeHayes said a goal of his is to have every student be a well-rounded student, noting that the advisory panel would make students feel like they can voice their opinions and not feel brushed off by the administration.
Another major goal of his is to provide an innovative place for students where they can take their awareness for all aspects of life with them. "Shouldn't there be an understanding between the natural world and the impact of our humanity?" he said.
DeHayes said he is a big advocate of student organizations and students giving back to the community. "Greek life is a good way of learning social responsibility," he said. "Organizations, no matter what extracurricular activity it is, whether it be an athletic team, a club sport or anything that helps the students grow ... helps build culture in the U.S. social mission to make America more aware of the issues."
DeHayes said he left UVM and "traded the green mountains for the ocean" because he saw URI as a place of opportunity for the youth of America.
"I want URI to be a place full of restlessness," DeHayes said. "I don't want people to be complacent. By leaving UVM, I was motivated to start a new adventure. In college, you are forced into situations that you aren't familiar with and someone will eventually ask you a question that makes you uncomfortable. Maybe you will look it up or read a book about it, and then you will understand. By being stretched to the point of humiliation, you will learn a little something new, and that's education."
Donald DeHayes, former dean of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, is replacing retiring Provost M. Beverly Swan, the second-ranking administrator behind President Robert L. Carothers.
DeHayes, 56, taught Ecology, Plant Biology, and Racism in the Environment at UVM. "There is so much that the students don't know, there is so much racism interjected in this world," DeHayes said.
He said during the time that he spent at UVM, he was very successful in helping the university acquire $32 million from the Rubenstein family and facilitated with the school's $250 million capitol campaign. At UVM, DeHayes supervised a school second only to its College of Medicine in amount of money raised.
DeHayes said he has big plans for URI. He wants to start new programs that will insure global awareness, including more summer programs. "With the ocean being so close, there are summer courses that students could take and receive credit for, why not take advantage of the natural surroundings?" DeHayes said.
He also wants to start an advisory panel that consists of student and faculty. The advisory panel would meet once or twice a month in effort to work together on general issues at the university.
DeHayes said a goal of his is to have every student be a well-rounded student, noting that the advisory panel would make students feel like they can voice their opinions and not feel brushed off by the administration.
Another major goal of his is to provide an innovative place for students where they can take their awareness for all aspects of life with them. "Shouldn't there be an understanding between the natural world and the impact of our humanity?" he said.
DeHayes said he is a big advocate of student organizations and students giving back to the community. "Greek life is a good way of learning social responsibility," he said. "Organizations, no matter what extracurricular activity it is, whether it be an athletic team, a club sport or anything that helps the students grow ... helps build culture in the U.S. social mission to make America more aware of the issues."
DeHayes said he left UVM and "traded the green mountains for the ocean" because he saw URI as a place of opportunity for the youth of America.
"I want URI to be a place full of restlessness," DeHayes said. "I don't want people to be complacent. By leaving UVM, I was motivated to start a new adventure. In college, you are forced into situations that you aren't familiar with and someone will eventually ask you a question that makes you uncomfortable. Maybe you will look it up or read a book about it, and then you will understand. By being stretched to the point of humiliation, you will learn a little something new, and that's education."