Bryant College
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Bryant University is a
private university Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they often receive tax breaks, public student loans, and government grants. Depending on the count ...
in
Smithfield, Rhode Island Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,118 at the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1731, it includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Spragueville, Stillwater, an ...
, United States. It has three colleges, the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, and the College of Business, and is accredited by the
New England Commission of Higher Education The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit membership organization that performs peer evaluation and accreditation of public and private universities and colleges in the United States and othe ...
.


History


Butler Exchange and downtown Providence

Bryant University was founded in 1863 as a branch of a national school which originally taught
bookkeeping Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions, and is part of the process of accounting in business and other organizations. It involves preparing source documents for all transactions, operations, and other events of a business. T ...
and methods of business communication and was named after founders, John Collins Bryant and Henry Beadman Bryant. This separate chain of schools is currently called Bryant & Stratton College. In 1878 the Providence branch of Bryant & Stratton was sold to a teacher at the school, Thomas Stowell. Stowell died in 1916 the school was sold again and merged with Henry Jacobs' Rhode Island Commercial School (founded 1898). Classes for Bryant and Stratton College were originally held in the now demolished Butler Exchange building located in downtown Providence, at 111 Westminster Street on
Kennedy Plaza Kennedy Plaza, formerly Exchange Place, Exchange Terrace, or City Hall Park, is a rectangular public square that occupies a central portion of Downtown, Providence, Rhode Island, Downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Since the mid 19th century, the ...
. Bryant became non-profit in 1949 and offered its first master's program in 1969.


College Hill

From August 1, 1935, to 1971, Bryant College of Business Administration campus was located on College Hill near
Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...
. Housed first at "South Hall" at the corner of Hope Street and Young Orchard Avenue, formerly Hope Hospital, the college expanded into neighboring buildings. The "South Hall" building was originally the 19th-century home of Byron Sprague, a nephew of manufacturer
William Sprague III William Sprague, also known as William III or William Sprague III (November 3, 1799October 19, 1856), was a politician and industrialist from the U.S. state of Rhode Island, serving as the 14th Governor, a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator. ...
, and later the home of Isaac Gifford Ladd. When the school relocated to Smithfield, it sold the Providence campus to Brown University. The property, 26 buildings on 10 acres of land, became known as Brown's East Campus. The former South Hall became home to Brown's music department, and is now called the Orwig Music Center.


Smithfield

In October 1967, Earl S. Tupper, alumnus and inventor of
Tupperware Tupperware is an American company that manufactures and internationally distributes preparation, storage, and serving containers for the kitchen and home. It was founded in 1942 by Earl Tupper, who developed his first bell-shaped container and ...
, donated his hillside estate to Bryant College for the creation of the new campus. To thank Tupper, Bryant named the campus after him and awarded him a second degree, an honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters. In 1971, the university moved to the new campus. The famous Bryant Archway was also relocated. The old Emin Homestead and Captain Joseph Mowry homestead occupied much of the land that makes up the present day Smithfield campus. The land was purchased and farmed for three generations between the late 19th century and the mid-20th century. Today, many descendants of the original Emin settlers still live near the Bryant campus. The school also claims a handful of family members as alumni and offers a scholarship for accounting students as a tribute to the Emin family. Historical pictures of the Emin Homestead can still be found in the Alumni house.


Bryant Archway tradition

Students at Bryant have a particular way of symbolizing the completion of their education: walking through the archway. In 1875, Isaac Gifford Ladd, an associate of Charles M. Schwab and a famous U.S. steel tycoon, constructed a one million dollar building which contained the iron arch on Young Orchard Avenue on the east side of Providence. This building was meant to be a sign of his endearment to his newlywed wife.Bryant University: One Hundred and Forty Fifth Historic Ceremony, William T. Guay Pp. 2. However, his wife expressed hatred for the structure which was named after her. He took this as a personal rejection, and Ladd later took his own life. The building remained unoccupied until Thomas Marsden transformed it into Hope Hospital, which was part of Bryant College. To provide more space for classes, an addition was constructed and Hope Hospital was renamed South Hall. Four years later, prior to the school's move from Providence to Smithfield, the wrought-iron arch at the entrance to South Hall was transported to the new campus. Today, the archway remains the only physical link to the Providence campus. After the archway was transferred from the old campus, students immediately began to avoid passing through this out-of-place structure. As a rumor had it, walking through the archway before graduation mysteriously jeopardized chances of graduating. Since this is quite a large price to pay for not following tradition, most students opted not to take the chance, which has resulted in worn paths around the arch.


Archway seal

The Bryant Seal represents the educational mission of the university and its worldwide implications. The central symbol is an ellipsoid globe with quills on each side to signify the traditional emblem of communication in business. In the center, behind the globe, is a torch symbolizing liberty, the spirit of free inquiry, academic freedom, and learning. The Archway, forming the background for the globe, torch, and quills, is a university landmark affectionately and superstitiously by Bryant alumni. The Latin motto expresses the purpose of the university: "" – Which means Knowledge. Character. Success. The original Latin motto has remained unchanged and has been translated into the university's current day motto which is ''The Character of Success.''


Presidents

Ross Gittell is the ninth president of Bryant University. # Theodore Stowell, 1878–1916 # Henry L. Jacobs, 1916–1961 # E. Gardner Jacobs, 1961–1970 # Schyler Hosler, 1969–1970 # Harry F. Everts, 1970–1976 # William T. O'Hara, 1976–1989 # William E. Trueheart, 1989–1996 # Ronald K. Machtley, 1996–2020 # Ross Gitell, 2020–Present


Machtley era

Ronald K. Machtley, a former Navy captain and U.S. Representative, was hired as president in 1996. When Machtley arrived he immediately began working with faculty, students and the board of trustees to ensure the future of Bryant. He announced an ambitious capital campaign and plans to build new facilities and upgrade old ones. Under the Machtley administration, Bryant has built a new library, athletic center, communications and IT complex, residence hall, interfaith center, upgraded all athletic fields, and completely renovated the main classroom building and the student union. The school also changed its name to Bryant University in 2004. Its selectivity has increased, and the days of budget deficits are gone. The university endowment in 2007 totaled $171 million, a net increase of $169 million in just 10 years. On Thursday, February 28, 2008, former U.S. President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
campaigned at Bryant University in support of
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. This was the first time in the school's history that either a former U.S. president or presidential candidate came to Bryant University to give a speech. Also in 2008, the 41st president of the United States
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
gave the 2008 commencement address on May 17, 2008. Bush received an honorary degree from the university. Within only three months of each other, Bryant had two of the only three former U.S. Presidents still living come to speak on campus.


Campus buildings


George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology

This building houses the college library, previously located in the Unistructure. The George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology was designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, a firm in New York City that has been nationally recognized for its design of the Science, Industry, & Business Library (SIBL) for the New York Public Library.


Unistructure

The Unistructure is a large centrally-located building on Bryant University's campus. Before the opening of the Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center (BELC), it housed nearly all classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, and academic resources. It is now home to the university's College of Arts and Sciences and School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, as well as various student support and administrative offices.


Michael E. '67 and Karen L. Fisher Student Center

The Fisher Student Center (known as the Bryant Center until September 2013) offers offices and meeting spaces for a wide variety of co-curricular activities, clubs and student organizations.


Koffler Communications Complex

The Koffler Technology Center is Bryant's computer center. More than 200 terminals, microcomputers, and workstations are located here. Facilities offer individual workstations for hands-on learning and shared workstations for group projects. The Koffler center is also home to the university's TV and radio stations. WJMF takes up most of the main floor, sharing space with the TV/Editing studio.


John H. Chafee Center for International Business

The building was named after the late Rhode Island Senator
John Chafee John Lester Hubbard Chafee ( ; October 22, 1922 – October 24, 1999) was an American politician and officer in the United States Marine Corps. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 66th Governor o ...
. The center serves the regional business community, as well as offering hands on opportunities for students to learn about global business. The Chafee Center houses the World Trade Center and Export Assistance Center for the state of Rhode Island.


Suite Village

The Suite Village is a collection of fourteen residence halls with thirteen of them (Charlestown, Richmond, Kilcup, Westerly, Hopkinton, Exeter, Coventry, Scituate, Tiverton, Providence, Jamestown, Cumberland and Lincoln) housing 90 students. The last and the newest, hall seventeen (Newport House), houses approximately 200 students. Every suite has three double bedrooms, a living area and private bathroom with multiple stalls and showers. Each of the four floors has four suites, with each suite separated by gender.Bryant University – Living on campus


First Year Complex

These three halls (Warren, Bristol and Barrington) – are entirely reserved for first-year students – are four-story, co-educational halls with north and south wings.


Ronald K. and Kati C. Machtley Interfaith Center

The Interfaith Center opened at the start of the 2009–2010 academic year to replace the previous chapel in the Bryant Center. Located between the Bryant Center and the George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology, it is an non-denominational place of worship and reflection for all members of the campus community. The center, designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, a firm in New York City that has been nationally recognized for its work, has received two design awards: a 2010 Honor Design Award from Faith & Form magazine/The Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture, and a Building of America Award from Construction Communications magazine for the center's use of sustainable materials. On October 9, 2010, the board of trustees honored President Ronald K. Machtley and his wife Kati C. Machtley by dedicating the Interfaith Center in their names.


Salmanson Dining Hall

Salmanson Dining Hall, inside the Unistructure, was named after Leonard I. Salmanson in 1973. Prior to this time, it was said that Salmanson made one donation which was one of the largest Bryant had ever received up until this time. Bryant awarded Salmanson an honorary degree of Doctor of Science of Business Administration in 1972 and he became a Bryant trustee in 1974.


Academic Innovation Center

The Academic Innovation Center is a 50,000-square-foot building housing classrooms, breakout rooms, an innovation forum, admission greeting center, and cafe.


Bulldog Strength & Conditioning Center

The 10,000-square-foot Bulldog Strength & Conditioning Center is used by students who are members of the Bulldog Division I and club sports athletic teams.


Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center

The Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center (BELC) is a 250,000-square-foot facility donated to the university by Fidelity Investments in 2022. The building is located at 100 Salem St., across the street from the university's existing campus. The donation is part of Bryant University's efforts to advance its Vision 2030 initiative, which focuses on growing the student body through strategic improvements to campus facilities, academic programs, and student resources. To integrate the BELC with the main campus, a pedestrian-friendly crossing is under development. The project also facilitated significant changes in the allocation of academic spaces: the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences are now housed in the Unistructure, while the School of Business relocated to the newly-constructed BELC. The center, located across the street from the existing campus, represents the most significant real estate gift to Bryant University since Earl Tupper gifted his farmland to create Bryant's Smithfield campus in 1967.


Residence life

Bryant residence life guarantees housing for all four years, and 87% of the student body lives in university-provided housing as of Fall 2023. Bryant also has a strict drug policy, which involves the Smithfield Police Department in all cases of violations. In 2010, Smithfield Police arrested 34 Bryant students for possession of
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
. This placed the school at number 4 on
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
's 2011 list of druggiest colleges. In 2010, the school placed at number 2 on the list. The university "unequivocally" rejected the characterization, called The Daily Beast's representations "without foundation," and considered the methodology "badly flawed."


Academics


Schools and programs

Bryant University is divided into two colleges: the College of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences. Each offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. Most students are enrolled in a business discipline. All students in a business administration major are required to complete one of the 27 liberal arts minors. Students in the Bachelor of Science in International Business program are required to complete a language minor. All students majoring in the College of Arts and Sciences also complete a business minor.


Centers and institutes

* Advanced Applied Analytics Center * John H. Chafee Center for International Business * Hassenfeld Institute for Public Leadership * Center for Global and Regional Economic Studies * Center for Program Innovation * U.S.-China Institute and Confucius Institute * Amica Center for Career Education * Executive Development Center * Center for Teaching and Learning


Reputation and rankings

* In 2017, Bryant University President Ronald K. Machtley was the highest paid college president in the United States. At $6,283,616, Machtley was paid $920,000 more than the second highest paid college president. * Tier One MBA program – CEO Magazine 2016 * #1 Digital Marketing Program in the U.S. - ''College Factuals 2022 Rankings In the 2022 ''U.S. News & World Report'' College Rankings, Bryant was ranked #7 in the Regional-North group.


Athletics

Bryant has 25 intercollegiate varsity athletic programs and participates in
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
as a member of the
America East Conference The America East Conference (AmEast) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I whose members are located in the Northeastern United States. The conference is headquartered in Boston, Massachu ...
. Athletic squads are called the Bulldogs. In addition, students can compete in various club sports and on intramural teams throughout the academic year. Bryant has 11 varsity teams for men and 14 for women:
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
,
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
, cross country,
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
,
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
,
lacrosse Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...
, indoor and outdoor
track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
,
tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
,
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
, and swimming and diving. The women's teams consist of
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
,
bowling Bowling is a Throwing sports#Target sports, target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a bowling ball, ball toward Bowling pin, pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). Most references to ''bowling'' are ...
, cross country,
field hockey Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...
,
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
,
lacrosse Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...
, indoor and outdoor
track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
,
rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...
,
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
,
softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
, swimming and diving,
tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
, and
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
. Bryant University also offers sports at the club level. They offer 20 club level sports teams, 10 for men and 10 for women. The men's club sports are: bowling, hockey, karate, racquetball, crew, rugby, skiing and snowboarding, ultimate frisbee, wrestling, and volleyball. The women's club sports include bowling, cheerleading, gymnastics, hockey, karate, ice skating, racquetball, rugby, skiing and snowboarding, and dance.


Greek life

Bryant University has Greek life on campus. While Bryant does not allow Greek housing, Charlestown House is made up exclusively of students involved in Greek life. Approximately 7% of male undergraduates and 13% of female undergraduates participate in Greek life at Bryant University as of 2023.


Student life


Student media

* ''The Archway'' (newspaper) * TV Production Club * WJMF 88.7 HD-2 Radio Station


Notable alumni


Notes


References


External links

*
Bryant Athletics website
{{Authority control Private universities and colleges in Rhode Island Universities and colleges established in 1863 Buildings and structures in Providence County, Rhode Island Education in Providence County, Rhode Island Tourist attractions in Providence County, Rhode Island 1863 establishments in Rhode Island