Providence campus markets to students through reduced fees

03/27/09 - The University of Rhode Island is focusing on marketing the fulltime academic program offered at the Feinstein Providence campus, in hopes that in-state incoming freshmen will take advantage of the reduced fees."[We want to] further promote our great Providence campus just like we have at Kingston," Dean Libutti, interim vice provost for enrollment management, said.

Libutti said in-state tuition will be the same (approximately $8,200), at both the Kingston and Providence campuses, but fees for the services offered at Kingston are higher.

It costs students approximately $1,200 for yearly fees at the Kingston campus, but about $100 at Providence.

Libutti said this is mainly because there are more services, like the medical services, on the Kingston campus due to the campus' size and its residential life.

All fees for Kingston commuters are mandatory, but certain fees for fulltime Providence students, such as the approximate $400 health service fee, are optional.

"[It's] a lot cheaper than living fulltime on the Kingston campus," URI Providence Academic Adviser Jeff Johnson said.

The purpose of marketing this fulltime academic program is to show people the options URI has to offer as a whole, Libutti said.

"They forget about our beautiful urban campus," he said.

Libutti said students would be in the heart of the city and close to the bus station.

The Providence campus also offers free parking just a few blocks away at the Rhode Island Convention Center, and its location will be beneficial for "students who work downtown," Johnson said.

Johnson explained the benefits of the Providence campus, such as a more efficient scheduling system. Rather than taking hour-long courses Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Kingston, many of the courses offered at Providence are one three-hour long class once a week.

Another benefit for fulltime Providence students is the newly developed learning communities - also offered at the Kingston campus - giving students a chance to interact with others in their major.

"[The idea of the learning communities] has been attempted before, [but there is] greater emphasis this year," Libutti said.

He said the administration developed a new initiative to target the Providence program toward declared incoming freshmen.

For instance, if their major was offered at the Providence campus, the admissions department sent them informative letters about the campus.

The Providence campus offers seven different academic programs, including communication studies, English, history, psychology, human development and family studies, clinical laboratory science and Bachelor of general studies.

Libutti said students, typically freshman, could take courses fulltime at the Providence campus even if their major isn't offered there.

"We have lots of different options people can take advantage of," Libutti said.

Students can take general education courses fulltime at the Providence campus and later become fulltime students at Kingston when they begin focusing on classes in their major. Because of the reduction in fees, students would be saving money for their first couple years in college.

Interested students and families attended an informative open house session last Saturday at the Providence campus.

He said there were only about seven students and families at the session, but those unable to attend scheduled individual appointments with the university. Johnson said those who attended received complementary brunch at the campus and a campus tour.

"[The students] were able to familiarize themselves with the campus," he said.