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Posted inEducation, Health, Local

Proposed URI medical school could fill doctor shortage, boost economy, draft report finds

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Creating a medical school at the University of Rhode Island would help to address the shortage of primary care doctors in the state, boost the economy and offer other benefits, according to a draft version of a consultant’s report. The draft said that between 200,000 and 400,000 Rhode Islanders lack access to primary care services, […]

Posted inArts And Culture, Education, The Weekly Catch

Behind URI’s plan to build more student housing, remembering Bill Gale, and more

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Residents in Narragansett and South Kingstown have complained that URI isn’t providing enough housing for its growing student body, affecting the town’s strained housing market. This week, the university announced plans to build more student housing. What will that look like, and will it be enough? Also, author and podcaster Nate DiMeo built up his chops as a storyteller living and working in Providence. He comes back to his hometown this week to discuss his new book, “Memory Palace: True Short Stories of the Past.” And Tony Estrella of the Gamm Theatre looks back on the life of longtime Rhode Island theater critic Bill Gale, who passed away recently. That and more on this week’s show.

Posted inEducation, Housing, Local, South County Bureau

URI plans more student housing. Can that help the housing crunch in South County?

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As interest in attending the University of Rhode Island continues to grow, the state’s flagship university said Wednesday it plans to build more student housing. URI plans to lease state land on the Kingston campus to a private developer, which would then build and operate student housing on the land, the university said in a […]

Posted inLocal, Political Roundtable, Politics

URI President Marc Parlange on RI’s economy, boosting research, and academia under fire 

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It’s not an easy time to be a university president. Academia faces criticism from across the political spectrum. Many campuses have been divided by the war between Hamas and Israel. And student debt remains a burden for many young people. But Marc Parlange, who became president of the University of Rhode Island in 2021, seems to be holding his own. URI recently completed a $300 million fundraising drive ahead of schedule. Parlange says Rhode Island’s flagship public university has turned a corner in attracting more robust state support. And last year, he unveiled an ambitious four-pronged 10-year strategic plan. The goals include making URI a hub for innovation and a more powerful economic catalyst. Are these goals realistic, and what will it take to realize them? How much promise is offered by the blue economy? And what does the university president make of the gripes about academia? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with URI President Marc Parlange

Posted inArticle, Housing, Local, South County Bureau

Report finds URI is contributing to Narragansett’s housing crisis

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A new report commissioned by the town of Narragansett says University of Rhode Island students living off-campus have significantly altered the town’s housing market, leading to a “symbiotic relationship” between the university and private landlords at the expense of other renters.  According to the study by the Burlington, Vermont-based group Crane Associates, URI has benefited […]

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