Bryant University Expands Campus with Property Donation

Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., recently announced plans to expand its campus after a real estate donation from nearby Fidelity Investments, according to a news release. The 250,000-square-foot space at 100 Salem Street will play home to the school’s College of Business, Graduate Programs office, Executive Education and Career Accelerator, and the Women’s Leadership Institute in conjunction with the university’s Vision 2030 initiative.

The building is the largest real estate gift in university history since 1967, the news release reports. In addition to the above programs, it will also provide space for extracurricular activities and student gatherings, both formal and informal.

The university will renovate the space to feature classrooms, lab space, entrepreneurial innovation space, faculty and administrative space, and meeting and gathering spaces. The building’s design is intended to foster student engagement in design thinking, financial technology, professional sales, AI, and data analytics. It will also allow for the founding of the “Innovative and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem” initiative, which will help business students in bringing projects from the initial idea to securing capital funding. The new program will help collaboration between university students and faculty and various industries throughout the state.

According to the news release, Bryant University’s Vision 2030 program will continue to encourage investment in academic excellence and facilities, experiential learning, and Top 1% student outcomes.

“What an extraordinary opportunity to leverage what Bryant already does so well—create real-world-ready graduates,” said David Beirne, Bryant University Board of Trustees Chair. “Our goal is to provide the number-one undergraduate business education in the nation. The expansion of our campus gives the entire university, and the College of Business specifically, needed innovation space for our students to ideate bold, future-forward visions to transform the world. Fidelity understands and appreciates the impact of Bryant graduates. We are grateful for their continued investment in our students and our future.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Acquires VPS Architecture

    Full-service planning, architecture, and engineering firm Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has acquired VPS Architecture, according to a news release. The move will help strengthen Wold’s education and public-sector design expertise, industries in which both companies have strong pre-existing ties and relationships.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • University of Kansas Breaks Ground on Entrepreneurship Hub

    The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new KU Entrepreneurship Hub, according to university news. The Hub is part of the university’s School of Business and will include spaces for experiential learning and programming.