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

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.