Our Approach

Roger Williams University is addressing the critical issues of cost, debt and jobs head on.

In the fall of 2012, we formally announced the Affordable Excellence Initiative at Roger Williams University, and invited the University community to engage in a comprehensive discussion of these issues and how we at RWU can address them for and with our students.

We have already made progress, determining how we can best build upon our solid academic foundation and expand our “value proposition” to students in all disciplines through an even wider series of offerings in project-based and hands-on learning, accelerated bachelor’s and master’s degree options, internships, externships, community service opportunities, student/faculty research, career planning and financial advisement.

Access and Affordability

Building upon our successful enrollment strategies, we are increasing access and recruiting an increasingly diverse population of students who will thrive and prosper on our campus – and who will graduate with solid offers for employment and graduate education.

We have identified and are implementing processes that will make our high-value educational experience more affordable to a larger cohort of qualified students:

• The first step to address affordability and access began with the decision to eliminate the standardized test score requirement for admission, focusing on a more holistic approach to recruiting and accepting those students who demonstrate the potential to succeed at RWU through qualities beyond those measured through test scores, class rank and high school GPA alone (for details see TEST OPTIONAL)

• This was followed by the decision of the University’s Board of Trustees to FREEZE tuition for all currently enrolled full-time, undergraduate, day students at the 2012-13 level, and GUARANTEE that rate for those students who remain continuously enrolled, full-time over the next one, two or three years, depending on their current class level. Tuition for full-time, undergraduate, day students entering in fall 2013 will also be frozen at the 2012-13 level, and will be guaranteed for all who are continuously enrolled for four years (for details see TUITION FREEZE)

Our Value Proposition

At RWU we are building upon and expanding our value proposition, providing a relevant educational experience that affords students many opportunities to gain experience in both the liberal arts and professional programs, resulting in a more employable graduate by:

• Offering an increasing number of opportunities for students to major and minor in a combination of liberal arts and professional programs that enhance one another (we are uniquely positioned to provide this blended education because of our established, highly regarded professional schools and strong liberal arts programs)

• Providing significant, structured, rigorous and relevant opportunities for students to participate in hands-on and project-based learning in non-profit and for-profit organizations in the local community, across the state and the nation, and around the world

• Connecting with students early and often — beginning in the freshman year — to provide robust and relevant academic and career advising services with the goal of preparing students to enter the professional or post-graduate world with the skills and experience beyond the traditional offerings of most colleges and universities