ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ is on the Ballot, Official Launch of βVote Yes on 2β Campaign
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- ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ is on the Ballot, Official Launch of βVote Yes on 2β Campaign
Proposed redesign of Horace Mann Hall by Durkee Brown Viveiros Werenfels Architects
Government, civic, labor and higher education leaders in the state, along with alumni, faculty, staff and students of ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ and the University of Rhode Island formally launched the Vote Yes on 2 Campaign on Oct. 4 at the Rhode Island Nursing Education Centerβ. This site is significant in that it is a shared complex for ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ and URI nursing programs and another example of a successful ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄/URI collaboration.
On Nov. 6, Rhode Island voters will be asked to approve ballot Question 2, a $70 million general obligation bond to support higher education facilities at ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ and the University of Rhode Islandβs Narragansett Bay Campus.
Approval of this bond would provide $25 million for facility renovations and enhancements of ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄βs Horace Mann Hall, which houses the collegeβs Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, and $45 million to design, renovate and construct new buildings and upgrade infrastructure at the Bay Campus, home of URIβs Graduate School of Oceanography.
βVoters this November have the opportunity to invest in our future by approving Question 2 and supporting Rhode Islandβs top-notch institutions of higher learning,β said R.I. Gov. Gina Raimondo. βBy pushing URIβs exploration of our oceans to new depths and ensuring that ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ can meet the demands of educating tomorrowβs teachers, weβll send a clear message that Rhode Island is committed to moving forward.β
βThere is no greater impact on a childβs education than a childβs teacher,β said ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ President Frank D. SΓ‘nchez. βΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ prepares the largest number of teacher candidates for certification in Rhode Island, graduating highly competitive candidates who are prepared to serve the changing needs of todayβs pre-K-12 students. Our modernized curriculum demands a modern facility that allows for increased collaboration, training and use of technology.β
βΒιΆΉΤ΄΄βs school of education facility was built in 1971 and hasnβt been updated in nearly half a century,β explained Gerri August, co-interim dean of the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development. βSince that time, teacher education has evolved, as has pre-K-12 classroom teaching. Years ago, teaching was thought of as βstudents sit in a row and listen while I teach,β which is why the current building is designed for stand-and-deliver pedagogy. We now know that students do not learn well that way.β
βWe need a building that models the interactive environments future teachers will be entering when they graduate,β said August, βand we need to prepare teachers to interact with students in ways that students find meaningful. Effective teacher education depends on facilities that reflect the reality present in K-12 classrooms.ββ