Academic freedom is essential to URI's statewide impact, and Rhode Island's progress
We - three University of Rhode Island professors - are writing in support of these freedoms to explain how higher education — and URI in particular — contributes to the state in many different ways.
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URI, the state's flagship public university, is more than a place of learning. With 17,000 students and over 120,000 alumni
,
it has become a statewide center of discovery and progress — impacting areas from health care to engineering, business and environmental conservation.
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As a land and sea grant institution, URI is protecting Rhode Island's natural resources so that future generations can inherit a healthy environment. Each day, our students and scientists contribute to the sustainable growth of the state's
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URI's impact extends to public health. The Colleges of
Our College of
Our College of
Higher education is also a major economic force. Rhode Island's colleges and universities contribute
Our growing national reputation reflects these achievements. The
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Rhode Islanders need to know that this progress is possible because of academic freedom — our ability to teach, research, and collaborate based on scholarly merit and public need. URI faculty, students, and staff live in the communities where we work. We engage directly with residents, schools, hospitals, corporations, and government agencies to ensure our work responds to the real-world needs of Rhode Islanders.
Our research is rooted in service to the state. We provide value across every district and municipality, but we can only continue this work if we are free to explore the facts, test ideas, and to galvanize truth through debate. A dynamic, responsive economy depends on the unrestricted exchange of ideas and evidence.
As URI professors, we urge our fellow Rhode Islanders, the business community, and elected leaders to stand with us in defending higher education and the values that sustain it.
Brice Loose, Amelia Moore, and Koray Ozpolat are professors of oceanography, marine affairs, and supply chain management, respectively, at the University of Rhode Island.
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